Is anyone using a ball valve as their on/off trigger for their media blaster handle at the end of your hose? Have you had a problem with it caking up and getting stuck? I've heard Texas Blaster uses this handle.
My HF blaster came with a ball valve W/the nozzle attached to it. I replaced it soon with a better quality one, but it works fine. I actually prefer it over a deadman
I have read that if it's a problem, it usually means you have wet sand or wet air passing through. My ball valve that came with my used blaster at the start was clogged up and rusted shut, probably moisture.
Just make sure you open it all the way or it will blast the ball and will leak from that point on. Don't ask me how I know. Bill
Ball valves are meant to be either all the way open or shut as you found out they are not for throttling. Globe or needle valves are designed to throttle, not sure how they would work with sand going thru them, pretty abrasive.
So would a ball valve be something I could use to close shut and open without turning off the air? Something as fast as a deadman handle? I want the convenience of being about to flick off/on throughout the blasting session, while keeping the air on.
You can but it will wear out much faster. I prefer to shut off the sand at the lower valve first, then shut the ball valve at the nozzle. I have gotten pretty good at working that lower valve with my foot.....
If you have any sand going though the hose when you shut it off, it will immediately etch the ball and leak. If you turn the sand off at the bottom of the hopper and let all the sand get out of the hose first, it will work.
I use one. I like it better than the dead man. The sand will wear it and cause it to leak. If you try to throttle the flow you can wear one out in a couple of days, snap it all the way open and all the way closed and it will last a long time. They are not too expensive to replace regularly. I don't shut off the sand first, I have another ball valve for the sand and once I get it adjusted the way I like it, I leave it alone.
Once I get the ball valve "set" at the base, for the correct amount of sand coming through, I tend not to mess with it. I just use the ball valve at the spray end to on/off. Leave the air pressure on. I just last year had to replace the ball valve, after quite a few years of use. No, I don't use it every day, but have done a few chassis, MANY fenders, etc. Aahhh, Rusty and I work similarly. He just types quicker.
I found that if you don't shut off the sand supply at the bottom of the hopper on a pressurized unit, the sand will compact and plug up the mixing valve.
Ball valve on my Texas Blaster. Also, I swapped the deadman for a ball valve on the HF blaster mod that I posted in your other thread. DO NOT use a gate valve!
The ball valve will work but as the others say it will be destroyed by the sand eventually That goes for the sand valve at the bottom of the blaster too. If you have either valve partially open during the blasting operation the media will cut it's way through the ball or the valve body. If you notice either valve is no longer is doing it's job take the time to inspect them and replace them as needed. Gate or globe valves do not work well with sand. You have to have dry air going to the blaster. You must also have dry sand. Any moisture in the system can make for a very long and frustrating day.
I bought a blaster built out of Houston 25 years ago. It had a ball valve that lasted 23 years. I bought a replacement that lasted about 9 months, changed 2 more since. Not sure what the difference is, but I need to figure out something better.
i hate any valve at the hose end. i turn the air off to the unit when i want to stop. i lay out everything so i can just keep blasting,................. usually till the sand runs out.
Here is where I got that gate valve info. It confused me some, but a few were suggesting that I use a gate valve where the sand enters. To use a ball valve at the nozzle.
ball valve wide open or fully shut. the only time i have a problem is when i let some one use it. then 7 bucks to replace it
I have a ball valve on my blaster works but wears out and leaks quick, I will try opening it all the way and shutting off quick and see if that helps. One thing I found that works good is using the male end of air hose quick connectors for a spray nozzle. I had a bunch of old ones from changing to a different style, the hole is just the right size for my compressor to keep up and steel ones seem to be hardened and last longer than the ceramic ones that came with the unit.
Yeah I think I'll go with a ball valve. Someone told me today that a gate valve would not close with material sitting in the bottom of the valve.
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