Was dead set against sandblasting my 68 C10 frame, then a guy in Reno proved me wrong with a $60 bag of coal slag

Jennifer Murphy · 2026-10-19T14:10:04.41599+00:00

I always figured sandblasting was too harsh for an old frame and would just warp it or eat away the metal, so I spent two weekends with a wire wheel and a jug of Naval Jelly fighting 50 years of scale. A guy at the swap meet in Reno told me to try coal slag at 90 psi with a small 3/16 nozzle and keep the gun moving, and honestly I thought he was full of it. I gave it a shot on a scrap section behind the cab, and the rust came off in sheets without touching the good steel underneath. The trick was holding the nozzle about 8 inches away and not staying in one spot, which kept the heat down and left a clean profile for primer. I got the whole rear half of the frame done in one afternoon for about 60 bucks in media, way less than the 400 I was quoted for a shop to do it. Now I'm trying to figure out if I should strip the cab the same way or if that's too risky on thinner sheet metal. Has anyone blasted a cab and had good luck, or did it turn into a warped mess?

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Was dead set against sandblasting my 68 C10 frame, then a guy in Reno proved me wrong with a $60 bag of coal slag | Classic Car Restoration - Thought Shares