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Monti MBX bristle blaster review?

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  • Monti MBX bristle blaster review?

    Hi all.

    http://www.mbxit.com/products/bristle-blaster-c-6.html

    These bits of kit look really interesting as they claim to offer a cleaned metal surface equivalent to blast cleaning yet have less of the downfalls with regards to needing compressors, bags of grit, enclosures, collateral mess etc.

    They are also fairly expensive and a significant outlay to swallow.

    I've used wire wheels in angle grinders before to some degree of success but they spin at higher speeds and melt their way through underseal and cause serious vibration. I'm also putting prolonged use of wire wheel down to a temporary arthritic type complaint in one hand


    Wire wheels cost circa £6-8. New wheels for the mbx kit cost circa £20 which makes consumable costs something to bear in mind.

    I was wondering if anyone has one or was able to borrow one, if so what did you think? Was the surface clean enough to paint as claimed?

    I've got wheel arch / underside of car to restore and with the car parked up in a garage on stands, it rules out blast cleaning and I don't want to aggravate the pain in my hand either. The mbx kit makes mention of a 'sprung' effect for the belts which sound like they may be more comfortable to use.

    The success of any painting is in the prep

  • #2
    Hi Steve
    this is spooky as I'm looking at buying one right now.
    I spoke to Rustbusters today (before seeing your thread) and had a chat about this very tool. The guy was full of praise for it but a couple of things he said did concern me. He said that the head will clog if the under seal is very thick (like on our audi's) and that the belts last a long time, almost a few weeks! This was when used an hour or so a day. Not very long then and at £20 a pop it might turn out rather expensive.
    Hopefully someone here will have some hands on experience to share.
    Nothelle S2 Avant
    Black Ur project
    Ocianic Ur project gone
    S2 Coupe project gone
    Urs6 plus project gone

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    • #3
      Haha, it's the rust buster page about them that got me thinking a out them! ​​​​​​

      I use their epoxy mastic paint and fe123 rust convertor. Impressed and seems to do a good job and the paint is as hard as nails when cured. May go down their chlor-x road some time as well, I wonder whether it's necessary in freshly removed underseal areas as why would there be salt under there? But on an exposed rust patch, yes may well be necessary.

      The wheel price does concern me a bit too as there aren't really any alternatives, you have to buy from Monti

      I read a bit of advice from someone who uses one that: let the tool do the work. Forcing the wheel into the metal or ploughing through the underseal would do it no good at all. Let it chomp its way through at its own rate = longest life.

      Despite the price to buy and then consumables, I can't quite get away from the quality job it does though. For a project like your ur, would you be happy skimping and maybe missing rust that then comes back?

      Oh the internal dilemmas of a DIY car restorer!

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      • #4
        Yep, their stuff is good.
        I went through about 10 wire wheels doing the S2 underside. It might look good but when you clean back the under seal you find rust lurking there!
        Nothelle S2 Avant
        Black Ur project
        Ocianic Ur project gone
        S2 Coupe project gone
        Urs6 plus project gone

        Comment


        • #5
          You can buy wire wheels with electro-plated industrial diamonds on the bristles and these are pretty much the same thing, except they dont need an expensive (gimmick IMHO) tool to use them. They’re made by Pferd and others.
          Panthero Coupé quattro 20vt
          Indigo ABY coupé
          Imola B6 S4 Avant

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          • #6
            I looked at the Pferd wheels. The company certainly does a lot of professional/industrial consumables. Can't see what the benefit of the diamond coating would be though? It's hard so might win in a fight with rust of Millscale but, for underseal I imagine it would quickly be rendered useless.

            I might be tempted to try a Pferd wheel as a finishing brush once the sealant has gone but it was angle Grinding, the sparks heat and vibration I was keen to avoid next time

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            • #7
              Any wire wheel will clog with poly under seal, as it melts and turns to putty when you attack it. The easiest way to get it off is to use a heat gun and scraper. If you’re trying to come up with an alternative to media blasting, the diamond coating gives the key you need to follow with epoxy primer unlike a normal wire wheel which polishes the surface.
              My point really was that this is nothing new, the tech has been around for ages and doesn’t need to cost a lot.
              Panthero Coupé quattro 20vt
              Indigo ABY coupé
              Imola B6 S4 Avant

              Comment


              • #8
                Ahh. So, remove underseal deal with rust and then finish / key the surface with a diamond wheel. That seems to be a reasonable plan.

                It was my observations about polishing the surface with a traditional wheel that got me thinking. Looks lovely but if there has been rust and pitting there it's not so good as you polish over the top and it's hidden.

                Off to Nec practical classic restoration show in march, going with a list and a wheeled suitcase

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by steve briance View Post
                  Ahh. So, remove underseal deal with rust and then finish / key the surface with a diamond wheel. That seems to be a reasonable plan.

                  It was my observations about polishing the surface with a traditional wheel that got me thinking. Looks lovely but if there has been rust and pitting there it's not so good as you polish over the top and it's hidden.

                  Off to Nec practical classic restoration show in march, going with a list and a wheeled suitcase
                  What day are you going? I'm heading there with my brother on the Sunday
                  Nothelle S2 Avant
                  Black Ur project
                  Ocianic Ur project gone
                  S2 Coupe project gone
                  Urs6 plus project gone

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I've taken a day off on Friday to head over then I went last year and the weekend was hectic! It's not a show you can really do justice to in one day though so may go once for supplies and again for looking at the cars on show.

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                    • #11
                      Did Rustbuster's have a stand last year?
                      If you are there on Sunday, give me a shout and we can meet up for a coffee/chat.
                      Nothelle S2 Avant
                      Black Ur project
                      Ocianic Ur project gone
                      S2 Coupe project gone
                      Urs6 plus project gone

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Rust buster had a fair size stand. All of their stuff at slightly reduced cost if I remember rightly. I stopped there first epoxy mastic and then carried 2 litres of the stuff around all day in a rucksack! Hence wheels this year.

                        If plans change will send you a message

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by steve briance View Post
                          Rust buster had a fair size stand. All of their stuff at slightly reduced cost if I remember rightly. I stopped there first epoxy mastic and then carried 2 litres of the stuff around all day in a rucksack! Hence wheels this year.

                          If plans change will send you a message
                          Nothelle S2 Avant
                          Black Ur project
                          Ocianic Ur project gone
                          S2 Coupe project gone
                          Urs6 plus project gone

                          Comment

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