Portable Sand Blaster

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

Has anyone bought and used one of these portable sandblasters? It has a 37 litre capacity and runs at 60-125 PSI.

I would like to sandblast a chassis and firewall; plus some steel 20 inch radius truck rims.

Would this machine be up to the task?

Kind regards
Lionel

[BradC]

How big is your compressor?

[INter674]

Do not buy..they are crap..mine is now an oil receiver cause as a blaster it was useless. Sand packs in the base and if you do finally get it flowing it eats the hose...valves and end nozzle.

Go see a professional for proper blasting.

These are a waste of money unless you want to convert it to an under hoist oil receiver😞

[p38arover]

I have a Samson sand blasting gun - it consumes more air than my 13cfm compressor can supply. Sand needs to be totally dry so that it doesn't clog. Sand goes in a pot under the gun, just like a spray gun paint pot.

[gromit]

Hello All,

Has anyone bought and used one of these portable sandblasters? It has a 37 litre capacity and runs at 60-125 PSI.

I would like to sandblast a chassis and firewall; plus some steel 20 inch radius truck rims.



As already mentioned, you need a very big compressor otherwise you blast for a few seconds then have to wait while the pressure builds up again.

Also you have to buy the blasting media, using 'sand' is dangerous (silicosis).

Portable Sand Blaster (https://www.aulro.com/afvb/tool-time/268970-portable-sand-blaster.html)
Sandblasting - my experience (https://www.aulro.com/afvb/general-chat/177154-sandblasting-my-experience.html)

Wet blasting is possibly an option.
Wet Sand Blaster (https://www.aulro.com/afvb/technical-chatter/19092-wet-sand-blaster.html)

I have a bigish 3phase compressor and one day will set up for blasting. At the moment, like others, I take my parts to a professional, handy if you can negotiate 'cash' rates.


Colin

[101 Ron]

Hello All,

Has anyone bought and used one of these portable sandblasters? It has a 37 litre capacity and runs at 60-125 PSI.

I would like to sandblast a chassis and firewall; plus some steel 20 inch radius truck rims.

Would this machine be up to the task?

Kind regards
Lionel


It will not be up to the job even if you have a big compressor.
the hand piece will be ceramic tipped and will not last long.

[clive22]

You will need a 350 cfm compressor generally for blasting items like chassis wheels.
You need proper PPE. Blast helmet at a minimum and breathing air.
The gear to do big items is fair money even renting it ain't cheap.
Its an intensive process blasting.


You want a profile on steel for the paint to adhere to, 75 microns would be about right.

If its a one off take it to a blast shop and get it blasted.
They will have o/head cranes so the lot can be done in one hit, and abrasive reclamation.
A proper blast stream and abrade any corrosion out enhancing coating life.

Unless you live in a desert and its summer, it will flash rust before you can get the paint on it.
ie trapping rust under the paint, a real no no. Corrosion will reappear before to long.
Get them to paint it as well. Choose a high build epoxy for best results on the chassis.
Do that all correctly and it will last for years.


Don't waste your money on blast gear, buy a bristle blaster, it is your best bet if you are doing it by hand, but it will be (very) slow and the chassis must be in good nick.

Clive

[workingonit]

Hello All,

Has anyone bought and used one of these...

Kind regards
Lionel

I have one - its OK, but not the bees knees. Done a chassis, coach work etc. Slow, but better than a wheel in my opinion, particularly in tight or obscured places. My electric 3 horse power 2 cyl compressor runs almost continually. Need a booth or tent arrangement to be able to recycle the garnet, and protect passers by. Need independent filtered air supply and helmet. Plus peel of visors - number of times with opaque visors I've wondered why the dark spot wont go, to find it is a drill hole[biggrin]. Not something you would use in the modern cramped burbs for the safety of neighbors - the garnet settles quickly but dust may travel - bigger older block better = moving house? The supplied ceramic nozzles oversize very quickly, maybe in an hour or two, and the rubber pipe doesn't last long either; the simple cover over the nozzle to stop grit flow when resting, wears away in a few hours - ditched these for professional hose; and smallest diameter Boron Nitride(?) nozzle ($90 a few years ago), which Blast One said should last me about 300-400 hours with the pressures I use. They will block if you get a water spit past the compressor water filter, they will also block if recycling grit, blockage from very fine waste dust. I wash my garnet to rid of the fines and dust - lay out on concrete in sun dries soon. Also have one of those boxes with gloves - leaks dust like a sieve, requiring P2 or better P3 face mask. Having the gear is good once you get set up. I got a big single door fridge from the dump, waiting to be converted so I can do up to axle housing size items without a tent/booth.

Dan Gelbart explains the time frame you have to paint your stuff after blasting. Has a whole series of fascinating vids...built his own granite bed lathe, explaining why a fellow might want to machine to a thou of a mm - drool with envy! Woody Alan of metal working...

Building Prototypes Dan Gelbart part 6 of 18 Coatings - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7onZGqrYyY)

[INter674]

I have one - its OK, but not the bees knees. Done a chassis, coach work etc. Slow, but better than a wheel in my opinion, particularly in tight or obscured places. My electric 3 horse power 2 cyl compressor runs almost continually. Need a booth or tent arrangement to be able to recycle the garnet, and protect passers by. Need independent filtered air supply and helmet. Plus peel of visors - number of times with opaque visors I've wondered why the dark spot wont go, to find it is a drill hole[biggrin]. Not something you would use in the modern cramped burbs for the safety of neighbors - the garnet settles quickly but dust may travel - bigger older block better = moving house? The supplied ceramic nozzles oversize very quickly, maybe in an hour or two, and the rubber pipe doesn't last long either; the simple cover over the nozzle to stop grit flow when resting, wears away in a few hours - ditched these for professional hose; and smallest diameter Boron Nitride(?) nozzle ($90 a few years ago), which Blast One said should last me about 300-400 hours with the pressures I use. They will block if you get a water spit past the compressor water filter, they will also block if recycling grit, blockage from very fine waste dust. I wash my garnet to rid of the fines and dust - lay out on concrete in sun dries soon. Also have one of those boxes with gloves - leaks dust like a sieve, requiring P2 or better P3 face mask. Having the gear is good once you get set up. I got a big single door fridge from the dump, waiting to be converted so I can do up to axle housing size items without a tent/booth.

Dan Gelbart explains the time frame you have to paint your stuff after blasting. Has a whole series of fascinating vids...built his own granite bed lathe, explaining why a fellow might want to machine to a thou of a mm - drool with envy! Woody Alan of metal working...

Building Prototypes Dan Gelbart part 6 of 18 Coatings - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7onZGqrYyY)

This is exactly my experience before I junked it to an oil receiver. I use a needle scaler for heavy rust and paint removal (eg on dozers etc) then wire wheel BUT note we are rural so no neighbours to annoy.

[workingonit]

BUT note we are rural so no neighbours to annoy.

Yep, we're rural too[thumbsupbig] - fire up the oil burning furnace with a cloud of smoke and when running clean sounds like a jet engine...

[gromit]

Don't waste your money on blast gear, buy a bristle blaster, it is your best bet if you are doing it by hand, but it will be (very) slow and the chassis must be in good nick.



Cheaper to pay someone to do the blasting than buy a Bristle Blaster.....


Colin

[clive22]

I agree it may be cheaper to go to a blast shop. And that's what I would do.

I think proper coatings on chassis, trailers, etc., are out of scope of the home workshop
But if you are going to do it at home, and some people want just that, a bristle blaster is the only portable hand tools that will give you a profile on the steel.
The rest wire wheels, sandpaper all polish the surface which whilst it cleans the rust off makes coating adhesion worse by reducing effective surface area.

I cant argue with you on the price, they are overpriced relative to normal power tools, but they do work and that is why we use them.

Profile =Coating adhesion = long coating life.


Clive

[BradC]

Cheaper to pay someone to do the blasting than buy a Bristle Blaster.....

It probably is, but at $50/day from Kennards I’ve just discovered a new tool to try at some point. I was going to buy a needle scaler, but these look much better for large areas.

[clive22]

The Bristler Blaster is unique it is the only hand power tool that profiles the steel, that is roughens the surface, not as much as abrasive blasting but some profile 20-50 microns.
Blasting is normally 75-125 using garnet.
All other hand power tools wire brushes actually polish the steel which i the last thing you want for a tough adherent coating.

Clive