Inside SodaBlast Systems
November 6th, 2008 by SB Editor
I had the privilege of visiting SodaBlast Systems the other day in Houston. I’ve been producing videos and writing blogs for them for the last few months, but had never paid a visit to their facility. I’ve learned a lot about the products from their various websites and press releases, and I’ve also learned a lot about the shortcomings of other soda blasting brands. Seeing things from the inside gave me a whole new appreciation for this company. Here’s a few things I saw that I didn’t know before.
The Original SodaBlaster: They’ve been producing blasters since 1946. That’s over 60 years, so when they say they are the original SodaBlast company, they mean it. In fact “SodaBlaster” is their trademarked name.
Made in the USA: Every blaster they sell is built by hand in the USA. I watched one being welded together here in Houston Texas. No machines assembling other machines. After a blaster is completed, they check every detail of it, and if there are any defects they scrap it and start over.
Lifetime Warranty: They have a lifetime warranty on all their products. In fact they still get calls about needing hoses or parts for blasters that are still running after 40 years.
Superior Patented Design: Other soda blasters are bottom fed. This means the soda has to funnel down into the bottom of the blast pot before it can be propelled through the blast hose. Since the soda has to funnel down it often clots up and interrupts the blasting process. The SodaBlaster is the only top-fed blaster, and SodaBlast Systems LLC holds the patent for this design. For this reason the SodaBlaster never clots, and provides uninterrupted use.
Extreme Control: While I was there they showed me a piece of vehicle body where the paint had been stripped in one area, and just the clear coat was removed in another area. By varying the settings on the blaster they are able to remove only clear coat and not paint. This was also done on a fiberglass section of vehicle.
No Flash-Rusting: My first job was part-time at a company that serviced governors. One of my duties was to sand blast steel parts. Once they were blasted we had to paint them the same day. If we didn’t, by the next day they’d already show light oxidation, and we’d have to blast them again. It was particularly amazing to me to learn that when metal is soda blasted, it hardly rusts. This picture shows a plate that’s been sand-blasted on one half and SodaBlasted on the other. Two months later the sand-blasted half is as rusty as you’d expect, and the other half shows only minor rusting.
These were all things I didn’t know about SodaBlast Systems before visiting their facility, and I felt like I should share them. I hope you’re as impressed as I was. For more information go to www.SBSLLC.com
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