ANyone done their own sand blasting?

chodjinn · Post by **chodjinn** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 1:21 pm

Well, as above, anyone done it themselves with a small blasting box? Looking at prices of shot/sand blasting (usually per item) versus how much it is to get a blasting box and compressor (I'm going to need a compressor anyway for painting) is making me seriously consider buying one?

I've got enough room for one ....

kiwicar · Post by **kiwicar** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 1:56 pm

Hi
I have not owned one myself, but once spent 4 days doing nothing but grit (ally oxide) blasting, what I can offer to this is. . . your cabinate will leak a small amount no matter how you try and make sure it doesn't, do not put it near your clean engine assembly area. Get an old vacuum cleaner from a charity shop, ebay, gumtree to clean up after you use the thing, do not use the same one you use in the house. use a face mask and throw away paper overalls, you don't want the grit in the washing machine!
Get a big enough compressor, you do not want to keep stopping so te tank can catch up. Always make up masks for machined srufaces don't rely on your skill to miss the area.
Buy a parts washer. . .
I hope that is of some help.
Can I bring some bits over

Good luck
Mike

Alley Kat · Post by **Alley Kat** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 2:05 pm

To get anything done really needs a big compressor. Even with a quality 3hp / 150 litre comp the biggest nozzle you can run is about 2.5 or 3mm, and the comp will be worked hard. It's great for small things, but axles etc would be like colouring in with a felt pen..

Pressure pots are better (air power not lost in sucking up grit) but still work a 3hp very hard, I couldn't really get one comp to work well with mine. But I have two 3hp comps now that I can link up.

Made a tent thing from vinyl (the other half sewed it up - zip door, in/out for extractor, hand things and window etc etc). I made a frame that comes apart like a tent, takes v.little space stowed.

chodjinn · Post by **chodjinn** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 2:21 pm

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/190806433549? ... 1423.l2649

This sort of compressor? The guy is also selling a blasting box, and is literally down the road from me.

I only plan on blasting suspension parts etc. Not the front xmember or rear axel.

kiwicar · Post by **kiwicar** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 2:37 pm

Hi
Much bigger! as Mr Kat says more than 3HP and a much bigger resivior, the biggest pain with my four days spent grit blasting was being able to use it for about ten minutes and then someone would fire up some air tools and the pressure would drop, then it would stop picking up media alltogether and you would have to stop for 5 minutes before you could get going again. . . . when working they are great, you won't have the issue of sharing an air supply but you still need enough air, you will also need it if you are spraying where you need really constant pressure and flow.
Best regards
Mike

Alley Kat · Post by **Alley Kat** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 2:38 pm

Personally I wouldn't consider anything less than a good 3hp / 150 litre. The nozzle size you can run is directly proportional to the pump. That one might work, but with a very small nozzle. If using the suction gun type things, match the approx cfm they need vs the comp, to get an idea if it'll work.
Rough rule - 3cfm delivered per hp. Typical 3hp comp outputs 9-9.5 cfm FAD (at around 14cfm displacement). Cheapie ones can do less.

Same for paint. It's poss with a smaller comp, but not ideal. And 2k really wants a separate comp for an airfed mask, or take the risks with the isocynates and chuckaway masks (see thread on MIG forum for good chat on that). but that's another thing.

Alley Kat · Post by **Alley Kat** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 2:39 pm

One other thing - duty cycle. Cheaper comp, lower cycle - less run time between waits. If you run all the time the comp will be overworked, get hot 'n bothered and make hot wet air.

kiwicar · Post by **kiwicar** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 2:44 pm

Hi
Don't even connsider taking chances wit isocyanate paints, I know someone who, when they were first comming in did not use a fresh air fed mask, he had been working with cellulose based for about 10 years and no one knew the risk, he reacted badly, after his first sprey session, never painted again, had serious nerve damage and could not hold a pencil for about 3 years, he was a mess and only in his late 20's when it happened. Please do not risk it, if you react you do not get a warning!
Best regards
Mike

Alley Kat · Post by **Alley Kat** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 3:14 pm

^ that's the essence of the MIG thread, stories of ending up in A&E. I know one bloke who's wife found him passed out and have heard of a few others.

kiwicar · Post by **kiwicar** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 3:30 pm

I must admit I do not really see the need for Isocyonate paints, the water based systems seem to me (admitttedly from outtside the industry) to give such good results and be so relativly simple to use that there is really no justification for useing something so toxic and that can bring on such extreme reactions with no warning.
Best regards
Mike

Eliot · Post by **Eliot** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 3:50 pm

chodjinn wrote:http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/190806433549? ... 1423.l2649

This sort of compressor? The guy is also selling a blasting box, and is literally down the road from me.
.

Direct drive - its a toy basicly.

Something more like this:
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/produ ... compressor
Price seems to have gone up since i last looked, you could pick up one like that for £350 when they had a vat free day.

Alley Kat · Post by **Alley Kat** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 4:36 pm

Mike, waterbase only applies to colour - needs a clearcoat over them and those are 2k.
Don't know what they use for primers in production, but the rest most use 2k epoxy (which are mostly non-iso), some use etch (not sure of the 2k variants and iso's).

Gary at Shiremoor is worth a call. Sells good gear, new and used. Got my last one from him which I think was one of those ^ but lots less money.

And yes direct drive isn't great, v.noisey, expensive to fix, makes less max pressure.

kiwicar · Post by **kiwicar** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 4:51 pm

Alley Kat wrote:Mike, waterbase only applies to colour - needs a clearcoat over them and those are 2k.
Don't know what they use for primers in production, but the rest most use 2k epoxy (which are mostly non-iso), some use etch (not sure of the 2k variants and iso's).

OK that explains much, I don't think I will be doing my own spray job any time soon then!
Best regards
Mike

Alley Kat · Post by **Alley Kat** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 4:56 pm

I got me an airfed setup: extra comp, reg/filter > triple pack of filters > carbon filter > mask. Wasn't cheap! Has paid for itself though. Nasty stuff, not just the iso's but the sodding great cloud of solvent fumes

Darkspeed · Post by **Darkspeed** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 6:22 pm

I know this is off topic but Celly is still available for DIY and although not up to the standard of a 2K you can get very good results with care.

As for blasting - for steel parts mild acid cleaning and electrolysis are handy options as they do the job whilst you are sleeping / out earning / cowering inside from the damp / cold.