How to prepare a surface for coatings after soda blasting

Soda blasting leaves a metal surface as clean and smooth as the day it was stamped at the factory. Not only is there no damage from heat warping as with abrasive blasting, but you also have a nice, smooth, factory-new surface to work on. No danger or mess from chemical strippers, and no weeks of hard labor from hand-sanding. You can blast over sound chrome, glass and rubber with virtually no effect on them. It's also great for damage-free paint removal on fiberglass too. Easy to clean up; after all, it's only baking soda.

Soda media leaves behind a thin film of pulverized baking soda on the bare metal surface; that in itself acts as a protective film to prevent flash rust for a month or longer if kept inside and dry.

Prior to painting, you must remove this pulverized baking soda film, a step often forgotten by users. The correct method of doing this is to blow-out any crevices or seams with a strong stream of compressed air. Then, using a clean cloth dampened (not soaked) in a bucket of hot, soapy water, wipe the surface, removing the soda film. Rinse and wring the cloth frequently. When done, repeat the process with fresh, clean water, rinsing and wringing the cloth frequently.

After completion, follow the factory's example and apply a surface-etching solution such as Eastwood Fast Etch and you will have a surface that's ready to coat.