I am using a bead Blaster we have at work to blast some engine and other brackets and seat tracks. What should they be cleaned and wiped down with before priming what sort of primer and paint should be used?
I am also going to be blasting my original exhaust manifolds what would be the process for this and type of primer and paint for them?
The car is a 70 Challenger convertible.
Thanks,
Mike.

If you know the glass beader is free from grease/oil contaminants , just blow the parts off with compressed air, if not acetone the parts after blasting, generally I initially coat everything with an etch primer like Dupont Vari-Prime or an epoxy sealer, prior to priming or painting the part in it's finished coating

as far as the manifolds, blast, blow, and coat with the hi temp finish desired...

Do you now anybody in the body shop business? "Wax and grease remover" is the best wipe down product to use prior to painting. It would only take a few ounces to wipe down your parts, so any body shop would likely give you that tiny amount. But any good solvent like acetone or tolulene or MEK will do okay.

The etching primer is a very good idea. And if you want a good stable final finish, it is best to use paint that requires a hardener mixed with it. Most call it single stage, the kind that you mix 2 or 3 parts together and spray with a gun. Aerosol spray paint looks good, but is not nearly as durable.

Or you can consider powder coat. It is not very expensive for already prepped parts like yours and you can get most any level of gloss or flatness that you are trying to achieve. Although, I doubt that it is viable for your manifolds.

Thanks so much for the tips
as far as the manifolds, does anyone know how to get the best original look to them.
Thanks,
Mike.

Mike, Don't skimp on the initial coating of the bead blasted parts..You'll have a texture to the parts so not only are you preventing rust your dealing with the texture/rust pits through out the process also...Sometimes even a heavy coat dries to reveal the rough texture has come back to a certain degree...

The manifolds are a tough one technically you've already altered the appearance by simply media blasting them...And obviously they were bare/engine painted at the attachment points to the block..What most do is find the manifold coating/dressing of your choice {Eastwood.com comes to mind} and go from there..

Glass beading occasionally leaves the part with a static charge (static cling) that only water will break. Wash the part in soap and water, rinse in clean water then blow dry.

OK...thanks again for all the great tips
I haven't blasted the manifolds yet but I'm guessing I will have to.

Sure, spray with water and let them rust. Seriously, how long did manifolds stay "bare iron"? They had usually rusted by the time the car was driven off the lot!

Wax and grease then blow dry. Tac cloth and spray a base primer

Y'know, any time I've tacked a blasted part I've ended up with so much lint the part looks like a tennis ball!

Since you have to wipe the wax and grease remover on and off with a rag, I hit the part really well with the blow gun then rub the piece down with a scotchbrite pad then blow again. No tack rag !!

Oh, you want to be wearing latex or similar gloves so you don't contaminate the part.

Paint the parts right away - primer at least.

Wash with Dawn, rinse, dry with compressed air and paint.

Its not the water that discharges the static, its the "grounding".

I also just acquired an original 70 air compressor. I'm going to be putting the a/c components back on. Any tips on what I should do with this to get it looking good. Bead blasting or no?

Depends ... were they painted or bare metal? I usually don't concern myself blasting stuff that's getting painted but if its bare metal then you want to just clean it. Rust removers work on steel and cast iron. Aluminum cleaners on aluminum.

On aluminum I degrease it, pick away any caked on dirt then I use an acid solution made for aluminum. You cannot let the stuff dry or it will streak, splotch, etc.. Spray it on, scrub it and keep it wet then rinse off. Redo it if necessary. You cold try a flat or satin clearcoat after that.

Available at bodyshop supply places - called Alumiprep. Similar stuff used to be commonly available to clean your wife's steam iron.

I don't touch the part after blasting and sure as heck don't wipe it down with NOTHING after blasting. Just blow off and paint right after blasting.

The part must be cleaned and de greased and de waxed BEFORE blasting. If you don't then you just blasted dirt and grease into the metal pores and wax and grease remover is going to do nothing but make it worst if you try to use it after blasting. Plus all your blasting beads are contaminated too if you blast dirty parts. Only clean stuff gets blasted.

Pressure washers are so useful for restoration of anything. Heated pressure washers are even better.

The folks who recommend wiping it down after blasting DON'T blast stuff to know any better.

Thanks very much for all the tips. Although some very conflicting lol, but much appreciated.

everyone has there own ways of doing it but as long as its dry has no dirt, rust, ect and you have good products you should be good. I like to use a self etch or epoxy on bare metal

but for exhaust manifold I blasted mine and used the high temp eastwood paint that is like cast iron color and so far it looks good and hasn't come off. my original plan was to do the eastwood paint then put them on the engine, paint them engine color like the factory so it will burn off the orange but look like fresh cast iron instead of rust. but I started to think burned off paint would look like crap no matter how "right" it is,

I dip my glass beaded parts in PPG DX520 (may have renamed it SX520) that provides an anti corrosive phosphate coating then a quick dip in water to neutralize the DX, blow the parts off until painting.

For exhaust manifolds I have had mine ceramic coated from a company called "Jet Hot". The have a "cast iron" coating that looks very close to new cast iron and provides a very good look and will look new for years because they will never rust.