What is Dustless Blasting?
Dustless blasting is basically the same thing as sandblasting, but is a wet blasting process.
The blasting media is mixed together with water inside the blasting chamber. Add compressed air and you basically have the equivalent of a pressure washer and a sandblaster in one. Dustless blasting is great for mobile applications where dust abatement is very important. However, it may not be the best type of blasting for certain jobs.
You may have seen videos of this blasting process used on vehicles. When beginning a restoration project here are a few things that should be considered when it comes to removing paint and rust from classic vehicles. There are no advantages of using water in the blasting process other than dust abatement. Having water mixed in with the blast media does not increase the stripping rate of paint or rust.
The other thing to consider is that the slurry mixture will leave behind a residue and if not properly cleaned can lead to poor adhesion of topcoats of primer, body filler, or paint. Lastly, the media packs into cavities, pockets, and clumps up in areas where the media has a tendency to collect during the blasting process. This can make it very challenging to remove because it dries into a hard sediment of broken down media.
In conclusion, there are pros and cons to every type of blasting process. Dustless blasting is a viable option for onsite blasting of jobs or items that cannot be transported to a blast facility like block walls, concrete, or heavy equipment.
Here’s the bottom line… when it comes to removing paint and rust from classic vehicles there are better types of blasting then dustless blasting. Call Pro-Strip Media Blasting for further insight at (480)-380-0489