Sandblaster buying

[ray66v]

No good cheap way to do serious sandblasting at home. If you try too with home compressor, you will end up overheating the compressor, and making so much moisture, you will in fact be spraying water vapor right at the bare steel, (assuming your doing steel), you are trying to clean up. Many people don't realize this is happening. But, If you let the sandblasted parts sit overnight you will see the rust the next day.

Forget about getting rid of the water vapor unless you want to spend a lot of money. Simple traps do not remove vapor.

You can do small jobs at home if you don't try to do too much at a time. And it helps to work when it is possible to have you compressor in a cool place.

You can't get the good old silicosis causing #2 silica sandblasting sand any more, (this was the good stuff), and the replacement media are often not as effective, and always more expensive. The last one I tried was coal slag, it was about half as effective on paint removal and 75% as effective on rust removal.

Because of all these problems, potential warpage issues, and the fact that the sand gets inside of all kinds of thing that you don't want sand in, especially where there is grease and oil, we had gotten away from doing any sand blasting at my shop, if we could help it. Often, there are other options.

 

[Willis Fecon Bushhogging]

I not sure if this is the correct forum but what the heck.


I am interested in setting up a home sandblasting outfit. As of now, I have no equipment that would lend itself to the outfit. In other words, no air compressor and no hoses.
So I need an air compressor and a pot(?) is it called?
Any recommendations?

Compressors; How many GPM? I have seen some listed as SCFM. Something Cubic Feet per Minute?

Sand buckets;
Gravity fed, Siphon, Direct pressure? Any brands and model numbers to recommend?

I'm willing to spend up to $400. Is this possible? I really dislike sanding and wire brushing.

I guess the first thing I would need to know is what are you going to use it for? I started out with the $99 pot, I think Tractor Supply and 4hp Craftman compressor, I spent more time messing with it. I went on Ebay and bought a new pot for $199, hooked it to the same compressor, it did work a little better, just not enough cfm. A friend of mine, had a shop compressor that the motor was bad, I bought it $500, motor $300, now I have the low end setup, that I can work with. This is still not the correct way, but it was the cheapest for me, you have to have the CFM's and the correct sand.
Dont think you can do this for $400

 

[TCBoomer]

Bird and TCBoomer. I will not be using it on a continuous basis. The 2 stage pumps are a bit out of my reach at this time.
What do all of you think of a Porter Cable unit? $385.00
Or will a non-pressure fed unit be better?

What I meant by 'continuous' was for the air comp, not your usage. Sorry for the confusion.

In order to be effective with a pressure fed blaster, you'll need a constant supply of air. Low air pressure equals poor results. When you first open the nozzle, it'll run (clean) like a raped ape In a few minutes...if that!, the pressure in the air comp tank drops, the comp will kick back on. If the output at your nozzle...you want all you can get!!... exceeds the input capabilities of the air comp, the comp will just continue to run and run and run and... If it's not rated for 100% duty cycle, it'll be junk before you know it. The heat will destroy the motor. Trust me...BTDT

You might be better of with a gravity fed unit. I've never used one, but have heard they work OK for small projects and when you have time to kill.

 

[PA hayseed]

I wish I could give you good advice, but I can only tell you my mistakes.

I had a 5hp compressor, bought an elcheapo gun from lowes or HD, bought a cabinet off ebay. I experienced the water vapor problems people are telling you about, bought a trap, didn't work. Reclaimed media from cabinet too many times, clogged the gun and nozzle. El cheapo ebay cabinet light didn't work, filter on it was worthless, and it wasn't sealed like it said it was. after sealing it, changing the filter system to incoporate a vacuum filter system, replacing the campbell hausfield el junko gun and nozzle, it works marginally better. I cannot fit a rim into the cabinet, which was the original intent, so I made a box and some plexiglass with a thinner plexiglass liner that I could replace. I learned that sand kinda sucks, except for cast iron.

In all, I sandblasted 28 door hinges and pins, 14 door plates, 25 coat hooks, 28 key hole covers, antique door stops, 14 old mortised door locks, cabinet hardware, some potted plant hangers, door knobs til i could do it in my sleep, some old boot scrapers, all while I was gutting and remodeling my old farm house. I never got to do all my car parts like I wanted, and still have 4 rims to do for the car. Maybe I'm dumb, but it took me that long to learn what I did was wrong.

My advice is to listen to these other guys that seem to know what they are saying. The tarp system for big pieces didnt work that well for me. And a dust mask will still let you cough your lungs out (get a respirator early). And after sandblasting for awhile my ears would ring from that stupid compressor running nonstop (I have since learned about building a sound deadening box).

Lessons learned the hard way. But hey, at least all those antique door hardware pieces look real purty for the wife.

 

[Egon]

By dust masks or respirators this may be the type you need for sand blasting. Goggles or similar eye protection is also necessary.

The media shows up long after you are finished work. Your pockets are full, the ears are full, even with plugs and muffs and your clothes shed sand for days afterwards.

Reusable Respirators & Supplies - Uline

 

[GaryBDavis]

I started out with a 2HP/20gal single stage air compressor and cheap suction sandblaster. Then I moved up to a 5HP/80gal two stage and a home made pressure sandblaster. Then I purchased a TIP sandblast cabinet for $2400. Then I bought a Schmidt 350# pressure fed sandblaster with a Bullard air fed helmet. Got a good deal off ebay at $1600 on that setup. I ran it with a old worn out 100cfm Ingersol-Rand rotary screw air compressor that I had about $1500 into it. Then I bought a 175cfm diesel rotary screw air compressor to fully drive the Schmidt sandblaster. That was another $1300, but a really good deal. I still need to buy the high volume gun for my TIP cabinet, but I think I've reached the end of my sandblasting equipment endeavor. Watch out or you may end up like me.

Unfortunately, efficient sandblasting requires a big air compressor and you will have to put up some heavy coin to get the right equipment.

If you are only planning to sandblast small items, a cabinet is the way to go. My 5HP/80gal/2-stage air compressor keeps up with my sandblast cabinet (although just barely) and that is what I recommend if you don't need to do car frames, fences, etc.

 

[Western]

Just my Personel opinion,
I have sandblasted for about 15 years and our family business currently also does commercial blasting as part of our parking lot striping company.

Everyone here has made valid points, I started with a Lowes 15 cfm 80 gal twin piston air compressor ($600) and a cheap syphon gun about $35. I could do small stuff like light switch cover and the like took for ever and had the pistons burn up 3 times the first year, buy the repair kit and I was $80 more in the red each time.

Then and I believe my best concept, I bought a 125cfm Leroi pull behind compressor at auction (1948 model from Wyoming highway Dept) for $500 + $300 in repairs, nice thing it is a rebuilt rotory compressor. I then traded a rancher 4 hrs welding for an 80# pressure pot replace hose and nozzle for about $100, no comparison to syphon set up.

Now we have a Sullair 185 scfm bought used for $5000 from rental co. 300# commercial pot, $1500 I think? about $500 in Moisture and low Micron partical filters and about an $800 half body hood with built in respiration supplied buy seperate air line from valve controled gateway at compressor.

I have blasted with meduims from crushed pecan shell to baby powder/talc but mostly pure sand, One thing I know is whatever you use for gun, pot or syphon the key is DRY CFM and how constant it is, psi in this instance is just a matter of..whatever..You want volumn, Their is no way I would take on a large job with a system for $400, factor in your time what is it worth?

I would get some prices for getting the large stuff done before I bought a setup. If your'e just going to do small stuff like light switches ect tra then a cheap rig might work for you, All compressors collect moisture and you will find it, as some posters pointed out, a real nuisince without filter/seperators.

I have reused alot of sand, screened and DRY it is a PITA but can save a little $. As other posters said, silicoses is permanent and any meduim you use makes some kind of air particles so I would put the best $$ I could on protection, A pullover hood (check Northern tool) AND a respirater to me is minimum, and keep others away from the job area.

Bottom line, the more CFMs, the more you can do with less effort and running cost.

 

[jeffinsgf]

One option that has not been mentioned is a sand blasting attachment for a pressure washer. For about a hundred bucks you can get an attachment for a pressure washer that picks up sand out of a 5 gallon bucket and mixes it with with the water at the nozzle. There's no dust whatsoever and it will clean up large parts as fast or faster than dry blasting. The only protective gear you need is a good pair of goggles and some clothes you don't mind getting soaked in. I'll take the muddy mess it creates over the dusty mess from dry blasting any day.

 

[Treemonkey1000]

And you wanted to be a Sandblaster Sunspot? Who would have guessed something that sounded so easy would lead to such a wealth of information?

 

[Runner]

I have a blasting cabinet and access to a couple of 5 hp/30 gal compressors. I have been kicking around the idea of connecting the compressors in parallel with a Y-connector on the hose. Is there any reason why this wouldn't work?