I'm curious out there, what nozzle size do you prefer to use on your restorations that have given great results. Starting a poll on this one, photos appreciated!
kind of depends on the compressor, eh? and the bigger the nozzle, the more likely to damage sheet metal from excessive heat.
Depends on the substrate being blasted, the blasting media, air pressure, and material being removed.
I know this is a old thread, but it is the question I have also. I have never sandblasted before, I bought a used blaster and it seemed to work fine, with the leftover sand in it. I then picked up 2 bags of medium sized blasting sand, filled up the pot, now it instantly clogs the #5 tip. #5 is the biggest tip tractor supply sells. I bought a bag of fine sand, now I need to empty the pot and add the fine. Does anyone know if the #5 tip is to small for medium sand and is my problem? I would like to use the medium sand and not try to store it, would it even be a good choice for automotive purpose? Or should I get rid of it? What size tip would I need to order to use it? Thanks for any advice
My first guess would be moisture in the sand. I've had to spread it out in the sun on a piece of sheet metal or plywood . Also did you strain the sand as you were pouring it into the pot. A small piece of the bag or a piece of rock could be covering the hose inlet or nozzle.
Sorry to rain on your parade but if you're planning to blast a body or frame, the above units aren't gonna do it. For small parts or individual suspension pieces that might work but it'll be slow and the small compressor will be cycling a lot. For any real blasting 5hp, 18 cfm and a 60/80 gal tank is the absolute bare minimum. As far as the blaster, the tiny orifices on the feed assembly and hose/nozzle are the clogging culprits. Also, medium grade media will clog anything and in addition, sand sucks! Tractor Supply Co. sells Black Diamond coal slag for $7.99 a bag. Twice as much as sand but much sharper, more durable and won't cause silicosis (still have to wear a respirator, though). Go with their fine/extra fine media. I think it's 80 grit. Here's a nozzle size to air cfm chart...…... https://texasblaster.com/resources/compressor-nozzle-match-basic/ If you insist on using the above units, here's a write-up I did on modifying a similar HF pressure blaster. After the mods it worked way better than the factory unit however, in the long run I sold it and bought a real blaster...….. Modded HF pressure blaster I'm pretty happy with the Texas Blaster however, with the bare minimum compressor that I quoted above, I was forced to go with the smallest 3/32" nozzle. Took me about 2 hours to blast my frame but it came out good and would have taken me a week with the modded HF unit! Blasted all my body panels too. No warpage!
5.7 CFM @ 90 is what the specs say for this model. I only hope to blast for a few min, then take a break and let it catch up. But only get a quick blast for a second, then clogged. I did not filter the sand, and it is possible there is moisture in the blaster. I bought it used from a second hand store, who bought it from a estate sale. No history on how long it sat, the sand came from inside the store? I thank you both for your replies, first indication is it is not really the size of the sand and tip that is the issue. I think maybe my time would be better spent, spread the sand out and dry it, open top and bottom of tank and dry/clean it also? I have to drain air from blaster to remove the tip, with tip removed and air turned on, sand comes out the hose all day long. Just not going through the tip when installed. With no past experience, ??? I cant say it use to do this or that, so far not done anything. I appreciate your thoughts.
Thank you, very good info .... Shows you what a noob I am ... yes I do have coal slag from tractor supply. I have used acid on most of the body already, some areas and smaller pieces the nooks and crannies where blasting will finish it off. I want to blast small areas, the front axle and backing plates etc ... I know it will be slow. Thanks for the time you spent to write the articles, and the links to them.
I run all the sand through a window screen before it goes in the blaster tank, which catches all the stuff that's bigger than the hole in the nozzle. I agree, clean out the blaster, then fill it with clean dry sand, and have at it.
Getting progress. I built a frame to sit over a 5 gallon bucket, and using window screen can sift the blast medium into the bucket before adding it to the sand pot ... that works and pretty simple. I removed/sifted a lot of material from the medium blast material, That really was not my problem. Real issue is me opening the valve to control the sand, on the bottom of the tank wide open. The hose just clogs up and does not allow air past the sand. Clear the hose, then slowly open the valve. About 1/2 way or less is fine to get some work done. "Do not allow more sand into the hose, then you can remove from the end" Very basic 101 sandblasting. Now am playing with tip sizes, using a #2 now, think I may go to a #3. Thanks to all that replied.
You got to have a big ass compressor to be damaging sheet metal and big pressure. Damage likely when farmed our to industrial sandblasting company My RK is 18cfm @90 and never runs out of air. I never damaged pan and using a HF pressure pot
Before I upgraded compressors and added a device to get rid of the moisture in the system I'd get a moisture clog right in the orifice, if you live in a high humidity area and don't have a water separator that may be part of your problem. Lots of different ways to get the water out of the line depending on the size of your pocket book or ingenuity. Go over to Garage Journal for all kinds of info. https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=237844&highlight=water+separator
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