Your Best Sandblasting Tips and Advice

[dourobob]

Sometime in the next few months I am borrowing a portable air compressor and sandblaster in order to prepare a couple of tractors and some implements for re-painting. Based on the amazing wealth of experience that TBN members have displayed (and my complete lack of experience on this) I am hoping you can make my life easier by sharing your "Best Practices" and "Lessons Learned" while Sandblasting, therefore reducing the the number of mistakes I might make - oh I know I will still make some but, fewer is better - right??.
Thanks
Bob

 

[Bird]

The best advice might come from the person you're borrowing the equipment from. Compressors and sandblasters come in a wide range of sizes and capacities, and techniques need to be modified depending on the particular job. Just remember that the sand will bounce back at you, so dress accordingly; i.e., eye protection and breathing protection at a minimum to a full hood (preferable), gloves, etc. Just a few things to think about; will you be in a clean dry place with a hard floor so you can sweep up and reuse the sand? If so, need a sieve to remove any larger material from the sand. What are you wanting the sand blasting to remove, paint, rust, all the way to clean metal? Does the compressor have the capacity to keep up with continuous blasting or do you have to do a little at a time? What kind of sand are you going to use? In other words, I don't know enough about sandblasting in general or your particular job either to give you any advice, so why am I typing this? /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[RobS]

Bob, if you are working in a blasting cabinet, don't point the gun at the glass window! Simple as it may sound it's a pretty common occurance. Maybe that's why the window panes are so easy to replace /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[micromike]

Some good advice to far. If you're not working inside a cabinet.. I would recommend a pressureized sandblaster. Even if you have to rent it. They are (I think) about 5 times more efficient than the simple syphon feed sand blasters and MUCh easier on your air compresser. Just an incredible difference. Make sure your sand or other material is absolutely dry. Any moisture will clog it up. Wear a hood and a good resperater and goggles inside the hood. By one of those cheap paper coveralls from an automotive paint store and tape your arm and pant cuffs closed. That sand has a way of getting everywhere and I do mean EVERYWHERE.

Mike

 

[CTyler]

Cover up. I learned the hard way its a pain to get the grit out of your hair, ears etc.. I used silica sand available from you local harware store. There are a number of media types available depending on your needs.

 

[Boondox]

Unless you work in a contained space, count on making a huge mess...so do it as far away (and downwind) of the house as possible or your wife will have murder in her eyes! /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Pete

 

[dourobob]

Thanks Bird, Rob and Mike
I'll have a chance to check the details on my friends sandblast equipment in the next couple of days. I know both he and his son have used this setup so I expect the gun and the compressor are compatible. I'll be working in a section of my lower barn - dirt floor - and I plan to use a large tarp to catch the sand in order to reuse it. I am removing paint and rust so the sieve will be important. Respirator and hood for certain.
Mike, the pressurized system sounds interesting - I'll do some more investigation. And thanks for the tip on coveralls and tape - I suspect sandblast dust is as insidious and drywall dust - gets into the smallest corners.

Bob

 

[OkieG]

Bird brings up a major point:
<font color="blue">Does the compressor have the capacity to keep up with continuous blasting or do you have to do a little at a time? </font>

I have a small sandblaster (pressurized) and an "average"? sized portable compressor (4hp, 25gal.). At 90 psi operating pressure, my compressor (starting at 120psi) kicks on in less than 30 seconds of blasting and cannot keep up. I spend 30 minutes doing a 5 minute job. My blaster was new this past summer. I'd never used one before. The results are spectacular.

Rust and tractors are inseparable...but I do my best to try. There are other things I do now that could use extra air, but there's no shortcut that I can figure for sandblasting. It just uses a lot of air! I am so impressed, though, with what a sandblaster does, I'm seriously contemplating a $1000+ compressor to feed my less than $100 blaster. With routine attention, I expect it could extend the life of my stamped metal mower deck several years. If it does, the compressor/blaster may pay for itself with that one project alone.

Anyway, the oilless portables will heat up quickly and don't like continuous duty.

OkieG

 

[Spencer]

Most people probably already know this but there is special sandblasting sand that you can buy. It works much better than regular beach sand.

 

[jsnitz]

One way to make a sieve is to take one of those white plastic buckets and cut the bottom out of it. Then, cut the bottom 5" or so off the bottom - makes a ring. Due to the taper shape of the bucket, you lay some screen wire over the top of the bucket and then push the ring down inside to trap the screen wire. Almost faster to do than to explain.