My mechanic is lending me a Harborbor freght sand blaster tomorrow to do some steel chairs, my future mom in law has the big compressor to run it. tell me everything you know, medium, pressure, space required.
and maybe I'll get the hell hole cleaned up, too. please???
I'm starting in the AM

I'l send pic's, I promise!!

I assume you have a place outdoors where you don't mind sand all over the place. Get a very large tarp or heavy plastic to try to capture and recycle the sand. I use an old pool cover. Get clean dry silica sand. Make sure there's a water trap on the end of the air hose. Have the compressor far enough away from where you're blasting. There are four different size nozzles for it (if it's the pressurized tank blaster), you'll probably need to use the .1" or .125" ID nozzles for a 2-4 HP compressor and up to 50' of 3/8" hose. Wear a dust mask or respirator under the hood and heavy leather gloves, and earplugs if you have them. I would never sand blast inside an engine compartment with the engine in there.

Hey Man
You might have to keep unjamming the feed hose. When its humid the sand likes to clump. dry silica is my choice as well, good all around sand

Later

Sandblasting is incredibly effective. Keep in mind, it is VERY messy. You will be pulling sand out of places that didn't know sand could fit. Also, do it in an area that is away from anything that you care about. I did mine on out back on the slab of cement we use for shootin' hoops. Somehow sand still found its way everywhere.

Blast away!!!!(did I mention that it is messy?)

Are you going to sand blast in your two feet of snow!!

Do it outside and wear a mask to protect your lungs!

Silica sand (kiddie play sand) shatters and can be sucked into your lungs causing problems later.

Hope you have a blasting hood. Otherwise it can be a painful experience. I tried a hat, goggles, mask, earplugs and a towel wrapped around my head....

Darned sand still accumulated in my hair and fell into my eyes.

Use duct tape if you want to mask. There is just enough "bounce" in it to last during sandblasting.

Don't overblast an area, it can distort thin sheet metal.

Be safe, have fun!

Ken

QUOTE (Racing916 @ Dec 22 2005, 07:20 AM)

Are you going to sand blast in your two feet of snow!!

[QUOTE]

yes

silicosis = bad

I like silicon carbide abrasive. Not as cheap, but works very well. It's very tough, and as it breaks down it exposes more sharp edges so it continues to work. It's pretty agressive though. If you want less agressive, use glass bead, which also lasts a long time.

Look at it this way,

If the sand is light in color, you will have the only snow in the neighborhood that looks like a beach...

Throw up a plastic palm tree and a pink flamingo and wow the neighbors....

Ken

I've heard that you can blast with baking soda...it should leave a very fine finish and easily washed away...its also used as a water softener...and its non-polluting!

I use the black stuff you can get a Menards. Coal Slag. Silica is very bad to breath.

I've heard that you can blast with baking soda...it should leave a very fine finish and easily washed away...its also used as a water softener...and its non-polluting!

The HF unit is designed for silica sand, not that some other media might work. It would go through a big box of baking soda in about 30 sec. You'd have to buy a lot of it and it would be a lot harder to recover for reuse. I'd use a respirator for any type of media, especially when not using a blast cabinet.

QUOTE (Dead Air @ Dec 21 2005, 08:20 PM)

... my future mom in law has the big compressor to run it....

Some guys have all the luck...

Skip

If it's below freezing your air line will keep freezing up...unless you have a big buck dryer.
A plain jane water trap most likely won't help much. Keep the air line outside short.

Update:
My lack of judgement and forsight is remarkable!
If I ever offer to do any sandblasting, ever again, Shoot me!
The compressor was not big ENOUGH. It would handle 100 psi for about 30 seconds. Recovery took another 60.
If the sandblaster acts like it's getting empty it is!
The sand goes every where! It even turns corners. I wish you guys had warned me!
The condensation draining out of my resperator would land in the sand, and freeze.
The "reclaimed sand" would clog the tip.
Banging the gun on the battery tray/ garage floor broke the tip.
Maybe I'll try again tomorrow

You were warned! Read the first sentence in my first reply. I suspected you might have compressor problems. I have a 7.5 HP 26 cfm compressor and it keeps it busy when I'm blasting. Condensation is a problem, even here in the desert. I'm running 40' of copper pipe with a trap on the end of the line, then 50' of 1/2" rubber hose with a second filter and it still catches water. Must be miserable in freezing weather.

QUOTE (914GT @ Dec 21 2005, 07:45 PM)

I assume you have a place outdoors where you don't mind sand all over the place.

Yeah I remember that part,

Working outside really isn't that bad. It was only about 25 or so.

I should have just bought more sand. The stuff out of the bag seemed to run pretty well. It took quite awhile just to get the hang of running the thing. It held alot more sand than I thought