I'm taking my coupe body for blasting soon and I want to brace the body. I've taken apart as far as the pics show. It's going to be on a rotisserie and will be move around a lot in the next few months. Also, I'd like to create a lifting point on the bracing at the body balance point for easier handling. Is that a good idea ? Where would you attach the bracing ? I'll be using 1x1x1/8" square tubing. Don't want the braces to get in the way of the blaster as much as possible. Thanks in advance
Not sure about the bracing, but I'd suggest putting threaded plugs/bolts in all those nice threaded inserts like the ones for your dash rail.
I wouldn't blast that one, it looks way too nice - from the pics it does anyway. Chemical stripper is where I'd be. Blasting has way to many inherent problems and risks. We personally don't blast just to remove paint, we blast for rust removal. But since I'm used to blasting for rusty stuff - I'd pull the fire wall and all the wood, if it's getting blasted then those areas will be in the worst need of it anyway. You really can't brace it up well enough and make it easy on the blaster. What will make it easy on the blaster and easier on your steel is taking the paint off chemically and letting the blaster just haze it instead of stripping it. Bracing- 3/4" electrical conduit is more than strong enough and cheaper and lighter than 1x1x1/8 tube, use what you want. Diagonals in the deck lid opening. Vertical Diagonals in front of the dash/cowl at door opening. Vertical diagonals at rear of door opening. High Horizontal diagonals at the door- usually to the previous verticals. Low horizontal diagonals from hinge to rear wheel wells. If you remove the firewall you'll need two horizontals with one vertical diagonal, then one diagonal across the tank opening.
I think you are going to warp the shit out of it trying to blast it to bare metal. I would strip the paint first and then spot blast as needed. I wouldn't worry about bracing it.
Thanks guys, I'll reconsider blasting. I could strip most of it and just clean up the rust and be done, thanks for the advice.
Saw an OT car today that this blaster did. Thinner gauge than the A and no warping. Seems to know what he's doing, may still go that route.
i didn't really brace the body on my `30 coupe project for blasting. one thing i did was make a simple bracket to attach the top of the A pillar to the rear door post. when you get all the wood out the top of the A pillar becomes loose from the rest of the body. i blasted some of the small stuff myself , and had the big parts done professionally at Blast Masters in Shakopee Mn. 952-445-8983. he did a great job with absolutely no warping. he was good , he was fast and he was cheap! i couldn't hardly believe it... i would have gladly paid him 2-3 times what he charged me
Thanks for the info. Want it to serve as a lifting point so it's got to be strong too. Planning on tying the middle hinge diagonally across to the opposite rear vertical support just below the where the top and side of the body is bolted together. Same on both sides so they cross each other. I'll weld a attachment for lifting once I find the balance point. Hope that made sense, thanks guys.
Exactly as was explained to me by the guy doing it. Didn't mean sand blasting everything in my original post, sorry if it was misleading.