sandblasting abrasive

[deereman75]

Well I will be getting one of the cheep siphon sandblasters soon, and I am wondering what abrasive to use. I have a high end 3M cartrage resperator, and I am wondering if it is safe to use silica sand with that, I know all about the hazards of silica sand, but will that make it safe? If not, what other cheep, safe abrasive can to strip paint and rust off of salavaged steel for projects. (the cheeper the better)

 

[Western]

Well I will be getting one of the cheep siphon sandblasters soon, and I am wondering what abrasive to use. I have a high end 3M cartrage resperator, and I am wondering if it is safe to use silica sand with that, I know all about the hazards of silica sand, but will that make it safe? If not, what other cheep, safe abrasive can to strip paint and rust off of salavaged steel for projects. (the cheeper the better)

We have used allot of "sand", different grades, but mostly #3, (med course). I think that will be your cheapest option. Glass beads work, for fine finishes you can use fine sand, nut shells like Pecan and Walnut that are commercially available, I have even used talc.

We have used the respirator type you mentioned when we had to, but generally we use a total hood with filtered ventilation from the compressor. I did buy a hood fairly cheap one time from harbor Freight that kinda worked, but without ventilation, I had a problem with condensation build up on my window. You may get by with that 3m if your working outside and watch the wind, but you will be safer with a hood and will stay cleaner too.

 

[deereman75]

We have used allot of "sand", different grades, but mostly #3, (med course). I think that will be your cheapest option. Glass beads work, for fine finishes you can use fine sand, nut shells like Pecan and Walnut that are commercially available, I have even used talc.

We have used the respirator type you mentioned when we had to, but generally we use a total hood with filtered ventilation from the compressor. I did buy a hood fairly cheap one time from harbor Freight that kinda worked, but without ventilation, I had a problem with condensation build up on my window. You may get by with that 3m if your working outside and watch the wind, but you will be safer with a hood and will stay cleaner too.

OK I will be doing this in the yard, so I have alot of ventalation. I will only be using this maby once a month to remove rust and paint from steel stock (love the building salvage yard). I dont really care about the finish, it just needs to remove rust. My compressor is only 10 cfm at 90 psi, so I dont think I could run an air supplied hood as well. I have also seen crushed glass almost as cheep as well, how well does that stuff work?

 

[jmanatee2]

I have a gravity feed blaster, I have always used sand. I have even used really dry playground sand

 

[Egon]

Breathing air from an ordinary compressor may not be the best.

 

[grsthegreat]

I have, and i highly recommend a Hobby Air Hobby air, pro air, fresh air respirator-Axis-Citation-3M, Supplied air respirator, Bill Hirsch car care. unit. I place the filtered intake about 50 feet and to the outside of my building. I have a face mask and i can breath outside air while i weld, plasma cut, paint and sandblast. I dont have to worry about dangerous fumes. The hose on the mask allows for a 50 foot work radius. And i added about 10 feet of 3" pipe to an outside intake port.

 

[deereman75]

It seems a sandblaster will make too much dust for where we live, so that idea is out. I guess I will just have to stick with a wire wheel in an angle grinder. (a cup brush in my 7 inch should remove rust fast)

 

[Egon]

Needle scaler for the first pass??

 

[deereman75]

Needle scaler for the first pass??

Wish I had a needle scaler, but I dont, I might get an IR one sometime.

 

[Egon]

Princess auto supplied me with a twenty dollar needle scaler that worked well.

Note: I do not know what a good scaler is like or worth.

 

[tungularafishcamp]

I use a 5000 psi pressure washer with a rotary nozzle and it gets all the loose stuff, then just paint on ospho to stabalize the rust that is left and paint. Quick and ez.
Rick

 

[deereman75]

Princess auto supplied me with a twenty dollar needle scaler that worked well.

Note: I do not know what a good scaler is like or worth.

I almost bought one there this summer, I was just unsure of the quality.
Plus a 7 inch angle grinder with a cup brush will remove rust faster then a needle scaler. (I think)

 

[sweep]

Well I will be getting one of the cheep siphon sandblasters soon, and I am wondering what abrasive to use. I have a high end 3M cartrage resperator, and I am wondering if it is safe to use silica sand with that, I know all about the hazards of silica sand, but will that make it safe? If not, what other cheep, safe abrasive can to strip paint and rust off of salavaged steel for projects. (the cheeper the better)

I used a gravity feed blaster for a while but once you go to a pressure feed with a tank you will never look back. Lot more pressure, less backup, ac runs less etc.

Pressure feed blasters are not that much. Harbor Freight has them for about $125.00??

 

[Western]

Breathing air from an ordinary compressor may not be the best.

You have a filter between you and the supply line, cleaner air than you get walking in the city.

 

[Egon]

Plus a 7 inch angle grinder with a cup brush will remove rust faster then a needle scaler. (I think)
/QUOTE]

Can't comment on the speed of the removal but my wire brushes were always worn out with all the broke off bristtles setting my coveralls or leg. They were also harder to handle. Course I'm not very strong.

With the proper air compressor the needle scaler would be my choice. My air compressor is only 2 HP. , I think, with 2.5 HP on the side and the salesman telling me it was actually rated at three HP. With full pressure it's quite impressive at start up and for the next 15 seconds. Then it slows down to a mediocre rate and takes longer.

The scalers seem to work better on the layered up rust that has real hard sports in it.

 

[deereman75]

Plus a 7 inch angle grinder with a cup brush will remove rust faster then a needle scaler. (I think)
/QUOTE]

Can't comment on the speed of the removal but my wire brushes were always worn out with all the broke off bristtles setting my coveralls or leg. They were also harder to handle. Course I'm not very strong.

With the proper air compressor the needle scaler would be my choice. My air compressor is only 2 HP. , I think, with 2.5 HP on the side and the salesman telling me it was actually rated at three HP. With full pressure it's quite impressive at start up and for the next 15 seconds. Then it slows down to a mediocre rate and takes longer.

The scalers seem to work better on the layered up rust that has real hard sports in it.

I might have to get my self a needle scaler.

 

[Egon]

http://www.air-compressor.com/mall/Hankison/catali.pdf

You have a filter between you and the supply line, cleaner air than you get walking in the city./QUOTE]

This will be true if the proper type of filter is in use. The chances are this will not be happening in non industrial situations.


Take my comments with several grains of salt Deerman as my experience is very limited.

 

[deereman75]

Well it was a cold rainy day today, so I decided to make a small gravity feed sandblaster, sort of like the speedblaster, out of some copper pipe and fittings, some small threaded tube, and a water bottle for the sand hopper. I tried it, and it worked quite well, I was using normal sand, and it removed rust quite well. I hope this will prove to my father that the small ones dont make too much dust for here, so I can build a bigger, pressure feed one.

 

[deereman75]

Well it did prove it to him, on the weekend we are getting a siphon feed blaster, and I am going to turn it into a pressure assist blaster.

 

[tcartwri]

If you can remove the parts and they will fit in a drum or an old tub, you can use molasses thinned with water as a stripper. It works really well and doesn't damage the parts like a mechanical method does. Takes about a week to completely remove moderate rust. Plus the molasses is environmentaly safe.