tried my hand at sandblasting today - what a mess

[Tripwire]

Bought one of these from HF, https://www.harborfreight.com/1-lite...gun-92857.html

my blasting needs are very merger and far between and only small items. I just dont have room for a cabinet, It did a so so job, My compressor only puts out 8 CFM which doesn't help of course i think i have to tweak the air pressure and nozzle settings some more

any advise?

steve

[SJTD]

I've got something like this: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pr...t-blasting-kit

Works pretty good if the area isn't too big.

It came with just the front part to fit on the nozzle of something like this: https://www.harborfreight.com/21-oz-...q=spot+blaster

I rigged it up with a bucket and hose to feed it since it stopped working if you got out of position like on the cowl of my CJ. Maybe some day I'll rig up another bucket with a filter on top to collect the um.... exhaust? Right now I have to keep emptying the catch bag.

[SJTD]

Way back when I used an old canvas tent for a booth.

When the roof rusted on my cleaned, unpainted roof because a plastic tarp leaked I taped a cardboard box over the roof and did it blind.

I think there was even some electrolysis going on with the metallic surface of the tarp and the steel. The rust was really bad.

[rang-a-stang]

I have blasted using the gravity feed gun, I have used a Harbor Freight cabinet, a blasting tank, and I have used a super nice huge Snap-on blast cabinet. I am not an expert at all, but some lessons I learned:
1) Sand actually kinda sucks for media. it's cheap but it makes gnarly dust and has to be COMPLETELY dry. If it has even a teeny tiny, itty bitty bit of moisture, it clumps. When I used sand in my cabinet, I would blast for about 30 seconds, then had to stop to clear the dust out of the cabinet, then repeat.
2) I use coarse walnut shells on my mazda engine when I clean my valves. They work really nice for cleaning carbon/residue off parts and are still pretty cheap. It might work on paint, but I would probably not use it for removing a decently adhered paint job.
3) Glass bead is great when you have a booth.
4) Aluminum oxide is pretty awesome to blast with but it's a bit more money. If you are only doing small jobs here and there, it would probably be worth picking some up.
5) I have used Soda before and it is as soft and gentle as they say but it's light trying to remove thick paint with 220 grit. It'll do the job but takes forever.
6) When doing small parts, I just put on a leather glove, and throw a sheet over my garbage can. We have the plastic garbage bins and when you open it, prop the lid with your head, and a sheet draped over the whole thing, you get decent light, and 80% of the mess is contained in the trash. Then hose off the rest of the mess.
7) DO NOT think you can just do it on the driveway and blow the mess away. it goes EEEVVVVEEERRRYYYWHHHEEREEE!
8) no matter how much time you take making a blasting area that contains the mess, you WILL NOT contain the mess. You can make clean up faster by making a good containment area but there will be a mess. When I blasted the engine bay of my Falcon I spent HOURS setting up a booth. I have, probably close to $50 in tape, tarps, and air filters. I thought I sealed every knoock and cranny, yet I am STILL finding dust in my garage 10 years later.
9) A Decent hood is worth the money. If you just wear googles, your lips and nostrils will hate you. If you wear googles and a respirator, your cheeks and neck will hate you. If you do not cover your hair, it will be gritty for days. I would plan to order a $30 hood.
10) my compressor is smaller than yours. I think I get about 6CFM at 90 PSI in a 27 gallon tank at 155psi storage. When I blast with my gravity gun and walnut shells, I take it down to about 70psi working, and I can blast for about 10 minutes before I have to take a break and let my compressor catch up. 10 minutes is PLENTY for most small jobs. A 15" steel wheel with my setup would probably take about 15 minutes a side, with aluminum oxide.

[Tripwire]

thanks Rang