Sandblaster Advice Needed!

[waysideranch]

Going to buy a sandblaster. I won't be sandblasting large projects but it will get used from time to time. Economics are in play here. Which part of this is the most important. Can i buy a unit from Harbor Frieght/Northern Tool or are these junk. Also what about the compressor needed to run these units? Thanks for any info you can give me. I don't want junk but i won't be making a living sandblasting. The blast media is expensive? What do u use? Thanks guys!

 

[triplebq]

http://tinyurl.com/ydwjbj7 use this link it will help , then get back and tell us what you are planning on doing with it , I restore 1969 Camaros and can help with more info .

 

[rio_grande]

I have a cheap siphon type and for what I do it is fine. If I had to do it again i would buy one with a pressure pot. I have used a cheapo 100.00 harbor freight with the pressure pot and it was hands a feet above the quality of mine.

 

[pignit]

The problem I found in the pressure pot was the ceramic tips go really fast.... and the pot feed tends to clog with sand. You just about have to use blasting media with it. They do a fantastic job and I love mine but those two things are inevitable. I also have a little gravity fed hand gun blaster and for small jobs this thing works great. Hope this helps.

 

[randya]

I have the one form Harbor Freight too. You must make sure your compressor will handle it. I have a single stage and it will not keep the CFM up to do a good job. My buddy has a dual – stage compressor and it works great for him.

 

[triplebq]

If you want this kind Siphon .. just PM me your addy and I will UPS mine to you ( Snap-on hopper ) and when you get done with it you can UPS it back to me .

Buddy

 

[dick bullard]

I sandblasted for years with a low pressure pot system..sure ceramic nozzels for them do eventually wear out, but for the amount and size of stuff you want to sanblast, they should last quite some time....you can use as little as a 2hp compressor or as I did, had several 2 hp compressors linked in tandem with a larger storage tank. Saw one of the low pressure pots advertised the other day and must say the price is very economical......think they were more expensive 20 yrs ago. As far as a blasting medium, I used silica sand, never had any problems with clogging, but as with most sandblasring you must use a good self contained breathing mask to avoid respritory problems!!! Coarse grade silica sand is pretty economical to use too and when I was doing was readily available at a local concrete mix and delivery business. If you are doing just small stuff then maybe a siphon system with a blasting cabinet would be more your need.....Whichever is a faster method as not to use take much of your time away from SMOKIN!!! Hope this helps......Rick

 

[jsdspif]

I thought this looked pretty neat.
http://www.thebugshop.org/bsfq_sand_tub.htm

 

[silverwolf636]

I too have been looking at sand blasters. Also at the ones in Harbor Freight. I don't know if you are familiar with cfm. For instance, my air compressor is 5 cfm @ 90 lbs. The elcheapo abrasive blaster I'm looking at from Harbor is 6 cfm @ 125; my air compressor may work but I will be working it way past it's recommended use and I will probably burn it up. You have to have a certain amount of air pressure flow for the abrasive to become effective. Another example is an air tool. If it has an air consumption cfm or 4 @ 90 lbs, I could use it comfortably.
Hope this helps.
--ray--

 

[dick bullard]

Agree with what he said. As a general rule of thumb.....a decent quality air compressure and mounted supply tank can be ran at a duty cycle of up to 50 per cent without adverse affects...that is it should cycle for as long as a time on as it is not running while in use....and extra reserve tank or higher rated compressor can lower that cycle so it is off longer than it is running on for a continuos flow of air....more of an ideal situation....also effecting the air flow or cfm is the orfice size of your nozzle....ceramic tips come in a variey of sizes....I normally used a 3/16" orficed tip....think they go to as low as 1/8".....depending on what your blasting projects are there is no comparison of the power a siphon blaster to the power of a pressure pot blaster. The abrasive material being forced under pressure into the blaster pressure hose from a material holding tank is what it is all about! I'm sure there are various sizes and ratings of pressure pots for anyones needs..... My set up was used for etching glass (decorative)...Using a 3/16" nozzle tip at 80-90 lbs pressure I could strip the paint from a wall at 10 feet. These are really very economical if you consider what all you can do with them......Rick

 

[waysideranch]

Thanks guys. Your info will help me in my decisions. Most of my projects will relatively small. UDS drum, renovation on a 4x4 and this and that. Appreciate your time and valued experience.

 

[waysideranch]

Thanks Buddy. It would be at my place for a year. lol. I have at least five unfinished....make that around eight projects still in the works. I need my own unit. Thats why i like this forum so well. Good people all around. I was pulling for Texas by the way. Damn shame. Thanks again!!

 

[waysideranch]

How did you know Keith? I'm gonna be cooking on it at Taylor Lake starting the third weekend in July. North of Gunnison. Bring your 4 wheeler. We are there for a week. Trout fishing, beering and such.

 

[solaryellow]

Build your own.

http://www.webwheeling.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3229

 

[papad]

Just be aware of the mess it will make. Be sure you use it in a place you won't mind having sand, because it will get into everything.

Made the mistake of using one in the garage one winter because I had some things I wanted to clean but didn't want to be out in the cold. We figured we would just sweep up the sand when we were done. Ended up taking the doors off the garage to clean the tracks and rollers. There was sand up in the rafters and on every ledge in the garage. Took forever to clean it all up.

Just something to keep in mind.