Ridding Moisture & Condensation With Compressor (Problem Solved)

[Old Moparz]

It seems that stripping & cleaning parts on my Scamp hit yet another road block setting me back once again. Aside from getting side tracked with other things that have to get done at home, the newest problem is water spraying out of the sand blasting gun all over the bare metal. This sucks, since the whole idea is to strip the rust to get the metal clean so it can be repainted. Now I have to restrip the metal after I strip it, since the water quickly makes brown residue on the clean metal before I can prep & paint it. It also makes the sand more like paste or mud, clogging the gun. 

I got tired of using a grinder since the vibrations drove me nuts, so I borrowed a gravity feed blasting gun from a coworker. I picked up a couple of bags of sand, set myself up outside the garage, & started blasting. The scale & rust came off easy & left a nice surface, but after only about 15 minutes, the water started to spray out & the sand eventually stopped flowing. It's not a large compressor, 20 gallons, so it cycles often. I have a moisture/dirt filter in the line that has a glass body & a bleeder valve (petcock) on the bottom. I've never had any moisture problems before, but I've never ran the compressor as much with one tool like the blasting gun.

Does anyone know of an easy & inexpensive way to eliminate the moisture?

I'm about to give up & either go buy a gross of wire wheels for the grinder, or just pay a local blasting company to get the parts cleaned so I can finish the damn car!   

[tan top]

need a couple  more  water traps .......  had the same problem ...especially if the compressor is not sucking in any or very little out side air  ....  made  ducting tube to the out side for my compressor .... what a difference still had moisture but  but 100% difference .  at work with the big compressors  they would have a air dryer as well as water traps

[Todd Wilson]

I use the cambell hausfeld water filter. About 100$ at the farm store. You fill it up with those blue beads and they suck up moisture and turn red. Didnt have any problems when I painted the car.  Sounds like maybe you are working your compressor too hard. Compressors tend to do that when worked really hard. Drain your tank.


Todd

[BrianShaughnessy]

  Spray the parts with POR-15 metal prep per the instructions after blasting them.     It's a muriatic acid solution. 

[Old Moparz]

need a couple more water traps ....... had the same problem ...especially if the compressor is not sucking in any or very little out side air .... made ducting tube to the out side for my compressor .... what a difference still had moisture but but 100% difference . at work with the big compressors they would have a air dryer as well as water traps

Additional traps sound like the least expensive way to go, so I may pick up at least one this week & give it a try & run 2 in my line for starters.

I use the cambell hausfeld water filter. About 100$ at the farm store. You fill it up with those blue beads and they suck up moisture and turn red. Didnt have any problems when I painted the car. Sounds like maybe you are working your compressor too hard. Compressors tend to do that when worked really hard. Drain your tank.

Todd

Sounds like a good idea, but I'll try the water trap since it's less money. If that doesn't work, I might do it.  (btw, I've drained the tank several times)

Spray the parts with POR-15 metal prep per the instructions after blasting them. It's a muriatic acid solution.

First I have to get the mud flying from the gun turned back into sand so I can strip the steel. 


Thanks guys, I'll let you know what happens later. 

[BrianShaughnessy]

Bump:  Sorry... it's actually called Metal Ready.  http://www.por15.com/prodinfo.asp?grp=MR&dept=2

[squeakfinder]

Something I've tried is running my air hose up hill from the receiver tank. It might not get all the water out, but direct it to settle in the tank. I think the weather sometimes has an effect also. For instance, if there is a high level of water vapour in the air.

[Old Moparz]

Okay, looks like the water problem may be solved, so thanks for the input.    Last week I went to a local media blaster for a quote, $85 per hour, & he figured 2 hours to strip everything. Then I decided to price out what I need to dry the air & do it myself & looked on line. (Six of one, half dozen of the other) I bought the Campbell Hausfeld filter/dryer set up, but from a local Tractor Supply store that had one in stock. It was more cost effective to buy my own since I know I'll use it again, & again. Just this one time for the leaf springs & it pays for itself.

So Todd, is this the same one you bought? (Campbell Hausfeld PA2085) It has 2 compartments, one with a filter, & one where the water absorbant, desiccant (pellets) goes. I tried it out for about 20 minutes when I went home for lunch, & all the sand I shot stayed dry.     Now I have to get more desiccant so I have it ready for when the stuff in the dryer becomes too wet. I've read you can dry it in an oven to reuse it, but if this stuff isn't too expensive I'll just get more.

Local media blaster ........................$170

OR.....

Campbell Hausfeld PA2085 ............ $120
Hose & misc. fittings ....................... $60
                                                    $180

[PocketThunder]

I've read you can dry it in an oven to reuse it, but if this stuff isn't too expensive I'll just get more.

C'mon Bob, reduse, reuse, recycle! 

[Old Moparz]

I've read you can dry it in an oven to reuse it, but if this stuff isn't too expensive I'll just get more.

C'mon Bob, reduse, reuse, recycle! 

Okay, but I still need more so I can blast while I bake.   

[Todd Wilson]

Yup! Thats the one I got. Have had no troubles with it!  My parts store ordered me a big jug of the pellots.


Todd

[Silver R/T]

Okay, looks like the water problem may be solved, so thanks for the input.    Last week I went to a local media blaster for a quote, $85 per hour, & he figured 2 hours to strip everything. Then I decided to price out what I need to dry the air & do it myself & looked on line. (Six of one, half dozen of the other) I bought the Campbell Hausfeld filter/dryer set up, but from a local Tractor Supply store that had one in stock. It was more cost effective to buy my own since I know I'll use it again, & again. Just this one time for the leaf springs & it pays for itself.

So Todd, is this the same one you bought? (Campbell Hausfeld PA2085) It has 2 compartments, one with a filter, & one where the water absorbant, desiccant (pellets) goes. I tried it out for about 20 minutes when I went home for lunch, & all the sand I shot stayed dry.     Now I have to get more desiccant so I have it ready for when the stuff in the dryer becomes too wet. I've read you can dry it in an oven to reuse it, but if this stuff isn't too expensive I'll just get more.

Local media blaster ........................$170

OR.....

Campbell Hausfeld PA2085 ............ $120
Hose & misc. fittings ....................... $60
                                                    $180

thats setup I run, but I got mine on ebay and paid like $40-$50 for it or so.