Powder Coat Removal

Summarized from the ShopTalk Forum:

Question: I race ATV's and each winter tear them down for rebuilding. What would be the best blast media to use to remove the old powder coat? I don't want to etch the frame too much as some of the parts are aluminum. I am trying to use a material that can be re-used so it's cost effective. A media that is not too dusty would be preferred since I am blasting indoors. I will be powder coating over the frames so what grit would leave a proper profile?

Response: Powder coating can be difficult to remove so a relatively aggressive media is needed. A 60 Mesh Aluminum Oxide Grit should strip the coating and leave the aluminum metal with a light etch for re-coating. Aluminum Oxide can be re-used up to 30 times.