I am wanting to pull my front clip this winter on my 1970 Chevelle (including the entire front clip and all suspension) and clean and detail everything. Any suggestions on how to clean up the frame and the firewall? Bead blast (glass bead?) Should I build a plastic cocoon around the front end so I can blast everything? I am wanting to keep all the media confined to a small area rather than the entire garage.

Bead blasting out in the open will be to expensive. $50.00 a bucket as compared to $1.00 for sand. I'd sand blast it and you will have a mess when your done. Consider buying a bead blasting cabinet for your small parts.
Roger

Two summers ago I did the same to my El Camino - nothing but two frame stubs sticking out. I took some big 20' x 20' canvas tarps, 2" masking tape, and built a "tent" around the nose of the car (garage floor too). Inside was my gravity/siphon feed sand blaster rig and a portable work light. Once I climbed in, I used spring clips/clothespins to close up the opening and blast away.

I was really surprised at how little sand escaped! Most of it seemed to get into every crack and orifice of my body! Use proper safety gear - eye protection, ear plugs, and a dust/particle respirator for a minimum!

Consider walnut shells as a media.

John D-

Did you use sand or glass beads? I like your tent idea thats kinda what I was thinking.

try to stay away from sand as it will warp body panel and such ive used walnut shells and glass bead and came out with excellent results. the tarp idea work very well too!

Sand will damage body panels like fenders, hoods etc so fast it will make your head spin. Am not talking minor damage and talking it WILL MAKE IT SCRAP METAL!!!!

Even glass beads can be harmful in the wrong hands, the best media to use on sheetmetal would be plastic. But it would prove to be $$

On a frame I would use use sand. Much faster and cheaper then glass and probably easier to find...Eric

You can use sand on the firewall if your using a small home blasting unit. I've done this numerous times with excellent results. Plastic beads or walnut shells will work well on the body panels. Sand can be used on the frame. When I say sand I in no way mean silica sand. DO NOT BLAST WITH SILICA SAND. It is impossible to keep from inhaling the dust and it is especially dangerous in a close enviroment like your describing. INHALED SILICA CAUSES SILICOSIS, A SEVERELY DEBILITATING LUNG DISEASE. I use Black Beauty. This is slag, a byproduct of the coal industry. It's cheep and quite effective. Reguardless of what you use, plan on major cleanup. The media will get in every possible hole or crack. Even after extensive taping I had media in the cab.

Good luck,
Trooper

I am considering buying a face mask to prevent inhaling of any of this stuff as I figure none of it can be good for you. Correct?