I've been using Coal Slag in the media cabinet. "Black Beauty"
Nasty stuff on many levels. Lasts a long time, and is fast. It'll go through rust like butter. Not for use on sheet, just big parts.

I have a couple loads of Copper Slag to try next.

The thing with soda as a media, it is one time use. Goes to powder in one use, so a large volume system will go through a bundle in a hurry. I have a small total loss setup for carburetors, but it's a pain in the butt to use.

Skat Blast has a conversion system for my cabinet so I can switch over to soda, then switch back when it suits. Thinking about getting the system.

CJ

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

I would probably change it to save confusion if it didn't muddle up a lot of stuff. Just not really sure how and not sure if it's worth the trouble at this point.

Danny

I used to use Black Beauty - at least I think that is what it was called. Was black and kind of copper/brownish. Lasted forever and very sharp. I didn't know it was coal slag. I had to drive 100 miles to buy it and now I can't remember how to get to the place or the name of it.

Blast media is hard to get in my area. I usually end up with plain old sand. The finer the better except for all the dust. You really need something less dusty in a cabinate blaster because you can't see anything for all the dust.

When I did a lot I used regular masonary sand. I built a kinda box with a 4X8 piece of plywood with 2X4 sides. I'd buy a half a truck load and dump it in the box to dry in the sun (it's usually soaking wet when you buy it). It is very fine and works great for getting into small rust pits and costs almost nothing.

Danny

This job was just too hard. I'm getting too old. It took about two days to "feather" out the inside of the bed. Feathering out the rest of the cab wasn't near as hard as being cramped up inside the bed. I started by hand but ended up using one of those triangle shaped fibrating sanders. They are very good for all the corners inside the bed:



I was going to fiberglass to save time but metal is always better and I couldn't get to the back of the rusted places without removing the fenders. So I just cut out the rust, blasted what I could behind the holes, then everything got a good coat of epoxy primer:












It's been a long time since I welded patches,or anything for that matter. I've gotten TRIFOCALS since then and it took me two patches to get the welder set correctly and figure out that I had to take off my glasses to see. Got them all in though and then another coat of primer:





I was so frazzled I didn't get pictures of them primed yet or inside the bed or the whole truck. I'll get them soon I hope.

The bed and everything else got one good coat of epoxy primer, then it took almost a full day to get body seam sealer into all the cracks. The stuff they used in the 60s was hard and brittle and most of it had been gone for years. I dug the rest out with chisles and a pocket knife. Then another coat of primer after the seam sealer dried.

My main goal was to get the body water proofed and all of the really bad rust off. There is still some surface rust but it won't be a problem for a while. I still have some work to do under the bed rails inside the bed where the blaster handle was too long to fit and looking up the sun is in your eyes so you can't see what you are doing. I plan to use muriatic acid in those places. I also have some blasting to do on the tailgate and decide what to do with the big clunky wraparound step bumper. It needs blasted too but if I can't find a "dress" bumper to replace it I'm going to cut it up and make a regular step bumper out of it. I really like it better with no bumper but one small accident would ruin the only perfect tailgate I know of.

My plan now is to paint the roof and hood which has surface rust I can mostly sand off. Then I'll do some very quick and dirty body work on the patched areas and rust pits and try to spot paint it for now to get it all the same color and look pretty decent from about 50 feet away.

The paint will end up being like an extra coat of primer for when I'm ready to do a real paint job and it will look almost decent until then. It may even take a while before I spot paint it, though it doesn't take that long. I have more pressing projects at the moment and at least I don't have to worry about leaving it outside now. After or during all of that, next on the agenda is a dual reservoir master cylinder and air conditioning. Way after that is power steering. The seat was perfect but hard and brittle plastic. I finally tore it working on the gas tank so I have to get that recovered.

I have one bay free in the shop and it's been stuck there for the last 10 years while I worked on other stuff outside. Nice to have my shop back for the next project. I can even work when it's raining again!

Danny