Which sand blaster to buy?

[AirborneSilva]

Which of these three would you buy?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=94166

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=9588

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=44762

Thanks for looking....

[Troy]

I've always read that pressurized is better. I haven't used a non-pressurized unit to tell you the difference though.

Troy

[Charger-Bodie]

pressure for sure gravity blasters are not fun to fight with

[moparguy01]

Which of these three would you buy?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=94166

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=9588

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=44762

Thanks for looking....

get a pressureized one. I use this one at work for the small stuff. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95014 but I have it rigged up into a small sand blasting cabinet (big enough to get 2 rims in it at least) and then i also pressurized the cabinet using a large dust collector http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=45378 which is hooked up in the rear. the setup works real good.

For large stuff we use about a 200 pound pressurized hopper with a dedicated air compressor so we dont even run low on air.

hope that helps abit

[TripleBlackGator]

Check out these guys. They are always at the Carlisle spring, summer, and fall shows. I have one of their pressurized 50 lb. portable units and like it a lot. Their cabinets look nice too.

http://www.tptools.com/prod_list_display.asp?dept%5Fid=L1%7E53&dept%5Fname%5Fp=Abrasive+Blasting+Cabinets&mscssid=11635P3LC87C9GXTS0QWQP8DE2D92TA0

[daytonalo]

I guys , most of you know me , but for those who don't ,I do powdercoating and auto restoration . Here a few pics of my sandblasting equipment . For large items I have a 12x20 poly building and a 200 pound pressure blaster, supplying air is a  Ingersol Rand , three cylinder diesel duetz,the thing just showed up in my yard one sunday , what can I say I live in N.J ! For smaller items I made the front part of a truck body a blast cabinet out of plate steel , it has a tapered bottom, I only use aluminum oxide in there , very little dust , in fact I still have the same media going on 6 years . The other photo is of my harbor freight 7.5 2 stage comp linked to a harbor freight air chiller , for those of you who don't know , it brings air temp down to 35 degrees , therefore reducing moisture . If anybody has any questions on blasting or what works , I am willing to help . Larry O

[daytonalo]

more 

[sharpspike]

hey airborne

if your going to be blasting your car, heres a link with some good info. read the media blasting rules.

http://www.consolidatedstripping.com/generalinfo.html

hope the info helps you.

[AirborneSilva]

Thank you all, I will be going with a pressurized system since that is the definet consensus.  Sharpspike, thank you for the link and you can be assured I will be reading that tonight.... 

[AirborneSilva]

Ok, so now my next question is this - which one of these two would you buy?  Remember, this will not be used on a daily basis so I'm not looking for anything industrial. 

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=34202

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=44762

[moparguy01]

the 40 pound. Keep in mind your going to run through 40 pounds of sand in about 3 minutes before you have to reload the hopper. so go bigger unless you like stopping. if you can capture the sand you can usually strain it and use it 2-3 times before it turns to dust. but make sure to strain it or else other crap will get in the sand and plug the nozzle.

[AirborneSilva]

What would you strain it with?

[moparguy01]

i use a mesh found at a fabric store thats folded over 4 times and "sift" the sand.

[daytonalo]

Keep it simple , any old house screen ,with metal frame . Lay it over a tub and sift away . MAKE SURE YOU WEAR A RESPERATOR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOT A PAPER MAST

[AirborneSilva]

Keep it simple , any old house screen ,with metal frame . Lay it over a tub and sift away . MAKE SURE YOU WEAR A RESPERATOR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOT A PAPER MAST

Thank you, and I will get a resperator.  Where's a good place to get sand?  does home depot or lowe's sale it?

[daytonalo]

Nope , find a concrete / block supplier, for not heavily rusted metal use 000 sand , I pay 4.50 for 100 pounds . Stay off sheetmetal , it can take years to master that  ! What ever you need , let me know . Larry O

[AirborneSilva]

Nope , find a concrete / block supplier, for not heavily rusted metal use 000 sand , I pay 4.50 for 100 pounds . Stay off sheetmetal , it can take years to master that  ! What ever you need , let me know . Larry O

Thank you Larry, we have a concrete/block supplier here in town, hopefully they will have it (and at that price too!)....

Thanks,
Tony

[Silver R/T]

Ive got pressurised one but havent had chance to try it out yet as I only got my compressor this last saturday. I use cabinet blaster at work. perfect for blasting small/medium parts

[AirborneSilva]

I got my blaster all hooked up today and found me some sand, silica sand which says on the bag that it's not for sandblasting, but the people I talked to at home depot said that everyone uses it.  I did try to find some at a cement, sand and block place  like you, Larry, suggested but they didn't have a clue so I went to home depot where I found this sand.  I think I got too fine of sand though, it did take off some surface rust and I think that it will be great for working thinner metals but I think I need to get some more coarse sand for the heaver stuff.  All in all I was pleased with my purchase and with my first attempt at sandblasting.  Oh yeah, I also get a resperator per Larry's suggestion too...

[daytonalo]

I use whats called , triple ooo sand on resto projects , double oo ,on very rusty heavy iron

[AirborneSilva]

How fine is that 000?  sounds like it would be some fine stuff, kinda like I got today.  If I remember right it came in 20, 30 and 60 (60 being what I got), I remember seeing some of the 20 that had leaked out of a broken bag and it was much more coarse then the 60.  I tried what I have on a brake drum and it pretty much did little to nothing.

[daytonalo]

I have been buying silica sand for 20 years , ooo and oo sand , it is some very fine stuff , I know what you bought and that stuff is very coarse . Are you sure you have the correct tip for how much pressure you have

[AirborneSilva]

Larry,  I don't have a clue if I have the right tip or not    What size should I be using?

[daytonalo]

If it is a pressure pot , and you have around 75 lbs of wide open air , by the way that would be at least a 5hp  comp , you would use a  3/32 nozzle , bottom line you want to have at least 75 lbs in the pressure pot , not only at start up , but at wide open as well .

[70charger_boy]

Airborne, I would get an airfed respirator.  I sandblast and airfed is def the way to go

[AirborneSilva]

Larry, the cheap nozzles that came with my blaster don't have markings on them so I don't know what sizes I have.  As for my compressor, I have a 190 hp compressor  it's connected to my jeep.  My setup is a York 210 compressor, I have between 5 & 7 gallons of reserve air volume (which I know is my down fall there).  I do have an oil seperator on the setup, then I have a filter/regulator then the blaster has it's own water seperator so I think I'm pretty safe from water and oil contamination.  I know that a dedicated compressor like a 5 hp 220 volt with a 60 gallon tank would be ideal but it's what I have for the time being.

Roscoe, I wish I could have a setup like that and know that it is ideal and the safest way to go but for now, like my compressor it's what I have.  But please don't think I don't appreciate you looking out for a brother 

[Troy]

I guys , most of you know me , but for those who don't ,I do powdercoating and auto restoration . Here a few pics of my sandblasting equipment . For large items I have a 12x20 poly building and a 200 pound pressure blaster, supplying air is a  Ingersol Rand , three cylinder diesel duetz,the thing just showed up in my yard one sunday , what can I say I live in N.J ! For smaller items I made the front part of a truck body a blast cabinet out of plate steel , it has a tapered bottom, I only use aluminum oxide in there , very little dust , in fact I still have the same media going on 6 years . The other photo is of my harbor freight 7.5 2 stage comp linked to a harbor freight air chiller , for those of you who don't know , it brings air temp down to 35 degrees , therefore reducing moisture . If anybody has any questions on blasting or what works , I am willing to help . Larry O

Now THAT is a compressor! Make mine look so... inadequate.

I have been wondering about blast media for a while too. The only stuff I have now are glass beads which came with my cabinet - I've never used it. I guess I need to hunt down a concrete place - $4.50 sounds like it would be right up my alley.

Troy

[daytonalo]

ONE WORD , VOLUME , AND YOU HAVE NONE . MIN WOULD BE A 5 HP COMP , THAT IS AT THE BOTTOM FOR SURE . .....................

[AirborneSilva]

Sounds like I need to see if I can't find me some old tank to rig up for extra volume then.  Thanks Larry

[daytonalo]

Just go to harbor freight , 7.5 hp 1300.00

[AirborneSilva]

  God bless you Larry, I wish I had the money for that.  I am literally saving my change to rebuild this car.  Hopefully when the wife comes out of retirement that will change but for the time being this is my reality.  Homedepot has a 5 hp, 60 gallon compressor for $399, I wish I could buy that!

EDIT:  I just came back from Home Depot (had to get some wire to pull the rear window out), I made a mistake, the compressor for $399 is not 5 hp, it's 7 hp....

[daytonalo]

Look in paper for a used one , post an ad in craigs list for a commercial grade comp , there are guys out there who refit gas stations and sell that kind of stuff all the time . Craigs list is free .