Blast media stuff

[Pucman1]

So I am working on a car project and have a beat up cabinet at work. It can be used by me off duty etc but the media has been worked over. I want to dump it and put in some new stuff, just trying to find the best kind of media and the best price. I mostly will be removing dirt, rust, paint and want the surface to be ready for primer. I want to be able to do a quick alcohol prep and then paint.
the unit is a older upright econoline but does not have dust collection.
Can anyone recommend a good place to purchase??

 

[Greeny]

Black Diamond from Tractor Supply.

 

[sberry]

Also, skip the alcohol, blast, scuff with purple scotchbrite, air blow and paint.

 

[James E]

I like plain old aluminum oxide. I've tried the name brand stuff but haven't found anything that works any better for the price.

It leaves a nice surface for paint, too.

 

[James-W]

I have used a friend's blasting cabinet with Black Diamond media and it works pretty well. I have also used glass beads and that works better. I have not used it, but I have heard you can get silicon carbide in 50 pound bags, supposedly it works great, but unfortunately it is rather expensive. I guess it all depends on what you want to sand blast, how quickly you want to get the job done, and what type finish you want to have when completed.

 

[pop pop]

I won't disagree with anything said so far, but what kind of finish are you wanting to have? Sandblast/prime/paint is not going to be smooth. I'm doing a car now as well. I'd recommend the aluminum oxide too for most parts. Some cast parts can be OK with the Black Diamond, but it's aggressive.

I'd recommend sand in the right grit, but you don't have dust collection so that's a no go.

Cuda Chick is correct. Black Beauty, not Black Diamond

 

[mikegt4]

If you are going to use a "beat up cabinet" then a new nozzle for the gun may well save you a lot of headaches.

 

[CudaChick1968]

If you are going to use a "beat up cabinet" then a new nozzle for the gun may well save you a lot of headaches.

x2! Check out the Blast Gun Upgrade Kit from TPTools.com. If you can get the shop to go for it, go for the carbide nozzles too (they'll last longer than ceramic).

I've tried the Black Diamond from Tractor Supply ... once. Then went back to the Black Beauty extra fine at $16.00 / 100 lbs I've been using for many years. It cuts faster, lasts longer, isn't overly agressive even on aluminum, and doesn't pulverize quickly.

 

[Pucman1]

Wow so picked up some fine material and switched it out, spent most of my lunch cleaning parts.....two things I will need, a shower and more dusk masks. Does a great job cleaning up stuff but messy as he&* . I dialed it down to about 80 psi and that seem to pick up and run fine. I love the fact that I have foot pedal control. For the price I think I will by dusk masks and takes lots of showers.

 

[mikegt4]

It sounds like you don't have a collection system to **** the dust out of the cabinet.

 

[BearsFan315]

been restoring my 1929 and used nothing but glass bead, great for everything i have done...

then i blow it off, hit it with brake clean to remove any grease, grime, oil from my hands, then prime and paint.

glass has been great because it does not rough up the surface too much and no issues.

 

[airsanford]

+1 on glass beads. I also use chemical stripper as much as possible to remove paint before blasting.

 

[Pucman1]

That would be a no on the dust collection and not likely it will happen unless I rig it somehow

It sounds like you don't have a collection system to **** the dust out of the cabinet.

 

[Pucman1]

What kind of stripper and how do you get rid of the debris?

+1 on glass beads. I also use chemical stripper as much as possible to remove paint before blasting.

 

[BearsFan315]

I made a custom dust collection system Dust Collection System using a Dust Deputy and my 5 gall vacuum

 

[GasNSteering]

A respirator would be the best idea. My buddy has a nice system with a dust collector and it still it leaves a coating of fine dust everywhere. The fine dust is the worst.

 

[BillK]

JP,
We use glass beads at my business. I will say that I got in a bind once and bought a bucket of Tractor Supply glass bead and it was not worth a ****. Turned to dust almost immediately. Had to get that **** out of my machine and clean it all out.