Wet sand blaster

[Paddy]

Anyone with a compressor can buy a sand blaster kit. But my experience with my small compressor is I get about 20 sec of blasting and I have to wait for the tank to get back up to pressure. I saw Rural King has a device that works with your pressure washer to "wet blast". In my mind, advantages are the power washer will work continuous vs. compressor recharge.

anyone try it? My pressure washer is a Simpson 2900 psi with 2.4 gal/min. I'm hoping it's enough
Rural king has this type for under $70; Valley Industries Wet Sandblast Kit SBK-400

 

[Industrial Toys]

I have a high volume industrial pressure washer. I have a wet blaster attachment. It works alright. Many things you blast, you don't want getting wet as you probably want to get paint on them ASAP! When you dry blast something, that is the perfect surface for paint. One problem as with all blasting is moisure in your medium. That (wet blaster) tube won't suck anymore medium if your medium get's wet and that can be a challenge when you are working close by with high pressure water.

 

[Paddy]

Industrial,

What brand did you buy? Also, I did hear it's important to keep the sand feed tube on the top side to reduce water from saturating the sand.

You are correct about wet steel flash rusting. I'm hoping I can wipe it off after the cleaning

 

[Mendonsy]

I bought one a long time ago. It works, but it makes a real mess. I used it once and haven't touched it since.

 

[Silvic]

I have one, works well. Flash rust is a big issue get and use 100% denatured alcohol and wipe or spray immediately after cleaning.

 

[truckdiagnostics]

I have one tried it, worked?, you want it I'll send it to you. Agree with others. Have you looked at soda blasting? I don't do it that way, but I use a ceramic soda blast tip in my cabinet blaster, I can regulate PSI down to 80 psi, compressor doesn't like it but it is working. I use it to clean parts before powder coating. Won't blow paint off use chemical stripper for paint. Then just blow it off with the pressure washer.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I am not sure what brand it was, but something respectable. Bought it from an industrial spray painting supply shop for around a hundred bucks, about half price. Since then, I see them at the cheap tool places.

Funny, I have not used it for years, but I just came accross a badly rusted heavy steel piece for one of my on-going projects. I may just use it for that, and to try and blow the concrete residue off of a flat free wheel borough wheel someone just gave me.

 

[dodge man]

Get a bigger air compressor.

 

[Paddy]

Air Compressors are so inefficient. Compare a die grinder to an angle grinder. And large compressors are not portable.

 

[Paddy]

Truck,

That's a generous offer. But there cheep enough. I plan to use one on several surfaces. I have some steel bar joists with concrete splatter an a bit of rust. I also will try a bit of limestone carving with it. I tried the power washer without the sand and it was pretty impressive.

 

[dodge man]

Inefficient? I guess I don't know what you mean. Compare the size of an electric tool to that of an air tool. Not portable, I get that but I usually bring the work near enough to my air compressor to blast it, but thats not always possible.

 

[truckdiagnostics]

I'm looking at soda blasting. You don't have the sand issue washes away with water and they say you can load it into a pressure tank just like you would with your sand....... Like I said considering it. Wrestled with same issues you are, media blasting with an air compressor is hard on a compressor.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I dragged out my wet blaster and went to work on that wheel and steel. I used glass medium. It worked but I went through about a third of a bag in just a few minutes! WAY too much! I don't remember having that problem before and there is no adjustment I know of. It worked VERY well taking the remaining concrete off of that steel rim. The heavy steel piece, well, I just should have used sand paper.

 

[Paddy]

dodge man,

I mean a little weak die grinder has a 1 hp compressor motor working it's tail off to run. An electric angle grinder uses a much smaller motor. Air driven equipment has huge losses. Not saying air doesn't has it's place.

 

[4570Man]

dodge man, I mean a little weak die grinder has a 1 hp compressor motor working it's tail off to run. An electric angle grinder uses a much smaller motor. Air driven equipment has huge losses. Not saying air doesn't has it's place.

They are sure nice to use being so light. I hardly ever use an electric grinder with the exception of a bench grinder.

 

[dodge man]

The problem is your using a compressor that is meant for doing low air use, like a nail gun. Yes certain air tools draw a lot of air but thats why they make larger stand up air compressors. I can't tell you what I paid for mine, maybe less than $500 15 years ago and it will meet the demand of just about any air tool. The only draw back is even with a lot of hose, you need to be within 200 feet of your compressor.

 

[4570Man]

The air compressor I use for air tools pumps about 20 cfm. It will run a sandblaster for about 15 minutes before you have to stop and give it a rest. My uncle has this huge compressor. It had a 400 gallon storage tank. If I had to to any serious blasting I would hook it up to a tractor pto.