Do you have a small project that needs blasting? Crystal Soda Blast is great for large, immovable projects. But, we are a mobile operation that uses a 2-man crew and big equipment. For us to work a project we need to bring our equipment to your property, set up, and build a containment area before we even start working. So, let’s face it, this prices us out of some small budgets in a hurry.

If you have a movable item to blast such as a car or small boat, we recommend taking it to one of the local blast booths.

Greater Seattle Area Blast Booths:

CompanyCityNumberWebsite
JB SandblastersArlington, WA360-435-4477www.jbsand.com
Alternative BlastersMarysville, WA360-653-9017www.ablasterscorp.com
Strip-MastersBuckley, WA360-829-2399www.strip-masters.com
NW PowdercoatSeaTac, WA206-241-1614 
Puget Sound CoatingsSeattle, WA206-767-3800www.pugetsoundcoatings.com
New Finishes, Inc.Seattle, WA206-762-2953www.newfinishes.com
Skagit Powder CoatingMount Vernon, WA360-428-0413www.skagitpowdercoating.com

Do It Yourself

If it’s not movable and you want to do it yourself you will need to get the right equipment for your project. You will need to rent an air compressor, blast pot, hoses and wand/nozzle from a local equipment rental store. The horsepower and size of the air compressor tank and will determine your production level. Last time we priced this option out it was about $300-$400.

You can usually purchase the blasting media for your project at the same time about $30 per bag for soda and about $15/bag for sand. The amount of media you’ll need depends on several factors – the air compressor horsepower, the nozzle size, media type being used, size of project being blasted, and your own personal speed. Using sand media with a 210 CFM air compressor and 5/16 inch nozzle, you can expect to go through about 400 lbs per hour. Our team can blast approximately 100-200 square feet per hour, but most beginners will average under 100 square feet per hour.

Safety Equipment

The biggest mistake most DIYs make is not using the proper safety equipment. We have received calls from home owners that started a project on their own, and – looking to save some money – skimped on the safety equipment. They now have to deal with the health issues of getting small, abrasive particles in their lungs or eyes, hearing damage, or skin burns from media ricocheting off the project onto their uncovered skin. Our crews are REQUIRED to wear a full face mask while blasting. If they are removing a hazardous material from the substrate (such as paint with lead or PCB’s) then they are required to wear an air supplied helmet . They are only allowed to wear a half mask or dust mask while sweeping. Because it is a dusty process they also wear a full-body Tyvek suit, gloves and leather work boots.

So yea, while we celebrate the DIY’er, we want you to do it SAFELY! Wear a full face mask while blasting at the minimum. You can purchase a full face mask and cartridges from Mallory Safety Supply, Abatix, Home Depot, etc. They are typically $125-200.

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