Sandblaster

[brendonv]

I've got a couple things I want to get done this summer. Including building a new dump bed for the truck, and stripping and re-shooting the paint on the rear frame.

Can anyone suggest an affordable blaster? I figure the frame would be my biggest project, nothing bigger than that really.

[DSW]

Rent it. When we swapped bodies on our Mack, we sandblasted the new body, frame, equipment trailer and what ever else we could find that needed it around the shop. We just simply rented a 1050lb pressure pot type blaster and the 185 fcm IR jackhammer compressor to run it from the local rental center. The "kit" had the 150lb or 300 lb pot, the 185IR and 50' of hose, the airflow hood and pump and heavy gloves for $200 a day. We shot every thing in one day. I want to say sand ran $8 a 50lb bag and we probably went thru 150 lbs of sand maybe a bit more.

Most small sized pot type sand blasters need a good sized volume of air to run them, usually 15cfm or more at 90+psi. The bigger ones require a big tow behind compressor. Most guys really don't have the air volume to run even the small ones.

I'll probably end up renting one to do both the plows this summer and posibly my buddies small trailer and a few other odds and ends. It will probably take longer to set up each piece to shoot than it takes to do it. I doubt everything I plan to do will take more than 2-3 hrs tops, and by doing some of his stuff at the same time we can split the costs and save. Then while I'm running the blaster back, he'll probably set up the spray gun and start shooting everything with primer.

[brendonv]

That's a good idea. I do have a tow behind compressor for my taking whenever I need it.

[DSW]

The place near me rents the air hood for $60/day, $24/ 2hrs $8/hr after that. The air hood is well worth it if they've got one. Keeps your lens from fogging up and you're not clogging masks or filters like no tomorow. The 150lb or 300 lb blaster runs $94/day, $36/ 2hrs $12/hr after that. You'll probably have to get a tip as well, I forget what they cost. If you have everything ready ahead of time you can setup blast and take it back and save some cash if you've got the compresor.

[ed mac]

i went with eastwood sand or soda blaster

[Stick-man]

I have a cheap plastic hopper gravity feed blaster and it works. I also have a wand to inject sand for use with my pressure washer, I have not used it yet.

However, I always wondered how you can go to HF and get a sand blaster for under $200.00 and you look at Northern Tool and a Marco or Schmidt is in the thousands of $. Not knowing much about them, what is the big difference? I mean we are not talking electrical components here like HF v. Miller. Also, would it be difficult to make a pro quality one out of say an old compressor tank?

[John T]

Brendon...

PM sent.

[greenbuggy]

Originally Posted by Stick-man

However, I always wondered how you can go to HF and get a sand blaster for under $200.00 and you look at Northern Tool and a Marco or Schmidt is in the thousands of $. Not knowing much about them, what is the big difference? I mean we are not talking electrical components here like HF v. Miller. Also, would it be difficult to make a pro quality one out of say an old compressor tank?

Among other things, the quality is suited for production vs home hobbyist, I started out using a siphon fed craftsman siphon blaster, then moved to an ALC 110 lb pressure blaster. Using it for some projects I quickly found that it wore thru the rubber stop blocks on the ceramic tip and the brass valves it used for metering blew out the sides and sprayed abrasive everywhere.

Compared to the 300 lb clemco I bought later on, the sidewall construction would have me worried if I ran enough abrasive thru it. The clemco has a popup valve that automatically seals/pressurizes the pot, which makes starting much faster. The nozzle holder is more suited to quick changing tips, and quality tips that last longer, like boron carbide are easy to get.

I also think clemcos overhead/liability insurance is way worse, a person who fails to read the warnings about silicosis is unlikely to mess themselves up using a small pressure blaster for a day or two versus someone who runs through thousands of pounds of abrasive a day.

[Oldiron2]

Years ago, I 'built' a pressure tank for sandblasting by modifying an obsolete gas cylinder, and I bought a quality sand hose and valve from TIP Sandblasting Equipment. They had all the related gear but seem not to have a website, and are now out of business, which I just found out!

Their Pressure Blasting equipment (and parts for their old valves) is now carried by:


Brut Manufacturing Co., 4680 Alabama Avenue S.W. Navarre, Ohio 44662

http://www.brutmfg.com/

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