What things do you blast with abrasives?

jproaster · Sep 28, 2018

Thinking through my approach to blasting...and I wondered what you fine folks blast with abrasives, whether in cabinet or not.

I personally want a cabinet and ability to run the hose outside.

John

FYI, building my first workshop with pretty fair air supply...several goals but especially building motos :beer:

isb cornbinder · Sep 28, 2018

What is "The hose?"
I have a 24" by 48" MOD-U-BLAST cabinet with a vacuum system It was made in Canada. The cabinet is perfect for just about all the metal cleaning I like to do. I also use EVPORUST in a larger ultrasonic cleaner for surface rust. My favorite blast media is glass beads. Heavier parts like truck frames get sent out for metal cleaning. My favorite shop is AIR STRIP in Richmond, BC. I have had a valuable car body blasted with ground walnut shell abrasive. The walnut shell media worked really well and did not distort the sheetmetal.
The thicker material in a truck of car frame is able to resist damage from blasting with a more aggressive media like aluminium oxide.
Body panel will be destroyed if they are "sand blasted." My friend had the body and other sheetmetal on his 1948 car sand blasted. The aggressive media opened up the sheetmetal to oxidation, aka rusting. Ten years later the surface rusting is destroying the car under the paint. The paint is bubbling up and flaking off. This car may not be recoverable at any reasonable cost.

Jazz1 · Sep 28, 2018

I have a small blast cabinet for small stuff I made from a 2 drawer file cabinet. Last weekend I cleaned up some areas on fuel tank while it was out,,,just surface rust but I needed peace of mind before reinstalling it.
My biggest sandblast project was the completely disassembled body and frame of my '41 IHC and '48 Sedan Delivery

lilredex · Sep 29, 2018

Always thought this was a good one for smaller items.

https://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Sandblasting-Cabinet-and-Etching-Glass/

lis2323 · Sep 29, 2018

I took everyone’s helpful advise and purchased this Clemco 6 cubic foot pressure pot. I plan on using it to pressure feed my cabinet.

I’ll keep an eye out for a diesel powered compressor for the big outside jobs.

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OccupantRJ · Sep 29, 2018

What are you planning to power that with for your cabinet?

lis2323 · Sep 29, 2018

5 HP Atlas Copco two stage.

OccupantRJ · Sep 29, 2018

You are likely to be limited to a 1/8” nozzle to try to keep from outrunning your compressor.
Nozzle cfm chart here.
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0..._for_pressure_nozzles.pdf?7901631282256733591

ReggieR · Sep 29, 2018

Mostly engine parts, motorcycle parts and gun parts. I run a Barrelblaster. Glass beads only

lis2323 · Sep 29, 2018

OccupantRJ said:
You are likely to be limited to a 1/8” nozzle to try to keep from outrunning your compressor.
Nozzle cfm chart here.
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0..._for_pressure_nozzles.pdf?7901631282256733591

Yes, it looks that way. Thanks!

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OccupantRJ · Sep 30, 2018

Since I keep a rebuild or restoration project going on shop equipment at all times, I do quite a bit of blasting. These days it is with either my glass bead cabinet or the aluminum oxide cabinet, but I also have a Smith 110 cfm mobile compressor and a freshly restored blast pot waiting in the wings if needed. I could not be without my blasting facilities with the things I am involved in. I burn through quite a few sanding sheets also.

OccupantRJ · Sep 30, 2018

lis2323 said:
Yes, it looks that way. Thanks!

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In case you do not know, the locking style connectors on the hose are called Chicago fittings. I get hoses and such from Blue Dog blasting of Sanford NC. They are also known as Rodeco for cabinet blasting items. Same address.

milwaukeephil · Sep 30, 2018

Do vintage ping putters count? Glass beads.

lis2323 · Sep 30, 2018

OccupantRJ said:
In case you do not know, the locking style connectors on the hose are called Chicago fittings. I get hoses and such from Blue Dog blasting of Sanford NC. They are also known as Rodeco for cabinet blasting items. Same address.

Although I have never used the Chicago style fittings I am familiar with them. I have a Greenline store locally which supplies all my air and hydraulic needs.

Since reading this thread I considered buying a small import pressure blaster to use with my siphon fed cabinet. The Clemco just came up last week for sale for slightly more money than a hobby use import.

The valves are almost new but not certain if they can be used for my application. I don’t know enough about the matter and will have to do some research.

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ken w. · Sep 30, 2018

The imported cabinets that are riveted together seem to leak pretty bad making a mess. I was given a HF bench top model and it did do the job but , it was messy. I refinish gun receivers and trigger guards and use glass for a satin matte finish. I find that running my blaster at 40 psi seems to work the best for removing old paint and finishes.

OccupantRJ · Apr 21, 2019

I figured I would kick this thread back up. Here is a casting in my larger aluminum oxide cabinet. It was heavy enough that I had to roll it in there from a cart the same height as the floor of the cabinet. Luckily the perforated floor is 1/4” thick to handle weights like this. My son had a Bridgeport mill ram that was heavy enough that we loaded it into the cabinet with my forklift. That was a first ever for us on that one.

sberry · Apr 21, 2019

A major contributor to rust after sandblast is that it wasn't scuffed or light sanded after. Purple pad works good and you can feel the difference. I never post treat with all that **** either, I blast, scuff, blow off and paint.
Blasting leaves pits and spikes. Thin primer, especially the self etch stuff settles in the pits and the peaks poke thru, it literally runs off the peaks, let's them poke right thru the paint. I wash my hands before I work on that stuff. I have seen it on paint where people walk by and got to.feel how smooth it is. If it's not cleaned will show up. I treat blasted work like sterile.
The scuff also loosens splattered sand.

OccupantRJ · Apr 21, 2019

Here is a couple of pics of the Bridgeport ram and the loading of it into the cabinet with the forklift. I use this cabinet or my smaller glass bead cabinet pretty much daiily since I retired, using them to refurb shop equipment. There are a couple of items in my profile albums.

jproaster · Jun 26, 2019

Hey all. Long hiatus since I started this project- life will do that though.

Thanks for sharing everyone. Lots of wisdom. Literally hooking up my cabinet tonight- barring a wife chore.

So, would someone recommend a good thread or source explaining a good step by step for abrasive blasting for different purposes (especially paint prepping). I've read many threads containing much good info of course. This thread's comments on post blasting helped me realize there's more to good prep than rust removal, etc.

I don't know all the goals I have for blasting. I'm interested in prepping different moto parts for painting, etching glass, and have been inspired by many who clean up old stuff like tools, toys, etc.

Thanks
John

don long · Jun 26, 2019

I restore a variety of different antiques from cars to gas pumps and I blast a lot of stuff.
I have 2 blast cabinets one with glass bead and the other with aluminum oxide

For the bigger heavier items I have a sand blasting box 10'x8'x10' and use 80 grit garnet.

I power the hand boxes with my shop compressor 10 horse 225 gallon compressor and the big box uses its own 185 cfm constant diesel construction compressor

Some reference shots

The big box blasting unit

20130812_181754_1 by don long, on Flickr

The compressor for the big blaster

2014-06-10 14.29.40 by don long, on Flickr

Inside the big blasting box dressed to work

20130812_181800_1 by don long, on Flickr

One of my hand boxes

2019-06-22 14.30.09 by don long, on Flickr

My shop compressor

20130731_162609 by don long, on Flickr

jproaster · Jun 27, 2019

Don
Too cool.

What things do you blast with abrasives?

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