Abrasive blasting, more typically referred to as sandblasting, is the procedure of force moving a stream of abrasive product versus a surface area under high pressure to smooth a harsh surface area, rough up a smooth surface area, form a surface, or remove surface pollutants.
Blasting involves using pressurized air to aim small pieces of media (material) through a nozzle to remove the surface of a targeted region. It is the same as pressure washing, only that it is at a lower pressure and the projectiles are more abrasive than water droplets.
The most used media are aluminum oxide, glass beads, ground-up walnut shells, and plastic beads. Depending on your need for blasting, it will determine the type of media you will use. Additionally, each blasting media has different pricing. The article will discuss sandblasting a car frame, media blasting a car, and their costs.
Contents
What is sandblasting a car?
Sandblasting a car involves using sand particles to scrape a car surface with the particles of sand propelled at a higher pressure. The sand is neither recaptured nor recycled like in media blasting. Sandblasting helps to remove paint or rust from vehicles making it the best method to clean cars that need repainting or have rusted.
Dustless sandblasting is the same as sandblasting; the only difference is that it uses water. In addition, when you want to blast a frame of a vehicle, you can use sandblasting.
How much does it cost to sandblast the frame of a vehicle?
The price of sandblasting a car frame is different in every mechanic shop. It ranges between $ 350 and $1000. So you will need to go to a professional mechanic shop to find out the exact figure. The price range here is an estimate and gives insight into what you should expect to pay for sandblasting a car frame.
Sandblasting the frame of a car is taken as a project. The price will vary depending on;
- The labor hours
- The amount of surface frame to be blasted
- Amount of sand needed
- The vehicle’s age and brand
Amount of sand
The cost required to sandblast the frame will be determined by the amount of sand needed during the process. The more the sand, the higher the cost and more time required to complete the work.
Surface frame to be blasted
The amount of surface frame to blast is the most decisive attribute because it determines the amount of time spent on the project, which means if there is a large surface frame to cover, the more the price.
The vehicle’s age
The car’s age will determine the frame’s condition, which influences the cost. If the frame has a high amount of rust, it will increase the cost as the rust will need to be removed. Additionally, undercoats will also need to be removed, taking more time and increasing the price.
Angles of the frame
The cost will increase if the frame has multiple angles that need blasting. Sandblasting of a car frame is done per angle. More angles will lead to more labor hours on the process and more costs.
Car brand
Many mechanics charge more on sandblasting the frames of luxury and classic cars. These cars require a particular type of attention and careful handling when blasting. If a mistake occurs while blasting, it could damage the vehicle and their spares parts are rare and expensive.
It would help if you went through the price to know what is included before committing your car frame for sandblasting.
What is media blasting a car?
Media blasting a car involves stripping rust or paint without destroying the base material. Media blasting involves recapturing and recycling blast media which is recycled many times in a blasting unit. Different media give different results and this is why some media are preferred on certain surfaces over others.
Media such as glass beads, walnut shells, and aluminum oxide are preferred to remove rust in cars, and sodium bicarbonate is preferred for removing paint.
The media involved in media blasting is aluminum oxide, sodium bicarbonate, plastic beads, and glass bead.
How much does it cost to media blast a car?
The cost of media blasting a car varies depending on the media and the mechanic/ garage shop. Plastic media blasting ranges from $550 to $750, glass media blasting ranges from $850 to $1050, aluminum oxide blasting ranges from $500 to $800 and soda blasting ranges from $ 400 to 600.
If you are well versed with these media, you can carry out blasting for your car and cut costs instead of visiting a mechanic shop.
The factors that come into play in determining the cost of each media blasting include;
- Amount of media needed
- The surface to be covered
- The labor hours
- The age and brand of the vehicle
Amount of media
If the amount of media needed to blast the car is high, the final cost will be increased. Media such as glass and aluminum oxide are pretty expensive and if they are required in large amounts, the overall price will be high.
Surface to be covered
If more surface needs to be covered in blasting, the more the cost. In addition, if less area needs to be covered in blasting, the lesser the price.
Labor hours
Suppose a car has a large surface to be blasted, the higher the cost because it will need more hours to work on before it is ready. The charge of labor is different with every mechanic—some charge per hour and those that charge for the whole blasting project.
Vehicle’s age and brand
The condition of the vehicle will determine the cost. The older the car, the more the charges because it has rust which will need a lot of blasting and takes time.
Classic and luxury cars are charged expensively in blasting. Be prepared to spend if you plan to take your luxurious or classic vehicle for blasting.
Conclusion
Sandblasting and media blasting is different from each other. Additionally, sandblasting is cheaper than media blasting; however, the pricing in each blasting is influenced by various factors. These factors determine the overall cost of the blasting. Depending on your blasting needs, you need to consider which type of blasting will serve you best per the amount of money you have.
