Sandblasting question

Larry_Van_Horn · Nov 21, 2003

Yeah that true Ray, My compressor puts out 11 CFM at 90 PSI which is not bad, but don't know if it will be enough.

GaryM · Nov 21, 2003

Very good posting. Thanks for the link.

Last year I was with a friend who was buying a Sears "5HP" oil less compressor, against my advice. I asked the Sears salesmen why their 5HP unit didn't draw 33-35 amps on 110 volts, 1HP is still about 740 Watts right? No infomation was offered other than "That's what it's rated".

CTyler · Nov 21, 2003

Yea but Human Power is only 100 watts at best. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

jinman · Nov 21, 2003

Larry, I sandblasted an old Ford Jubilee's wheels, hood, and fenders using one of those siphon sand blasters. I've never used it since and probably never will. WHAT A HASSLE! The sand you can buy at Home Depot, but if it becomes wet, it will clog your nozzle. Not only do you need a full face shield, gloves, and respirator, but I masking taped my pants to my boots and my shirt sleeves to my gloves. My full faceshield mask became cloudy about halfway through the job because the sand bouncing back blasted the plastic. I learned my lesson and I'll let someone else do my blasting from now on. On this subject, color me a wimp. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

PineRidge · Nov 21, 2003

Larry just a thought but TSC sells a chemical that when brushed on rust will neutralize it and prep it for painting. I have used it to restore an old Allis 2 row corn planter and it did a good job.

When I was a young man my dad's hobby was restoring Model-A's I am well familiar with the use of a sand blaster. They use a LOT of air and sand and they are no fun at all.

Try the chemical, you'll like it.

Soundguy · Nov 22, 2003

Is it similar to naval jelly? That eats rust.. though I havn't seen it in a few years..

Soundguy

have_blue · Nov 22, 2003

( On this subject, color me a wimp. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif )

You and me both.

If it won't fit inside a blasting cabinet, it won't get blasted. Not by me, anyway!

varmint · Nov 22, 2003

Gentlemen: a couple of thoughts to add to this chain. The Black Beauty is, if I remember, produced from powerplant slag. The rust converter stuff is some kind of phosphoric acid compound that not only consumes any rust, it leaves the metal primed and ready to paint. One commercial product is called Extend, and others work equally well. The big box home supply stores will have it in their paint departments. Auto supply stores usually have a choice also. Having used a siphon sandblaster, I can sympathize and agree with the comments made by others. Cabinets are good. Everything else is bad.

OkieG · Nov 22, 2003

Is it as simple as just getting a 50 lb bag from Home Depot 

I inherited several loader buckets full of masonry sand, left over from a neighbborhood project. I tried some in the sandblaster. Some of the larger sand granules (and even tiny rocks) would clog the tip after just a few seconds of blasting.

For fun, I used a garden trowel and an old screen door to screen some of the sand into a bucket. It worked great. The screened sand blasts well and doesn't clog the tip.

A local tool outlet sells "Blasting Sand" for $5 for a 50 lb bag. I'll just use the old screen door until my sand pile is gone.

OkieG

OkieG · Nov 22, 2003

Cabinets are good. Everything else is bad. 
That is probably true. I blast outside only, use a mask or respirator and face hood and try to blast from upwind.

Not to minimize the risk of silicosis, but there is something I wonder about. Do folks in desert areas have a high incidence of silicosis? They might, but I've never heard that they do. I would think that living through a couple dust storms like our troops in Iraq encountered would add up to more exposure than a lifetime of occasional sand blasting outside with a mask on.

When I was a kid there were a lot more dirt roads than there are now. I remember taking family trips and having to rinse my mouth and spit to clear the dust. Was breathing all that dust a potentially harmful silica exposure? I don't know.

OkieG