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Sandblasting Questions, Comments.

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by tlmartin84, Oct 22, 2011.

  1. tlmartin84
    Joined: Jul 28, 2011
    Posts: 1,030

    tlmartin84
    Member
    from WV

    • No. 1, I now have the utmost respect for anyone sandblasting for a living. What a dirty annoying thing to have to do! Should be on dirty jobs with mike rowe.
    • I tried black diamond media 20-40grade and it was to coarse, plugged up my gun. So then I tried the other grade Tractor supply had it was marked 30/60 AND 40/80 (both were checked on the bag????) It was pretty fine but flowed through my nozzle and tank well. IS THERE ANY GRADE IN BETWEEN BY BLACK DIAMOND???
    • I actually started blending the 2 grades but it still stopped up quite a bit, but it stripped really really well.
    • I went through 8 bags(400lbs) on an area probably 5'x6' (30sf) and that was me recycling what I could gather on a tarp all damn day long! IS THAT A NORMAL QUANTITY TO USE, IT SURE SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF MEDIA???
     
  2. scottlep
    Joined: Sep 1, 2010
    Posts: 109

    scottlep
    Member

    Maybe try mixing the two grades together?
     
  3. scottlep
    Joined: Sep 1, 2010
    Posts: 109

    scottlep
    Member

    Duh. Didn't see that you already tried that.
     
  4. F&J
    Joined: Apr 5, 2007
    Posts: 13,222

    F&J
    Member

    That's nuts ! I can do that with maybe 80 lbs of fine sand, a bit more if it's pitted rust.

    When you blast, you need to lean out as much as you can without it wasting time. If you go too rich on sand, it goes faster, but the amount used is multiplied dramatically.
     

  5. Leonard Thomas
    Joined: Oct 7, 2011
    Posts: 9

    Leonard Thomas
    Member

    what are you sand blasting? 1 you will warp the metal because it be comes very hot , if you blast at nite looks like you are using a 80 grit grinder if you are blasting a frame its ok but if I were you I would have it Soda Blasted no warp no pitting and if you don't want to take off chrome or take out your widow's just fine,and also what size compressor are you using for a full size car you should use 4-5 bags at the most,if you try and use black Diamond and sand you should be using a # 6 nozzle with about 134-180 psi. Oh yes and if you Soda Blast you don't have to be in a hurry to primer to primer for it will not rust. LTs Soda Blasting
     
  6. damagedduck
    Joined: Jun 16, 2011
    Posts: 2,341

    damagedduck
    Member
    from Greeley Co

    ^^^^^YEP^^^^^^
    i blasted for years,either the flow is too fat or the media is moist,is it humid there? what style/lbs of pot are ya using?
     
  7. metal man
    Joined: Dec 4, 2005
    Posts: 2,955

    metal man
    Member

    Yep, your flow is definately too fat as stated above.I go to Carter Lumber and buy Quikrete medium sand in 100lb bags ( app. $6 per bag).It works very well for rusty steel and iron,no clogs ever.
    I am careful about keeping my sand dry,and run about 120psi. 100 lbs of sand goes a long way.
     
  8. metal man
    Joined: Dec 4, 2005
    Posts: 2,955

    metal man
    Member

    Maybe a stupid question,but you ARE using a pressure blasting unit,right? Not a siphon blaster? Siphon blasting is only good for very small jobs and uses a lot more media.
     
  9. 71buickfreak
    Joined: Sep 26, 2006
    Posts: 609

    71buickfreak
    Member
    from Oklahoma

    I run a media blasting business in Oklahoma. I can tell you anything you want to know about blasting.
    Here are the basic questions-

    What are you using to blast with? Small hobby pot or a rented pro-grade pot?

    What kind of compressor are you using? CFM is the key here.

    The biggest factor is cool, dry air. If you are using an oilless hobby compressor, it will never be efficient. If you are using a larger 2-stage shop compressor and a small hobby pot, it will take you forever and a day to do it and you will lose a ton of media.

    The media you are using is substandard. You shouldn't use sand or metal slag (black beauty, etc) on a car. It is too rough to get into rust pits and will tear stuff up. It requires more pressure than you should put on a car.

    I use #4 or #5 Crushed glass on car bodies. #5 is really fine and leaves a 120-grit profile on the metal, perfect for primer and body work. I can blast is with less than 60 psi, which limits the warping. I blast long, flat hoods with 0 warpage, its perfect. The trick is that you have to find a supplier for the crushed glass. I will 600-800 pounds of glass on a mid-size car body, and it takes about a day to 1.5 days to complete an entire car- inside, outside and engine bay.
     
  10. BOWTIE BROWN
    Joined: Mar 30, 2010
    Posts: 3,252

    BOWTIE BROWN
    Member

    #2 fine white sand here , flows good & does the job quite well. Lumber yard .... $8.00 for 80 lbs.
    "AND THE BOWTIE ROLLS ON"
    behind the shop looks like SOUTH PADRE ISLAND
     
  11. 71buickfreak
    Joined: Sep 26, 2006
    Posts: 609

    71buickfreak
    Member
    from Oklahoma

    Soda blasting is great if you don't have rust, but if there is rust, it does nothing. I mostly use soda for fire remediation work, I rarely use it on a car. It has to be neutralized before painting, otherwise will cause all kinds of problems. Sand should NEVER be used on car EVER. Worst possible option.
     
  12. 71buickfreak
    Joined: Sep 26, 2006
    Posts: 609

    71buickfreak
    Member
    from Oklahoma

    A lot of people like to talk about the white sand. It will work in a pinch, but BE CAREFUL! All sand releases free silica, which can make you very sick. You should never blast with sand with anything less than a full suit with a fresh-air system. Crushed glass and soda can be used with just a respirator.
     
  13. F&J
    Joined: Apr 5, 2007
    Posts: 13,222

    F&J
    Member


    I always use sand.
     
  14. metal man
    Joined: Dec 4, 2005
    Posts: 2,955

    metal man
    Member

    Me too. Always careful about heat and warpage,and the results are very good.Technique goes a long way.I've done several bodies and a bunch of other stuff and no damage yet after 25 years of building hot rods.
    I think the advice above is good,but call bullshit on the no sand ever theory.And DEFINATELY always wear a respirator.
     
  15. treb11
    Joined: Jan 21, 2006
    Posts: 3,948

    treb11
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

  16. metal man
    Joined: Dec 4, 2005
    Posts: 2,955

    metal man
    Member

    Of course if I were to do a lot of it like buickfreak, I would certainly invest in a fresh air breathing system. Silica is very harmful to health, but we're getting off track a bit here.
     
  17. tlmartin84
    Joined: Jul 28, 2011
    Posts: 1,030

    tlmartin84
    Member
    from WV

    This is 10ga steel, no warping worries.

    It is extremely humid.......I had 2 water filters one at tank and one at pot and was still getting moisture through the gun now and then.

    I have tried POOL FILTER SAND and it works good, but I'm not a fan of silca......too many uncles and grandparents with lung problems and on oxy tanks.

    I just have a 20lb pressure pot, run of the mill from Tractor supply, and I am running a Kobalt 60 gallon compressor (not big enough but its is holding at 60 psi while blasting wide open) 11.5 SCFM @ 90 PSI , 3.7 running HP. I'm using a 3/32 tip.

    As far as flash rust, what do you all reccommend for removing it.

    I think humidity here was around 75-80% today.
     
    Last edited: Oct 22, 2011
  18. tlmartin84
    Joined: Jul 28, 2011
    Posts: 1,030

    tlmartin84
    Member
    from WV

    I wish I was CLOSE to something. No-one around here within 100 miles or farther does good blasting or dipping. Everyone close that blast does it for machinery and
    I'm afraid to turn them loose on stuff that has to look good...... for what I have invested in a blaster I couldve damn near had my cab dipped!
     
  19. 71buickfreak
    Joined: Sep 26, 2006
    Posts: 609

    71buickfreak
    Member
    from Oklahoma

    You have two problems- not enough CFM to be efficient and no cooler. You could run 20 water traps and still get moisture into the tank because the air in the line is hot. You really need a cooler. There is not much you can do about it at this point, the higher the humidty, the worse it is. The one option you have is to drain the tank, let it dry, then fire it up and leave the drain just slightly open. This will help, but it won't fix the problem all together. When you run a lot of air, it gets hot and carries moisture.

    For this job, you are just going to have to struggle through it. I use a water cooler. it is a long tube with several tubes inside it, one for air, the others run water the opposite direction of the air, it works quite well, but they are expensive.

    As for sand, yeah, it has been used for a hundred years, that doesn't mean it should be. There are much more efficient and effective media available that don't destroy the metal. Technique is always important, but you can't overcome things like the heavy profile caused by sandblasting. Glass is MUCH better. Try it next time, you will love it.
     
  20. 71buickfreak
    Joined: Sep 26, 2006
    Posts: 609

    71buickfreak
    Member
    from Oklahoma

    How far are you from this Oakhill?<TABLE style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: #b2b2b2 1pt solid; WIDTH: 100%; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: #b2b2b2 1pt solid; mso-cellspacing: 0in; mso-border-left-alt: solid #B2B2B2 .75pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid #B2B2B2 .75pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in" class=MsoNormalTable border=1 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR style="HEIGHT: 18.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes"><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #e6e6e8 1pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: #b2b2b2; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BACKGROUND: white; HEIGHT: 18.75pt; BORDER-TOP: #f0f0f0; BORDER-RIGHT: #e6e6e8 1pt solid; PADDING-TOP: 0in; mso-border-right-alt: solid #E6E6E8 .75pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #E6E6E8 .75pt">Blasting Zone<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:eek:ffice:eek:ffice" /><o:p></o:p>
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    </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=gridMain border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=gridRow><TD align=left>[email protected]</TD><TD align=left> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
    <TABLE class=gridMain border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=gridRow><TD align=left>[email protected]</TD><TD align=left> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
    <TABLE class=gridMain border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=gridRow><TD align=left>Blasting Zone</TD><TD align=left>Steve Louisos</TD><TD align=left>304-663-2277</TD><TD align=left>Oakhill,</TD><TD align=left>West Virginia</TD><TD align=left>[email protected]</TD><TD align=left> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
    <TABLE class=gridMain border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=gridRow><TD align=left>Blasting Zone</TD><TD align=left>Steve Louisos</TD><TD align=left>304-663-2277</TD><TD align=left>Oakhill,</TD><TD align=left>West Virginia</TD><TD align=left>[email protected]</TD><TD align=left> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=gridMain border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=gridRow><TD align=left>Blasting Zone</TD><TD align=left>Steve Louisos</TD><TD align=left>304-663-2277</TD><TD align=left>Oakhill,</TD><TD align=left>West Virginia</TD><TD align=left>[email protected]</TD><TD align=left> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
    <TABLE class=gridMain border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=gridRow><TD align=left>Blasting Zone</TD><TD align=left>Steve Louisos</TD><TD align=left>304-663-2277</TD><TD align=left>Oakhill,</TD><TD align=left>West Virginia</TD><TD align=left>[email protected]</TD><TD align=left> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
     
  21. 71buickfreak
    Joined: Sep 26, 2006
    Posts: 609

    71buickfreak
    Member
    from Oklahoma

    Sorry for the multiples, I couldn't see it!
     
  22. 71buickfreak
    Joined: Sep 26, 2006
    Posts: 609

    71buickfreak
    Member
    from Oklahoma

  23. greaser
    Joined: Apr 30, 2006
    Posts: 866

    greaser
    Member

    Please excuse my ignorance, but isn't glass made from sand?
     
  24. 71buickfreak
    Joined: Sep 26, 2006
    Posts: 609

    71buickfreak
    Member
    from Oklahoma

    Yes, but the process of turning sand to glass eliminates the free silica.
     
  25. budd
    Joined: Oct 31, 2006
    Posts: 3,478

    budd
    Member

    heres a few things i do when blasting, i start with the media off, i turn the air on and then start opening the media valve just till it starts blasting well, never all the way, when i go to shut down i turn the media off first and then the air, this way the hose doesnt fill up with media and all come out in a big blob doing nothing when i start up again, i have become good at turning the media valve on and off with my toe, i want to change my pot so i can turn the media on and off from the top, would make things alot easier, the thing is you want the media to be moving at the fastest speed you can, if you have to much media coming out of the hose the speed slows down and you will not get the most out of your machine, i bought a $10,000 blast booth for a company i worked for and it had a really fine adjustment for media flow, i also worked for another company where i blasted highway rig trailer frames, that machine would cut a 2"X4" in seconds, media speed is everything.
     
  26. shadetree57
    Joined: Jul 12, 2011
    Posts: 15

    shadetree57
    Member

    ...between the post "budd" sent and this site your problem should be resolved. www.texasblaster.com Read the 'Blaster 101 tips';)
     

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