Make your own Dustless Blaster?

[hubbell]

Looking to do some dustless blasting because from the videos Ive watched, it seems to work quite well and i like the idea of the media not blowing back at me on its own like typical blasting can do. So here is my question and Im open to suggestions, how would you go about making your own setup so you can do a few projects with it and not break the bank? So far I have a 3400psi/4gpm pressure washer, I ordered this add on from northern tool:

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200660220_200660220

and i also have one of these media blasters from HF
https://www.harborfreight.com/110-lb-pressurized-abrasive-blaster-69724.html

What i was planning to try was to put the media in pressurized blaster, hook the feed hose up to it for media supply and then use the pressure washer as intended during this process to provide force for the media. Im wondering if i should try and put some pressure into the HF pressure blaster to provide more media delivery.

Im also open to suggestions but im hoping to wind up with a tool that will work on a couple projects id like to tackle, one of which is to strip a car body of its paint, for now my main project is stripping a 2 post lift for paint.

Thanks in advance, Rick

 

[Muggzy]

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[Showkey]

I had a smaller version of the pressure washer blaster adaptor from northern. It was surprising how poorly it worked. Kept the dust down but not the blow back and just made a wet mess instead of dry mess. Plus it was not fast or agressive. I switch back to a dry blaster from TIP. Last big project, truck chasssis had a blasting service do it, it was surprising how inexpensive it was. Did I mention there was no mess at my house.

If that car body has any value ( and you want minimum metal distortion for a wave free final finish) ......I would have professionally soda blasted.

 

[hubbell]

i think the flow rate of the pressure washer has a lot to do with effectiveness of the dustless blaster system, many washers are rated at sub 3gpm and i dont think it is enough flow to carry enough of the media for a decent result. I did not like the smaller nozzle offered by northern tool for their cheaper option, i did think the slightly newer and more expensive option looks more professional so i guess we shall find out. still hoping people in the industry might be able to ffer advice for how to improve the outcome so i dont have a story like Showkey to report back with. I know there is a right
way and wrong to do things but its also nice to do something for yourself and on a budget, which is why we are all here i guess.

 

[P51Boilermaker]

Keep us updated on your success and failures. Subscribed!

 

[metaleltr]

Have considered a similar setup myself but after my last media blasting project I'm not looking forward to any in the future.

I would think a that feeding the pressure washer adapter from a pressure pot blaster set about 30psi would be just enough to keep a good volume of media in the blasting unit to do its job.

 

[yhprum]

Sounds like you are making a large scale vapor blaster.
Google DIY vapor blaster to see what they do, using a old pool pump to keep the slurry mixed.
I have thought about using a pressure blaster setup with some type of agitator to keep the abrasive slurry suspended in the water.

 

[ADSR]

sub'd

looks like you're on the right track with that nozzle....

 

[larry4406]

Interested as well! keep us posted. The link Lord Diesel posted looks near identical to the the Northern Tool unit except for the abrasive hose.

 

[ADSR]

update?

 

[hubbell]

I did some work on this recently. The delay has been due to not liking the results on my first attempt and also realizing i wanted to do the bottoms of my lifts first and that meant tipping them back over and then getting them vertical again, something i did not want to have to do, they are heavy! Anyway, I tried to take care of the bottoms by just sanding them with different wheels/grits but really that just wasnt the best option, the bottom was not smooth enough to get into the deeper pockets of rust and I knew blasting was still the way to go. I used aluminum oxide after trying general purpose sand from HD because it was cheap but it was not fine enough, it wound up clogging up the tip of the blaster. I am still hoping to find a cheaper blast media, northern tool had a promising option glass bead at $10/50# bag but they told me they no longer have it in their store and shipping made it cost too much again, will keep looking for options. Additionally, next time i blast I am going to go back to my original plan of using the pressurized air pot to aid in the disbursement of the media in the blast stream, I have seen one example on youtube where someone else has done this and i guess it is working for them, plus I have the thing I may as well use it. The only reason I have not done it this way thus far is for my smaller surfaces that are the lift bottoms, sticking the end of the hose in a bucket of media worked well enough. I believe I used about 35-40# of media on each bottom and im hoping the air will help to make the media more effective/volatile in the mix. One video I saw said they were running the air compressor on the professional blaster around 200 psi so the air pressure must help or they wouldnt bother to have it in their system. Immediately after blasting, I used an air gun attachment to get rid of the water on the surface, hit the surface with a quick 80 grit on the DA and then painted with bedliner. Anyway, here are the pics of my snail-esque progress.

 

[hubbell]

Found this on youtube, I think it is the way to make the best out of a homemade setup.

 

[Musicinabottle]

I had a smaller version of the pressure washer blaster adaptor from northern. It was surprising how poorly it worked. Kept the dust down but not the blow back and just made a wet mess instead of dry mess. Plus it was not fast or agressive. I switch back to a dry blaster from TIP. Last big project, truck chasssis had a blasting service do it, it was surprising how inexpensive it was. Did I mention there was no mess at my house.

If that car body has any value ( and you want minimum metal distortion for a wave free final finish) ......I would have professionally soda blasted.

Altogether correct!

 

[hubbell]

I agree, he is spot on, I would like to try one more time to make this work effectively (I feel I need to now that I have come this far) but if it doesnt I will GLADLY hire someone and then tell my wife i did it anyway because no way will I give her that kind of satisfaction, ha!