VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Body - Sheet Metal, Paint & Wood sandblaster

we're thinking of purchasing a portable, 20 gallon pressurized tank media blaster, such as those made by clarke...has anyone had any experience with these blasters, positive or otherwise?..

epi

I would recommend that pressurized unit - over the siphon feed type.

I found that using sanitized play sand (for kids sandboxes) -the performance was excellent - since the sand was drier.

I know this may sound strange, but there is less dirt in the sanitized sand. Gives a nice uniform finish.

Good luck with the project - and don't forget the BEACH PARTY once the blasting is done.

bowtieollie,

thanks for the endorsement...play sand's exactly what I had in mind, plus the occasional peening media...

epi

Pressure sandblasters are great.

lil' johnny,

thanks for the tips on these portables...I've a cabinet-type, but this'll be my first time outdoors with this pot-type...

epi

I use a gravity feed, what is the advantage of having pressure?

If the nossle you are holding while blasting starts to get warmer then usual, check for some blockage in the nossle.

P.S. With a cabinet you can catch the used sand/etc can it be screened and used again or not?

Gator, the pressure blaster tank gets filled about ½full with sand.

lil' johnny,

I agree with your assessment of whether blast media can be reused...depends on how much gunk is being removed...in the cabinet, I try to clean as much oil or grease off of the parts first to keep it clean...

I ordered a 20 gallon pot today...

epi

I have been looking for a respirator that has been approved by an independent agency, like ANSI or OSHA, for open air sand blasting (using silica based media). No luck! What I find interesting is that it's fairly easy to find one for asbestos, but absolutely no luck for sandblasting.

I assume that a fresh-air system would work, but these aren't marketed for this purpose. Also, at ~$500 for a fresh air setup, it's a pretty pricey way to go... if you bought one and used it for grit blasting, you wouldn't want to use it for painting because it would be practically impossible to get it clean (the urethanes and epoxys I want to use all contain isocyanates, which you also cannot find a simple respirator to handle).

Short of ignoring the safety issues, does anyone know of a respirator that is approved for sand blasting?

The problem with using a filtering respirator for blasting is that the silicone dust from the impact of blasting is super fine also you need a full face device to protect your other parts of your face. You could probably use one of the two cartridge respirators, purple cartridges like I use to mow with as they will stop particulate R.A. dust (mobility is a factor) if you can get it under your blasting hood.
Eastwood sells supplied air full and 1/2 face masks in their kits, they are also good for sanding, primeing, paint removal and painting with the new paints. With a 38 foot hose the cleanup is simple the pump sits in a fresh air supply and stays clean and the mask isn't hard to clean, unless you look into the gun to see if it is putting out product! Supplied air units requires that the pump be in fresh air, it will only filter out particles, not organic vapors.
$400 isn't that much when you consider the cost of a double lung transplant!
I bought one after a bout with some of the Blue Lightning rust remover got to me.........
........(Kinda like putting on the steel toe boots after the engine block falls on your toe!) Eh?

Hey MrMack, I've been leaning towards the fresh air system based on the same arguement. After all, I keep saying that I hope to live long enough to finish both of my trucks. It wouldn't be wise to let the project be one of the things that finally kills me off!

I think sensitivity to chemicals can worsen with repeated exposure, at least I've heard people at work make that claim.

So have you used your system for sanding or blating AND painting? How do you clean it?

Respirators for sandblasting in the "open air" for use with (silica)sand should only need a common, but well sealed, "particulate" filter.

Hey lil' johnny, the fan is a really good idea. I know what you mean about how hot it can get, I did some sand blasting in the sun on the subframe of a '69 Camaro I was working on one summer (I've had several of these things, attractive nuisance's at best). I had not forgotten the misery! To top it off, I didn't seal off the firewall very well, and there was sand all over inside the car. Also, the paint I used on the fire wall wound up with what appeared to be sand on it. I swear I washed it down and blew it off really well. What I think happened is after all of that careful surface preparation, I failed to adequately mix the flattening powder into the paint before I sprayed it. I was never absolutely certain if I was seeing powder clumps in the paint or stubborn sand, but I was never happy with the results. I hope that I am wiser now that I am older...

Lenn,
If you blast anything with a crevice or hole or compartment or seam you will never get all the sand blow out. You will find sand nearly forever. I am sure it was sand in the paint.

It might be that respriators are not recommended for sand blasting has something to do with OSHA or NIOSHA regs, they required our folks that did it as an occupation to have breathable supplied air and the suits were equipped with space like helmets and protective suits with air conditioning, the A/C was a unique device, it had a orifice that had high pressure air to it and it worked like a refrig unit Cool! and it was omly about 4 inches long and an inch in diameter. I used one when I checked out the suit when I did an OSHA compliance audit. I blasted for 4 hours in Odessa Texas in July and remained cool and comfortable, it gets Caliente in Odessa in July!

IF you are very sensitve to dust or can't breath well, then get the best respirator you can afford.