Andrew R Stewart 

I would not have a non bike experienced shop do any sand blasting on a nice lightweight steel frame. It is very east to remove significant wall thickness if the blaster dwells in one spot for too long. A lot of fab shops are not experienced with thin wall/gage products and often let their least costly (as in youngest usually) employee do the dirty work with little supervision. I would leave the sand blasting to the painter, they know about this stuff.


I would suggest using chemical methods to remove as much of the paint as possible first. This is far less harmful to the steel and reduced the amount of sand blasting done later. It is rather bad for one's brain, skin and eyes if you don't take proper precautions.


I have also burned off paint but the results still need further sanding or blasting. It can be real bad for the brain. I don't suggest it. Andy