Well, I have a pressurized Harbor Freight Sandblaster....
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Disp...temnumber=40925

I started blasting in the engine compartment with the Aluminum Oxide media from Harbor Freight, but it's $30 for 70lbs.
It seems to work well. What sources have you guys found for cheap media? Can I just go get sand from the concrete company? What do I need to do to reuse my media? Is there some filter I need or can I just get a screen?

Any other comments would be appreciated!

-Matt

don't ever even think about running your engine without an aircleaner...the media will be finding it's way out for years to come...BTDT.....

you should be able to screen it for large stuff...washing it would be better to cut down on the dust....

Cheapest is silica sand from Ace Hardware, Home Depot, etc. Somewhere around $6 or so for a bag (80 lbs?). Regardless of the media you'll have it everywhere. I suppose you could drive the car over a large tarp and tape it up on the sides and collect most of it. It'll still be a mess. You can run the used sand through a screen to catch the big chunks.

I have always had good enough results with the silica sand $10 here for 30 kilos. I just scoop out the big chunks to try and re-use it, but the price means that I don't worry too much about it.

You will get sand into every crook and nanny and will be finding it for years to come, but some serious time spent with a shop-vac will help after you're done.

Hey, I'm a poet and don't know it.

Wear a respirator! Silicosis is not a happy disease!

Good point. Full respirator with a face mask. One tiny grain of sand in your eye can hurt like hell, do a lot of sandblasting of the surface of your eye, and make your wife think you are winking at the drive through girl at Wendy's.

I've used (and still use) playsand from the local lumber yard. I vac it up in the shop-vac, sift it through a used window screen into a 5-gal bucket and re-use it. Of course, it never works as well the 2nd time through as it did the first time. Open the bag a few days in advance and keep it in a dry place and it will work much better.

And as others have mentioned 1) it does indeed get everywhere and doesn't come out until the car is finished. 2) wear a respirator, and not one of those silly masks either.

Take care
Rick

I sandblasted my frame 15 years ago.

After blasting I'd vacuum and with a high pressure air gun blow out every nook and cranny.

After the whole frame was finsihed I sprayed it liberally with epoxy self-etching primer.

To this day I still keep finding sand creeping out onto the floor board or under the car.

QUOTE (root @ Feb 22 2005, 11:55 AM)

To this day I still keep finding sand creeping out onto the floor board or under the car.

where's brad when you need him. he took a pic of the sandpile we found in my center tunnel last week.

the car had been sandblasted 2 years ago. i vacuum it every 2 weeks or so and i still get enough sand to host a beach party ...

Andy

Andy, think of it this way. Your car just keeps getting lighter and lighter.

QUOTE (bondo @ Feb 22 2005, 11:34 AM)

Wear a respirator! Silicosis is not a happy disease!

the bags I got before read something like #3 silica sand. I got it at the local lumber yard in big bags, cheap. I used a screen to filter it after sweeping up the floor, worked great. one day I did not use a face mask though and let me tell you I thought my respiratory system was shot for good.

if your blast tip can handle it use ground walnut shells. a masonry supply company might be able to help you. use wide, easy release masking tape(the blue kind) and tape over the door and window gaps, around the top, spray can tops on heat inlet tubes. stick a shop vac hose down them before you turn on the heat for the first time. basicly any hole the media can get through to the interior.

k