cleaning up head ??

darrencurry08

Member
May 7, 2012
304
4
70
Northern Ireland
ok i started sanding my blaster head tonight and i can get in to the seems in the middle what would be the best way to get in to get the paint off cause i want all the paint off it, and it would make the quad look 100 times better, any ideals ??? please help cause im replacing my head gasket tomorrow and want to finish it tomorrow, i cant get hand of a sand blaster either so any other ways ?:-/
 
You might be able to get it off with some paint stripper. Auto parts store here sale it, you want something with Methylene Chloride in it for best results but that is some dangerous stuff, be careful it you use it.
 
ok i started sanding my blaster head tonight and i can get in to the seems in the middle what would be the best way to get in to get the paint off cause i want all the paint off it, and it would make the quad look 100 times better, any ideals ??? please help cause im replacing my head gasket tomorrow and want to finish it tomorrow, i cant get hand of a sand blaster either so any other ways ?:-/

I have heard of people, using easy oven off, spray on, bake it and it comes off. never tried it myself.


Sporty
 
Also like to mention, media blasting helps keep the cylinder cool. Paint can be an insulator and trap heat in. Stays cooler with exposed aluminum I:I
 
found a good way to get the paint of easily get one of them high temperature steamers for cleaning and a wee brass brush for a drill, hold the steamer to the paint for a couple of seconds then use the brash brush and put a bit of pressure on it and the paint comes right off and leaves a nice finish also ill post pics of my progress soon !...
 
whats wrong with Methylene Chloride ?

It also isn't resisted by ANY rubber products. The only "protection" against it is solid poly/plastic products (for example "silvershield" gloves).

The inhalation and contact hazards are even more acute than you would think.... your body metabolises it into carbon monoxide in your blood stream which can suffocate you from the inside out long after your exposure to the actual chemical!

If you are going to work with methylene chloride you MUST have a organic cartridged properly fitted respirator and either pure butyl rubber (about 30 minutes protection only!) or silvershield gloves and chemical smock (MINIMUM). Even better than that would be a glove box fume hood....

^^^^ per the safety and health office at work while using methylene chloride as a polar solvent rinse for sampling operations.

As to the original question, a small table top sand blaster isn't a terribly expensive proposition if you want to do it yourself OR you could do a google search (or the old fashioned way, yellow pages) for machine shops in your area. Most machine shops will have an abrasive blaster on site and MIGHT hook you up for just a few bucks. After any abrasive blasting that contacts the mating surface (the part against the cylinder) of the head, you will need a good solid lapping to get it back smooth.
 
If you are going to work with methylene chloride you MUST have a organic cartridged properly fitted respirator and either pure butyl rubber (about 30 minutes protection only!) or silvershield gloves and chemical smock (MINIMUM). Even better than that would be a glove box fume hood....

And a face shield that fits over the respirator, preferable with a flap the lays down on the smock.
 
bought myself some paint stripper tonight gonna use that now, the steaming and brass brush is taking for ages but it would be worth it at the end but im gonna try this now :)

Put the stripper quickly all over the head and then wrap the entire head with aluminium cooking foil.

The foil will stop the solvent in the stripper evaporating to the atmosphere and will allow the stripper to bite deeply into the old paint.

After 30 mins remove the foil and blast off the old paint with lots of water to neutralise the solvents.

Remember to use full protection as stripper works very well on human body parts.
 
yeah it didnt seem to be coming off the best when it was just sitting on its own but i put another layer of stripper on and wrapped it in 2 layers of foil so we'ill see the results after ! thanks.....
 
$10 media blaster from Tractor supply or harbor freight worke dGREAT for me.You would need an air compressor too tho.

You mean one like this?

JobSmart Siphon Feed Abrasive Blaster - 3907837 | Tractor Supply Company

I have one I bought from my local hardware store that looks VERY similar to that. One word of warning using one like that. If you do decide to open blast you need a respirator too. Even using their specially designed blasting media, you are creating potentially hazardous dust particles.

I have a full face respirator from North Safety that I use while blasting. N100 filtration will offer some protection from silica (from play sand if you use that in your sand blaster) or small paint chips and carbon particles (if you use "black beauty" or similar "slag" media).