Ok Thanks...I'm going to build one of these using a nice size propane tank.The concept is really simple.I just don't want to pay $5000 for the DB150.I wont have much in mine at all when i'm finished. I think the plate in the cone might have holes in it.Makes more sense than all the media only going through the small area around the pipe.
Good luck.....I just don't see it working very well without the patented parts. I don't think the cone has holes. The whole purpose of the cone and pipe is for flow control. If it had other holes you couldn't control it. The DB150 holds 5 gallons of water and 50lbs of glass and I can blast for 15-20 minutes. Anything smaller and you will spend more time refilling than blasting. You will also need a large air compressor. It takes a lot of air volume. I have a 100 CFM industrial air compressor and it's just barely enough. It works much better with a 185 CFM compressor.
OK makes sense.So the plate is to control abrasive from piling up in the bottom. I'm planning on using a large propane tank like 100 pounder.That should be close to the DB225 size.As for a air compressor i'll be renting one for now until I find a used unit.
A friend had the cab & hood of a '58 Chevy 1/2T blasted with a similar system (water & sand) a couple of weeks ago. It did a credible job of pain removal, however the blaster made a mess of the hood when he warped the crap out of it. The other problem was the build up of sand in enclosed spaces. I helped him getting rid of the wet, compacted sand that was packed solid in the interior places. We spent about 3-hours snaking, shaking, banging & high pressure blowing trying to get it all out. When he hit it finally with the DP40, there was still some sand getting dislodged. On top of it all, he was charged double what a regular sand blasting would have cost. I wouldn't use it or let anyone else use it on my stuff.
I haven't done alot of sandblasting for a couple years because my small sandblaster would clog every 20 seconds.I did some lawn furniture and it took me a whole week from sun up to sun down to finish it...I did get very fast at tearing the blaster down...lol I figured rather fighting moisture i'll just use it to my advantage.Seeing i'm going to make a DB225 size blaster i'm wondering if I should stick with 3/4" piping like the DB150 or go up to 1"? I'm guessing the pipe in the middle of the machine that sand/water goes through will be the same size as the rest of the piping.
if it was water and sand it shouldnt create any heat to warp the metal. I've done lots of sheetmetal with my water and crushed glass setup and haven't warped anything. Also the crushed glass doesnt pack in like sand.
Crushed glass in a water mist and air @ 50 psi won't warp much of anything. I've done aluminum trailers. Just seal and paint.
After about 70 hrs on my Geo Blaster I have enough experience to give more details about it. I have the SA 400 and a 185 cfm diesel compressor. When properly adjusted it uses 50-75 lbs of blast media per hr. and about 15 gal of water per hr. Rust inhibitor is added to the water. It eliminates flash rust and does not contaminate the metal. The clean metal can be blown dry and dust free, then sealed. If I can answer any questions PM me. Allan
I experienced the same thing on a 68 c-10 the whole sales pitch was the water was a coolant and it could be done in my yard.... Big mess and a badly warped hood... Ill stick to the old methods ... Not saying my experience was the norm but that combined with the flash rust situation was a giant mess
If you are getting warped panels it is the blasters lack of experience, done right it will not warp. Friend had his 69 camaro blasted by "The Guy" around here and he warped the panels so bad most had to be replace, but yet the guy managed to push it off as "prior damage" uncovered by the removal of the paint and bondo...only problem half the area had no bondo but he pulled the wool over my buddys eyes!
Alot of people think heat friction from sandblasting causes warping but thats not true.It takes the kind of heat you get from welding to warp metal.Sandblasting is no where near that hot.The sun on your car is hotter than what sandblasting does. The reason sandblasting warps metal panels is because of somebody using way too much air pressure and holding the blasting gun in one area too long.You have to keep a sandblaster moving at all times. Somebody who doesn't know what there doing cranks the PSI up really high on there blaster and when the media hits the panel its like hitting it with a big mallet.It's just like a huge wind storm blowing down a metal building, it can only take so much pressure until it buckles.Same applies to using very high pressure when blasting.
Subscribed. There was an FNG on here about a year ago that made a similar setup with a pressure pot blaster, a regular pressure washer and a siphon wand you can buy through Northern tool and the results were fantastic!! no warpage and the cost was under $1000..
Using sand and water through a blaster of some sort does create heat and will warp some metal , you can blast the car or truck in most places . The problem comes when you try blasting open metal like , the center of a door , the center of a roof , the top of a hood , etc . You can turn down the psi a bit , experiment with that because if its to low it will cause clogs . The water and glass isnt getting hot and hurting the metal and it doesnt build up as much as sand . Sand and water would work good on a chassis or plates of metal . Dustless blasting is the way to go , we just have to come up with a cheaper way .
I didn't read all of this but here is how I would wet sand blast. Get a sand blast pot and at the outlet cone install a washer with a hole in it sized so that you are using the FLOW amount of media you want to strip with. This will be a trial and error deal. Next, hunt up a refractory gunning equipment supplier like Reed, RFI, Allentown, R.W. McNair and get a 1" material hose setup along with a tip that will be a nozzle like a HAM tip or Spirolet and a waterbody, water ring and a needle valve like a 2,000 WOG or finer. Run a 1/2" water hose to the waterbody and tape it to the material hose every 2' or so. Use a small portable air compressor and throttle it at the gun for needed pressure and air volume. Media can be dry sifted fine sand at the pot/gun since it is going to be WETTED at the nozzle when blasting!! Use CORRECT safety gear and have at it. Now if you don't want to stop and refill the pot, then get an old Allentown Pneumatic Gun N-1 double chambered gun and learn how to run it... You will need a gun-man as well as a nozzle-man so it takes a crew of two to really get into this.. I hate to think about how many castable gunite machines I can operate, much less installing refractory plastic using a BSM gun.. This is just like doing gunite installation except you are sand blasting instead of installing cement!! pdq67
Hello everyone, I'm new here and found this all because I own All Needs Mobile Dustless Blasting LLC in North Alabama. My web site is needblasting.com . There are many and I mean many variables using this machine. from soft woods like western cedar to metals like stainless steel. I have been making notes since I got my machine to help me remember what settings work best. With this machine, I can use any blasting media, wet or dry. Soda blasting dry to glass grit wet. Call if I can help. 256-508-7254 Micky Christian
I just dug this thread up because I was thinking it might be worthwhile to get this done on my little T tub and shortened A frame. The guy quoted me $850, (that's in the neighborhood of 14% the cost of a DB150 per today's price). I gotta say, with as little there is to a T body and A frame, even considering the inside of the tub, I wasn't expecting that big of a bill, even for the Northeast. Does this sound right or should I look for another guy? He'd have had me at $425 with just a touch of sticker shock.
I'm considering getting into this business. The warping and flash rust goes against their claims. Will have to look into this.
I figure that the quote I got worked out to over $100/hr if not closer to 200 to blast what I showed him, based on how fast I've seen those things run. I'm in the wrong line of work.
Local guy charges $600 for a full sized sedan...I wouldn't waste the $$$ on a frame but it makes sense on the sheetmetal.
I've been reading up on this over the past few days, very cool technology. However, I can go to Home Depot and buy a media blaster for under $200. Keep it under 70psi, use crushed glass and no dust or warpage.
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