Sandblasting

[Emerson]

Hey guys I've been lurking around the board for awhile admiring all the great garage trying to get some ideas for when I build mine.

I have the opportunity to purchase some large sandblasting equipment, I thinking about setting up a small mobile sandblasting business, something I can do during evening and weekends after my regular 9-5 job.

My biggest issue right now is that I do not have a garage just a 20'x16' shed with very little insulation. I do have a large Tent garage that I could use for sheltering pieces but I worried about the side effects of blasting and painting int he freezing cold. I was thinking I could heat the tent with a large karesone heater while painting?

Anyway I'm just looking for some input, things I haven't thought about. I've never used a sandblaster this big so I'll have to learn by trying.
I was thinking of epoxy priming everything also.

it's a big investment just trying to sort out the details

Thanks

Bill

 

[Zeke]

You talk about a tent and having a mobile service. Which is it?

I'd sure visit a sandblasting location to get the feel of how messy and loud it is. It's a pretty crazy business. You actually have to have some talent to do it right. It's real easy to ruin sheet metal parts and car body parts.

Here's a novel idea on heating. Most compressors are engine driven unless you just happen to have 440v 3 phase at your location. Build a heat exchanger from the radiator and capture all that heat. It will be cleaner than a fuel fired space heater.

 

[spongerich]

I was thinking I could heat the tent with a large karesone heater while painting?

Not being a big fan of fire or unplanned explosions, I'd restrict use of the kerosene heater to BEFORE painting.

Kerosene heat also throws out a fair amount of moisture which might wreak havoc with your painting.

 

[Shadowdog500]

I see this is your first post. Welcome to the forum!!

If you wanted to do a mobile service I figured you would set it up an enclosed car trailer.

How much market is there for a mobile blast and paint service that only works off hours?

Chris.

 

[Emerson]

You talk about a tent and having a mobile service. Which is it?

.

It'll be mobile but at the same time I'd like a place to blast at home during the winter.

Good point about the heater spongerich I didn't think of that..


I realize that only working after hours and during limits the amount of business I can get but I have a full time job I'm not looking to make a fortune just enough to pay for the equipment and make a little play $$.
I was actually surprised at the interest I have gotten when I told some people when I was planning on doing this. For some equipment owners it's exactly what they want since it means they can keep the equipment working during the day.

my plan was to get a 1-ton and mount everything on the back.

 

[buildmyown]

Whats the equipment that you can get?

Where you say your going to do it at home do you have any neighbors? If you do forget that plan even in a tent there is a ton of dust and lets not forget about a diesel compressor running for hours on end.

There is no way you would be able to paint and blast in the same space without totally cleaning everything inbetween jobs.

 

[Red Green]

Sand Blasters use A LOT of air. You would need a pretty stout gas powered air compressor. If you wanted to make it moble.

 

[Emerson]

Whats the equipment that you can get?

Where you say your going to do it at home do you have any neighbors? If you do forget that plan even in a tent there is a ton of dust and lets not forget about a diesel compressor running for hours on end.

There is no way you would be able to paint and blast in the same space without totally cleaning everything inbetween jobs.

It'll be a 175CFM diesel compressor and I'll be buying a New Clemco 3cuft Pot with a Bullard hood and air supply.

the noise is another good point I didn't think about.. I live in the country but I do have neighbours who live fairly close by. I'm actually buying the compressor for 1 of them maybe I'll ask him what he thinks, he has a backhoe, bulldozer and farm tractor he's constantly using I know the compressor wouldn't compare but the blaster would be louder.

 

[Mmfh]

Man doing that mobile just doesn't make sense, the size of compressor you need alone makes it really tuff to say nothing about the incredibly huge mess you are going to make at someone else's place. Stuff is very hard to contain. Very, Very noisy, plus add the noise of the huge compressor. If you were doing that anywhere in my neighborhood at night I would probably feel obligated to say something to you.

Doing any kind of painting and sandblasting at the same location, that's not going to work. Not unless you have separate sealed area's that in no way can get to each other. The blasting media gets absolutely everywhere, don't want to paint at the same location as that huge blaster.

Just thinking out loud!

Mm

 

[OccupantRJ]

I used to blast as a side job. Rule one, no cast iron cook pots. You will learn why if you start doing them. Get a 100 cfm portable compressor and a decent pressure pot, along with an air supplied hood. You can get all the work you can handle to do in your back yard. Be aware that neighbors will not like the sandstorms and the noise. A wooded area works well, as the foliage acts as a natural scrubber-filter for the dust drifts. If you do work for companies, they will require insurance for you to work on site. Scaffolding will be required. There are a lot of hobby guys needing sandblasting services. I still have and use two blast cabinets in my home shop. One uses glass beads for aluminum intake manifolds and such, and aluminum oxide for rusty parts in a larger cabinet. Boat trailers are a good market, as well as auto chassis. You can charge by the square foot of surface, or by time required at X amount per hour. A pressure pot will allow you to set a gallon of paint inside without having a lot of cleanup. One for primers, one for paint. You will do more utility painting than dressy painting. In the summer, you sweat and your eyes burn. In winter, you can't see because of fogging up. Cabinet blasting is easier on your body. An enclosed blasting room is a possibility, also. Research on this.

 

[Emerson]

Man doing that mobile just doesn't make sense, the size of compressor you need alone makes it really tuff to say nothing about the incredibly huge mess you are going to make at someone else's place. Stuff is very hard to contain. Very, Very noisy, plus add the noise of the huge compressor. If you were doing that anywhere in my neighborhood at night I would probably feel obligated to say something to you.

Doing any kind of painting and sandblasting at the same location, that's not going to work. Not unless you have separate sealed area's that in no way can get to each other. The blasting media gets absolutely everywhere, don't want to paint at the same location as that huge blaster.

Just thinking out loud!

Mm

I have no intention of going to someone house and sandblasting a bumper, I was think the mobile would be more focused on heavy equipment that costs $$ to move, place where they have large yards and don't mind a bit of mess and noise.

These are all good points, this is why I posted the question..

 

[930dreamer]

I'd like to do the same, but more for my stuff and I have a spare 2.5 acre lot outside the city limits. It seems like a bad idea in a neighborhood.

 

[BJ42LX]

Rule one, no cast iron cook pots. You will learn why if you start doing them.

Quick flash-rust?

 

[John in OH]

I don't want to be an old poop ... I know nothing about commercial sandblasting ... only what I do in my own shop. But one thing you might check out is whether or not there are any environmental issues related to sandblasting as a BUSINESS. It seems that the EPA wants to control every bit of our environment (valid in some cases, inappropriate in others). Another issue may be health monitoring of anyone you employ as a blaster ... maybe similar to the health monitoring of asbestos workers??

 

[NUTTSGT]

Never done sandblasting before ? It's dirty and nasty work. Your neighbors will not be happy at all.

If you start a new business and paint, by all means, you'll probably need an EPA approved paint booth.

 

[OccupantRJ]

Quick flash-rust?

No they want it done for about $2, and when you try to blast the inside, the sand stream hook shots in the curved pot and blasts YOU.