I want to sand blast some stuff

[Kevin armstrong]

Looking to buy a sand blaster to blast a frame and some axles ect. Can anybody steer me in the right direction? I have a 5.5 h.p. sears upright that I use for most stuff, but I also have a large verticle 2 stage 220 volt monster that came out of the local muffler shop when the new owner upgraded all the equipment. Although I dont really have a lot of money to spend currently, I would like to get something that would do whatever I wanted somewhat efficiently. Any advise? Thanks! Heck maybe I could blast other peoples stuff for a little profit. Economy is really at a standstill around here and with fuel prices on the rise, my hvac business is not likely to rebound soon.

[Tigger4X]

HF has a unit that'll get the job done for you no doubt. The upright might do they trick depending on how long you'll be blasting for, but the 220 unit would have a longer duty cycle. You'd probably need to refill your blaster's hopper before that compressor needs to take a rest.

My suggestion to you is to fab up a makeshift booth to contain the flying media from getting everywhere and into everything. I used plastic sheeting and a 2x2" rectangular frame suspended from my garage rafters and let the plastic hang down to the floor with some bricks holding them down real good. A fully enclosed mask or goggles and respirator to keep the flying fun out of your eyes, nose, and mouth is a must; a "hood" over your head will keep most of it out of your hair and ears. I went with the goggles and respirator with the hood over them and taped over the neck on mechanics overalls with the pockets taped up too to keep it out of unmentionable and uncomfortable places. I used the hospital type thick gloves from HF to keep my hands clean and the stuff from getting up my sleeves. It also made it easy to get them on and off as needed without having to tape them to my sleeves. Depending on the media you use you can sweep it up and "screen" out the junk and re-use the media. When the media is tired you'll know.

[Kevin armstrong]

Thanks Tigger4x, I was planning on doing it outside because i live on a ranch and have no one to piss off nearby. Where do I get the blasting material? I dont plan on hitting any sheetmetal, being that I hear it will warp it in a hurry so probably a coarser material is what I would want I guess? Would the sand a Home Depot work?

[Tigger4X]

Outside works good to I'd still use a "booth" to keep the junk out of the blast media or at least keep it contained so you can easily scoop it up to screen for re-use. Do you have a HF nearby? They sell good size bags of different types of media there. IIRC they have sand, walnut, soda, and something else. They might not have them all on hand in type or bulk size but you should be able to find out online or call them up to see. I dont know if HD's sand would work or not. If you can get a grit size it'd give you something to compare to what HF has. I do believe that HD sells construction grade and play sand so be sure you know which one is which. Too course and you could end up shooting through thinner stuff and it is possible to warp those spots that dont look it. But I'd imagine the course grit would give you some pretty good adhesion for paint.

[Kevin armstrong]

Again, thanks for the info. There is a few Harbor Freights around here. I will check them out. One more question, how many gallon hopper does yours have? There is a tool shop on C.L. that has a 20 gallon on sale fo $179. Another question, how much (approximately) meida to blast a jeep frame? Thanks, Kevin

[Suddendeath]

Again, thanks for the info. There is a few Harbor Freights around here. I will check them out. One more question, how many gallon hopper does yours have? There is a tool shop on C.L. that has a 20 gallon on sale fo $179. Another question, how much (approximately) meida to blast a jeep frame? Thanks, Kevin

I use the cheap Harbor Freight "Spot Blaster" for my sandblasting. Works decent enough with Aluminum Oxide media. Cleaned up axles and all sorts of stuff with it.

http://www.harborfreight.com/portable-abrasive-blaster-kit-37025.html

Edit:

I also use a little Harbor Freight 10 gallon 2.5 HP compressor when using this tool. I've cleaned axles caked with 20 years of crap down to bare metal using this setup, never once complained. And the good thing about the aluminum oxide is you can re-use it if you spray in an enclosed area.

[JAWs7227]

I wouldn't mess with the Sears compressor, I have a 5.5 hp Craftsman upright(same as sears I'm sure), it'll strip paint and surface rust fine, but thicker stuff, like scaled, pitted rust and frame undercoating are beyond its means, use the 220v, you'll be glad you did.

[Rich88]

I wouldn't mess with the Sears compressor, I have a 5.5 hp Craftsman upright(same as sears I'm sure), it'll strip paint and surface rust fine, but thicker stuff, like scaled, pitted rust and frame undercoating are beyond its means, use the 220v, you'll be glad you did.

X2. And when blasting large objects its best to set up a frame with clear plastic to capture the blast medium for re-use. When the hopper is empty just use a previously cleaned-out shop vac to suck it up and pour back in for continued use.

[KaiserMan]

Look for one of these used. Lindsey 200lb blaster.




They are great blasters for home use, and can easily hold up to light industrial work. I run one and love it.

Also, run the 220 compressor.

[Kevin armstrong]

Ok Kaiserman, that looks like what I am looking for. Now what is it? Cant read the brand name. How many gallons is that thing? I have one of those carport frames that would work real good for making a booth on the asphalt in front of my shop to capture the media. I like buying used stuff, its good for the planet and the wallet.

[Kevin armstrong]

Never mind I kinda gravitate towards the pics.

[KaiserMan]

Lindsey 200lb blaster.

Should be able to get them for $200 or less depending on condition. Pretty sure they are still made so parts are available.