Information Blast Cleaning and Costs

The use of Sand for blasting is now an illegal process and extremely dangerous to your health and others around you, even if you use a small homemade or commercial hobby blasting cabinet you are in danger of dying a slow death, as the sand breaks down during the blasting procedure it releases silicon that in turn can cause lung disease known as silicosis.

Below is a short extract from the HSE website:

Silicosis

Respirable crystalline silica (RCS) is found in stone, rocks, sands and clays.Exposure to RCS over a long period can cause fibrosis (hardening or scarring) of the lung tissue with a consequent loss of lung function. Sufferers are likely to have severe shortness of breath and may find it difficult or impossible to walk even short distances or up stairs. The effect continues to develop after exposure has stopped and is irreversible. Sufferers usually become house- or bed-bound and often die prematurely due to heart failure.

Acute silicosis is a rare complication of short-term exposure to very large amounts of silica. This condition is life-threatening and associated with very significant clinical consequences.
Silica may also be linked to lung cancer. Precautions taken to control the risk of fibrosis will serve to control the risk of lung cancer. Workers with silicosis are at an increased risk of tuberculosis, kidney disease and arthritis. Exposure to RCS may also cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

WHAT IS SHOT BLASTING (Blast Cleaning) ?

Abrasive blasting is the operation of cleaning or preparing a surface by forcibly propelling a stream of abrasive material against it. Usually explained as the use of a material against another material to make it smoother, remove surface contaminants or to roughen a surface. It is also the appropriate term for what is known as glass bead blasting or shot blasting.

Just about all items that come into our facility such as motorcycle & car parts are either shot/ bead or aqua blasted, of course it all depends on the base material before the selection is made, for instance if the product is of an alloy cast the right choice would be either fine glass bead or aqua blasting.

Why does it need shot blasting?
In short it removes all contaminants such as rust, old paint etc and gives a good canvas and key to start the powder or painting process on and at the same time it normally reveals any problems such as corrosion weakness or broken weld joints.
Good preparation is paramount to a good long lasting finish.

General cleaning:
Please ensure that most of the oil & grease is removed, we do not expect it to be spotless as we will take care of that, please note if the work comes into us not cleaned we reserve the right to make further charges for grease/oil removal.

SHOTBLASTING – General Procedure…

Abrasive media blasting is an excellent way to remove old paint, rust and to increase paint/powder adhesion, as long as the process is carried out correctly….

Areas that shouldn’t be blasted (bearing raceways, machined areas, etc.), need to be protected and the correct blasting media needs to be chosen for the material being prepared and removal of ALL grit after the blasting process is complete.
It is also important that parts are cleaned prior to blasting to prevent contaminated blast media re-circulating during the blast process as parts that have residual oil or dirt on them will be pushed into the pores only to come out later when baking, potentially affecting the finished job.

Poor Welding..

This is why we check each and every motorcycle frame that comes into us. We might be a little more expensive than some out there but we take your safety and our work very seriously. This was found after a third party brazed the lug next to the damage. Scary to say the least. Just think if this wasn’t picked up by another coater. This bike is being rebuilt for racing. Price is not the be all and end all.