The Cost of "DIY" Media Blasting..., or Should I buy the equipment for only one car project... Options

[73Phoenix20]

I know some of you folks will have some advise for me on this subject...

I need answers to several questions regarding media blasting...

1. Is the 'Pressure Pot" Blast System significantly superior to the gravity fed system?
I can get either one at Harbor Freight (and prolly other places) for about $50.00 difference, which is trivial, IF the Pressure Pot system really works better...

2. I can get Aluminum Oxide media for $40 per 25lb box... how much surface area will this cover, assuming I am removing the factory paint down to bare sheetmetal? 5 square feet? 10 square feet? More? For an easy example, will 25 lbs strip the hood of a 914? Or maybe the hood and trunk (top surface only)?

3. I can get crushed walnut shells for about $20.00 per box, but i assume they are much less effective? How much less? Will it take twice as much in walnut shells vs. aluminum oxide?

4. Luckily, I only need to strip the exterior, as the interior is in fantastic shape, and I am repainting to original color. What is the best material to use to mask areas that I don't want to get "accidentally" blasted? Heavy duct tape? Multiple layers of heavy plastic sheeting?

5. Will Aluminum Oxide risk warping of the sheet metal due to heating? I understand walnut shells won't warp panels? True or not? If they are only marginally less effective, and half the price, I guess I will go with the walnut shells?

Prolly more, but that is all I can think of right now! Thanks folks!

[Jeff Hail]

Easy home blasting method:
If you have one of those 10x10 pop up canopy's or bigger. Set it up and get a long polyethlene tarp ( you know the blue ones at Home Depot ) and drape it around the canopy frame at the roof area like a dress and around the car perimeter to the ground. Blast away! I always like to have one side open for fresh air.

I use a shop vac to recycle the media. Filter all the blast junk out of the media through a fine screened cooking strainer as you dump the spent media back into the hopper.

A good media to use is DuPont Starblast. Fine (sieve) is available I think up to 180 grit. Starblast is processed to not have sharp edges and leaves an ideal priming surface.

Always use a media with no or low silica. It will shorten your life if you do not wear the proper respirator which should be a supplied air at least Type D supplied air. Always wear a hood with a lens. Trust me getting hit with 500 mph media hurts.