Picked up a Sand Blaster

[JimmyFloyd]

Well, I know I need to start getting the rust off my frame and underbody, so I decided I needed a sand blaster. I couldn't find anything locally though. So I decided to check out the CL by my buddies place that I went this past weekend, and I ended up finding one not far from him. It's a 110lbs capacity harbor Freight one and came with 7 tips, shield, funnel, and remaining aluminum oxide blasting media the guy had. Price was about half what it would have been new.



So now I have it home, and need to figure out how to proceed with it. I am thinking that I will need to make a blasting cabinet, probably out of wood, and also have to figure out how to make a plastic "booth" to do the frame in since I live in the city and the neighbors might not like me doing it outside.

Any ideas on doing either of those?

[Indian113]

Don't forget to keep your medium as dry as possible! I would put a drier on my compressor and a nother one by my nozzle.

[cdowns]

it's a great tool to have . just make sure you protect yourself really really well. a good quality respirator and protective hood is a MUST HAVE also any exposed skin that you have will get blasted off your bod in very short order so full coverage clothing is advisable
as far as media DRY DRY DRY is the rule

[JimmyFloyd]

Any recommendations of the respirator and hood? I just picked up 50 lbs of glass bead, 24 grit I believe, so I can get started soon.

[msgross]

If you are doing your frame I suggest Black Beauty coal slag, it's cheap and won't kill you as fast as silicosis (from sand). you are going to need a few hundred pounds for your frame... I suggest having it done at an industrial trailer painting type busniess. Might cost $200 but it's well worth the time, hassle and MESS!!!!

[JimmyFloyd]

yeah, I am considering taking the frame there, but I also need something to do the body with, which had surface rust. The frame will probably end up just getting wire wheeled to be honest.

What is Aluminum Oxide best for?

[msgross]

I had my cab, axles, springs, rad support, tailgate, grille (68), hitch all blasted at the same place after my frame experience...

best for soft body panels is garnet or walnut shells I think, i'd go to a pro for those though... some of them still warp things though.

sdaily had is hood blasted and they ruined it.

[JimmyFloyd]

I would be doing just the underside of the floor for the most part, since the rest doesn't have much rust at all on it, so I could handle some minor stuff. plus i think it is heavier metal than the sides.

I priced getting the body blaster and epoxy primes locally and it came to $1300 to do it. Not in my budget for this truck.

[cdowns]

i've blasted with sand going on 50years and never had a health related problem just used alot of common sence while doing it

if you properly set up barriers and tarps to contain and recycle the sand you're useing you can get 5-6cycles out of it as long as you screen it b4 putting back in the blaster you should b anle to do a frame with 100lbs or less (about$10) for the frame as much pressure as you can feed it// for the sheet metal low pressure i always was at 40-50lbs pressure and always a glancing blasting angle never straight on for sheetmetal

[charger]

I blasted my frame with the same type of sandblaster, i used sand and a air supplied respirator. It took me about two days, but the sand has to be dry.