Soda Blasting cannot remove rust as soda is very soft and does not have the
abrasive qualities of silica or other hard abrasives.  Remove the paint with
the soda... and then hit the rust areas directly with a regular blast media.

Be sure to cover your motor exceptionally well, or you will end it with
blast media in the rear main, as I did!  See photo.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/77623993@N00/1262992204/in/photostream/

Also, when you re-paint, prime with a good epoxy enamel primer to provide an
air-tight seal over the repaired rust area.  I did my "Michigan" van 4 years
ago, and NO rust has returned.

Good luck!

Jack R.
84 Westy Wolfie.

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Jim Felder
Sent: Wednesday, September 15, 2010 4:16 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Soda blasting question

I want to finally address some bubbly paint and light rust where a
body panel was welded in place way back before I got the westy. The
rust has not gotten any worse in the last seven years, but I want to
finally get around to taking care of it.

I could take care of it with an angle grinder. I thought about sending
it out to have it sandblasted. The other day I saw a soda blaster. Do
the actually remove paint (seems like a great way to clean up a part,
but will it take out rust?)?

If anyone has any experience with any of these methods on Vanagon
seams, I'd like to know.

Jim