TOPIC:

9am53 wrote:

So has anyone used this budget soda blaster with the course soda? Just wondering if this setup can be used only with the arm and hammer, or if it can be also used with the proper blasting soda.

Corse soda should be ok to use as long as the soda material won't stop up your blasting gun. As far as removing any dirt, I would first test an inconspicious area of your workpiece to see if it cleans to your satsifaction and doesn't damage any sensitive parts before subjecting it to a complete cleaning just to be sure.

Thought I'd pass along my experience.
Yesterday, I recalled I had a cheap air tool from Harbor Frieght called an "Engine Cleaning Gun" which combines the air nozzle with a pick-up hose (supposedly for chemical cleaning agents) to pressure wash an engine.

I adapted it to Soda Blasting by only adding the stick at the hose bottom end, by taping what amounts to a pencil (dowel) around the hose, to stand into a box of Armon-Hammer Baking Soda and blasted away.

Results were impressive.

I'll post some pics later when I take them.

But, this worked really well. Better than I even expected.

Here's a link to the 'Engine Cleaning Gun' I used from Harbor Freight. Only $8 and worth every penny.

www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=97014

BTW, notice it also has a mix adjuster, so you can adjust the flow of soda. Says it needs 60psi, but I ran it all the way up to 125psi at times.

Cool KAHruzer! ABout how many boxes of Armon Hammer do you think it would take to do an entire KZ engine? How far did one box get you?

Well, realize this was purely experimental at this point.
Wasn't being efficient by any standard, and tried many different things along the way.

The part is the sprocket side cover of my KZ750-H4. Last fall I had a huge ordeal just getting it off. Was rusted onto the shifter shaft and wouldn't budge. Finally got it off and winter had set in. So, not by decision, the thing managed to sit in a rubbermaid dishpan, outside, over the winter. It had filled with water, leaves and general crud and was really quite a mess. I didn't want to even touch it. It was that bad.

So, figured it a good test for the blaster.
Didn't get 'before' pics of the front, but it looked just as bad as the backside. I quit on the backside when I ran low of soda (2lb box) and also realized I wanted to get these snapshots with some of the old 'before' remaining.

The front remains very spotted from water stains, but all the crud is gone. This was a very casual first pass, too. Not sure how much of that might come off with a second, more deliberate, pass.

I figure it's going to take some elbow work to get it to shine again, though.

I remain pleased with the result.

As to how much soda, I had been adjusting the feed throughout and would also have some pickup issues at times due to the flow (had to shake the box as it got lower). It wasn't a full box when I started, 3/4 maybe.

Anyway, it lasted 30-40 minutes as I worked with all that going on. As I said, I tried a lot of adjusting, angles, etc.

I imagine an aparatus could be rigged pretty easily to capture the soda and reuse most of it. Might get into that before next pass.

Well, here's the pics:

Could chrome parts be blasted with this?

customkz1000 wrote:

Could chrome parts be blasted with this?

Yes and no. It will dullen the shine for the chrome but will remove surface rust

riverroad wrote:

Cool KAHruzer! ABout how many boxes of Armon Hammer do you think it would take to do an entire KZ engine? How far did one box get you?

I have done two bikes with this bag from Harbour Freight and still have some left


This is the blaster I used


Before


After

Thanks for the before and after pics. Impressive!

As to the gun styles, other than refilling needed on the gun with mounted supply, how does performance compare between it and the tube pick-up style?

Good Fortune!

Kawickrice wrote:

riverroad wrote:

Cool KAHruzer! ABout how many boxes of Armon Hammer do you think it would take to do an entire KZ engine? How far did one box get you?

I have done two bikes with this bag from Harbour Freight and still have some left

This is the blaster I used

Before

After

Is that done with the engine still in the frame ?

Patton wrote:

Thanks for the before and after pics. Impressive!

As to the gun styles, other than refilling needed on the gun with mounted supply, how does performance compare between it and the tube pick-up style?

Good Fortune!

To me I like the gravity feed gun. Although a smaller suction feed is good for very small nooks and crannies.

eddiem wrote:

Kawickrice wrote:

riverroad wrote:

Cool KAHruzer! ABout how many boxes of Armon Hammer do you think it would take to do an entire KZ engine? How far did one box get you?

I have done two bikes with this bag from Harbour Freight and still have some left

This is the blaster I used

Before

After

Is that done with the engine still in the frame ?

No, I was doing a frame swap at the time so the frame has fresh paint along with the engine cleaning and polishing that was done. Sure does make a big difference

It looks great