Soda Blasting

[doug748]

Can anyone suggest a rough figure for blasting old antifoul off a 32 ft hull? Any observations, alternatives or recommendations for the South West or Plymouth areas?

Thanks.

 

[ChromeDome]

I had my 30' Dry Ice blasted. Had done it manually a couple of times with help from friends and family, but the last time I promised myself NEVER AGAIN.

The price 100% depends on the work and material involved. As you can imagine every ol' hull has it's own challenges in this matter.

People you ask in the business will want to view it before giving offers, I'm sure.

Mine was done on a calm February day. I was at home but popped down to the marina to watch for a few minutes. A tarpaulin was laid down, the boat was placed on top in its (mobile) stand and off it went. The dry ice evaporates, so all the old paint was wrapped up and disposed of as hazardous waste.

The purpose was to get a clean bum and change to thin film AF. Very happy, never looked back.

 

[fredrussell]

I recently had a quote of £2k to do my 31ft boat.

 

[ChromeDome]

I recently had a quote of £2k to do my 31ft boat.

Ouch

 

[john_morris_uk]

Ouch

Ouch indeed. We’ve typically paid a few hundred.

 

[Tranona]

£700+ based on my 2 recent jobs.

 

[johnalison]

£700+ based on my 2 recent jobs.

I think mine was well under 1k a few years ago for 34ft.

 

[B27]

Rough is the word.
You should get a better finish by wet sanding it.

 

[john_morris_uk]

£700+ based on my 2 recent jobs.

That sounds very familiar.

 

[doug748]

That's probably the the end of that then. Thanks everyone.

 

[Tranona]

Rough is the word.
You should get a better finish by wet sanding it.

Depends on who does it and what you ask them to do. you can get a finish ready for painting, subject to filling any cracks or depressions. The primary purpose of blasting is to remove the build up of existing coatings and then the operator will finish to what you want. For example if you are treating osmosis you will want the blisters opened up and any loose material removed. If you have an epoxy coated hull and just want the antifoul removed that is what they will do. Obviously you can't always predict what you find as the old material is removed, but that is where the skill of the operator counts.

 

[doug748]

Thanks everyone I will get quotes for comparison but the cost may rule it out. Last time I hand scraped all off but don't think I am up for that again, I may just flatten it by wet sanding.

Secondary question, what are the best tools and kit for wet sanding antifoul? PPE etc.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Costs don't seem to have changed a lot. I had my 31' Moody done in 2014, and it cost about £800 then. That was done with olivine grit, and the operator produced a surface ideal for applying Coppercoat. A skilled operator will vary the pressure to produce the required result; on mine, he used a lot of pressure on the cast iron keel to get rid of inclusions and rust, and lighter pressure to remove the last traces of old antifoul.

The impression I was left with was that it was the skill of the operator that mattered, not the exact medium. A skilled operator will, of course , prefer a particular medium because that's what he or she is used to. Dry ice blasting has the reputation of being less aggressive, but it's not really an issue in the hands of a good operator.

 

[fredrussell]

My £2k quote was from Fox’s in Ipswich. If I can find someone local to do it for less than a grand I’ll get it done, otherwise I’ll scrape it. This prior to coppercoat next year.

 

[johnalison]

My £2k quote was from Fox’s in Ipswich. If I can find someone local to do it for less than a grand I’ll get it done, otherwise I’ll scrape it. This prior to coppercoat next year.

I had mine done here in Titchmarsh. A unit comes round once a year or so and I think they did four boats when mine was done. Smooth Finish, Mr Smoothie, took over, making good the defects which were tiny but offended him, and applying more epoxy and a/f, at additional expense of course.

 

[Birdseye]

Had my 29ft hull done with powdered glass this year. £500 and a brilliant job. Its the third time I have done this - there comes a time in life when the attraction of money in the bank is less than the attraction of watching someone else clean your boat hull

 

[rogerthebodger]

Any one soda blasted using a pressure washer with a blasting attachment.

My karcher has a sand/wet blasting kit

Kärcher Sand and wet-blasting kit

Only used presssure washer to remove fouling and never had need to remove existing anti fouling paint

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Any one soda blasted using a pressure washer with a blasting attachment.

My karcher has a sand/wet blasting kit

Kärcher Sand and wet-blasting kit

Only used presssure washer to remove fouling and never had need to remove existing anti fouling paint

I wouldn't think that kit would work with soda - soda is soluble, and the Karcher kit carries the sand in a jet of water.

 

[rogerthebodger]

I wouldn't think that kit would work with soda - soda is soluble, and the Karcher kit carries the sand in a jet of water.

Yes just had a look and the stiff I have from Karcher id calcium carbonate and not soda

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Yes just had a look and the stiff I have from Karcher id calcium carbonate and not soda

Calcium carbonate=limestone.