best media blaster

[rich67]

posted this question in paint and body. no response as of yet. would like opinions and experiences on which is the best media blaster setup for $400-$500. brands, type, pressure or gravity, best media for frames and body, what about soda? also best pressure washer for same kind of money or LESS. im ok with less. any input appreciated. thanx rich

[DeputyDan]

I know some body guys that say never use soda. They told me it's almost impossible to get it all out of the nooks and crannys. They said they have blasted with soda cleaned like crazy only to have soda running out of cracks while painting. I'm not a body guy so I really don't know first hand, just what I've been told.

[ChevLoRay]

Sand is cheapest. Soda will take the paint off but leave rubber and glass unaffected. Walnut hulls are another that will remove the paint but not affect glass or rubber. We used some stuff called Black Diamond where I worked for 27 years. We had some serious stuff that sand wouldn't touch. We also had some of our own product (crushed tabular alumina) that we used if it was rejected for customer use and couldn't be reworked into a good product; otherwise, it was too expensive. But it was close to a diamond in hardness, so you know it would do some damage.

Sand generates heat and can cause metal to become brittle, as would other media besides glass beads, walnut hulls or soda.

Check out www.eastwood.com and look at what they have.

[rich67]

Originally Posted by ChevLoRay

Sand is cheapest. Soda will take the paint off but leave rubber and glass unaffected. Walnut hulls are another that will remove the paint but not affect glass or rubber. We used some stuff called Black Diamond where I worked for 27 years. We had some serious stuff that sand wouldn't touch. We also had some of our own product (crushed tabular alumina) that we used if it was rejected for customer use and couldn't be reworked into a good product; otherwise, it was too expensive. But it was close to a diamond in hardness, so you know it would do some damage.

Sand generates heat and can cause metal to become brittle, as would other media besides glass beads, walnut hulls or soda.

Check out www.eastwood.com and look at what they have.

i was looking at an eastwood model. kinda low end around $300. was a dual. gravity or pressure. bout 10 gallon tank i think. seemed ok just wanted to hear from some users.
where can you get walnut hulls. i had heard of that some. we also have black beauty at work. good stuff i think. think it would work well on frames. not sure about cost efficiency if you have no capture.

[rich67]

Originally Posted by DDixon1000

I know some body guys that say never use soda. They told me it's almost impossible to get it all out of the nooks and crannys. They said they have blasted with soda cleaned like crazy only to have soda running out of cracks while painting. I'm not a body guy so I really don't know first hand, just what I've been told.

what if you soda blasted all of panels except edges where metal is sometimes a little thicker, and sand blast edges second, taking out soda and all from crevices. maybe pipe dream.

[MrDude_1]

Originally Posted by rich67

posted this question in paint and body. no response as of yet. would like opinions and experiences on which is the best media blaster setup for $400-$500. brands, type, pressure or gravity, best media for frames and body, what about soda? also best pressure washer for same kind of money or LESS. im ok with less. any input appreciated. thanx rich

home media blasters are really one of the very few tools where the most expensive ones arnt any better then the cheap harbor freight junk.

for big jobs like frames and bodywork, you want a pressurized pot blaster... you can see some cheap HF ones here...

keep in mind, the larger the nozzle you choose, the more air you need, but the larger area you can do at one time... get spare nozzles as they are a consumable item.. doing a truck, you'll probably use 2 or 3.

the most important part of the blaster is the compressor.. you need enough air to keep going. if you use an undersized compressor, it will run pretty much non-stop and burn up.. alot of guys rent the big diesel trailer ones for a weekend and blast everything at once.

as far as media goes, crushed walnut shells is my #1 choice for body.. glass is for chassis... and in some cases glass can be used for the body as well.. be sure to wear breathing protection.. breathing in silica dust WILL permanently damage your lungs. soda works great for bodies, but you cant wash it all out.. ive never used plastic media, but ive heard mixed reviews... nice thing about walnut shells is it doesnt warp thin sheetmetal, but it gets it clean... and if you dont get it all off of hidden areas, it doesnt mess with the paint/metal later.

[MrDude_1]

Originally Posted by rich67

what if you soda blasted all of panels except edges where metal is sometimes a little thicker, and sand blast edges second, taking out soda and all from crevices. maybe pipe dream.

you're underestimating the dusting effect.... when the media hits the metal, it shatters apart, creating a nice fine dust in the air that goes EVERYWHERE and into EVERYTHING.
do this outside... away from anything important if you can.

wear atleast a dust mask. you'll want coveralls, good thick leather gloves (think welding gloves) and a hood if you can afford it... if you cant get a hood, atleast get a face shield AND wear goggles that seal well.

[rich67]

sounds like i need to go to harbor freight. was planning on hood, masks, leather gloves. coveralls is good idea. how much media to blast a frame roughly if blasted with water first to get grease off? just tryin to get an idea how much to start with. lookin for compressor currently that will pump 175. not sure about cfms. how much air needed with large nozzle? enough ?s for now. thanx everybody for your input.

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by rich67

sounds like i need to go to harbor freight. was planning on hood, masks, leather gloves. coveralls is good idea......

Don't forget ear plugs as well. That stuff get everywhere including in your ears.

[MrDude_1]

Originally Posted by rich67

sounds like i need to go to harbor freight. was planning on hood, masks, leather gloves. coveralls is good idea. how much media to blast a frame roughly if blasted with water first to get grease off? just tryin to get an idea how much to start with. lookin for compressor currently that will pump 175. not sure about cfms. how much air needed with large nozzle? enough ?s for now. thanx everybody for your input.

you want ALL the grease off before you blast it.
a hot water pressure blaster works well... but degreaser, a brush, a carwash and pocket of quarters also works.

pump 175 what?
alot of air is needed for large blasting... unless you're buying a full-on huge shop compressor, your better bet is to rent a diesel one for blasting the truck.