Posted By: HyperPerformance
Sand for Sandblasting? - 02/21/13 11:56 PM
What's the best to use and why?
Sand for Sandblasting?
Posted By: Challenger 1
Re: Sand for Sandblasting? - 02/21/13 11:57 PM
It depends on what you want to blast.
Posted By: Anonymous
Re: Sand for Sandblasting? - 02/22/13 12:53 AM
I did mine at home and setup my friend to do his 69 RR and Both times aluminum oxide was used. It is very durable and can be re-used over and over. Glass beads disintegrate the first use and walnut shells are useless if have rust.
Posted By: CYACOP
Re: Sand for Sandblasting? - 02/22/13 02:04 AM
I would be careful using a fan that does not have an explosion proof motor. Often the fan wheel is belt driven with the motor out of the air stream. Any dust in the right concentration can be explosive. Just a thought.
Posted By: 71TrakPak
Re: Sand for Sandblasting? - 02/22/13 02:10 AM
Consider crushed/recycled glass. For costs, not other media comes close (cheap!) as well as its safer than sand (silica's) and slag (carcinogens). It requires the same equip as sand blasting ( unlike soda).
Here is a link http://www.newageblastmedia.com/
Good luck
Here is a link http://www.newageblastmedia.com/
Good luck
Posted By: Anonymous
Re: Sand for Sandblasting? - 02/22/13 02:35 AM
Quote:
I would be careful using a fan that does not have an explosion proof motor. Often the fan wheel is belt driven with the motor out of the air stream. Any dust in the right concentration can be explosive. Just a thought.
The fan in my pic does have an explosion proof motor.
Definitely a good point to add though as some people simply do not not think of the small details.
Posted By: flypaper
Re: Sand for Sandblasting? - 02/23/13 10:58 PM
i used this stuff.. coal slag 
it is agressive enough to kill deep rust and
you can reuse it but it loses its cut the 2nd time thru.
oxide or crushed glass takes too long to do the same job
on deep rust.
you will use up more material to do the same job
plastic media is probably better but its more costly to buy.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/tools/sandb...-50-lb--3905403
it is agressive enough to kill deep rust and
you can reuse it but it loses its cut the 2nd time thru.
oxide or crushed glass takes too long to do the same job
on deep rust.
you will use up more material to do the same job
plastic media is probably better but its more costly to buy.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/tools/sandb...-50-lb--3905403
Posted By: Silver70
Re: Sand for Sandblasting? - 02/23/13 11:18 PM
I use fine white sand, it does have silica in it, but I only blast outside and have been using it for 20 plus years. Although I used to get 100lbs bags for 2 bucks, it's now 5.50 for 50lbs. I don't sandblast entire cars anymore or exterior panels unless they are covered in rust. I use polycarbide stripping wheels where ever I can.
Posted By: DusterJeff
Re: Sand for Sandblasting? - 02/24/13 12:43 AM
I,v been using bags of silica sand from Home Depot.Price isn,t too bad and the sand cuts good, especially in my hand held Speed Blaster.Be sure and wear the appropriate safety equipment so you don,t breathe the junk in and protect you face....
Posted By: 70Duster440
Re: Sand for Sandblasting? - 02/24/13 01:05 AM
Silica sand is best avoided when sandblasting for lung safety.
Posted By: moparmojo
Re: Sand for Sandblasting? - 02/24/13 01:19 AM
Can you tell us about the equipment you used, compressor, blaster, any tricks with hosing ect. I have a harbor freight one and it I
Either works really good or not at all. I have a 2 stage compressor but I wouldnt say it is the biggest out there. Your car looks really nice and white. Looks good.
Either works really good or not at all. I have a 2 stage compressor but I wouldnt say it is the biggest out there. Your car looks really nice and white. Looks good.
Posted By: Challenger 1
Re: Sand for Sandblasting? - 02/24/13 02:56 AM
Quote:
Can you tell us about the equipment you used, compressor, blaster, any tricks with hosing ect. I have a harbor freight one and it I
Either works really good or not at all. I have a 2 stage compressor but I wouldnt say it is the biggest out there. Your car looks really nice and white. Looks good.
I've done quite of bit of blasting over a 30 year span.
The HF blaster is too small(capacity wise) and has a ridiculous filler neck, it will cause you more aggravation than pleasure imo.
A small decent pressure pot blaster starts at $399., just like the one superfreak has in his picture above, I have one too only it's about 25 years old. It'll allow you to fill it 10X easier than that silly funnel thing HF gives you, because you will spend plenty of time filling your blaster, it goes fast.
Then water is your biggest enemy and a 5 HP 2 stage compressor is not big enough for efficient blasting. Small 5HP 2stage compressors make a ton of water and screws your blaster up.
Rent a minumun 100CFM diesel tow behind compressor from the tool rental for the air supply.
Many different medias available, get one made for blasting that is dehydrated in plastic lined bags. Pool and play is not dehydrated and is not made for blasting because it has rounded edges not splintered like blasting media is.
I have long, long hose coming from my diesel compressor to give the air time to cool before it get's to my pressure pot and large water separator that I keep wide open while I'm blasting so the water is continuously draining because there will be a lot of it.
I buy media from 2 places, one a building supply that sells bricks. The sell it to tuck point masonry products. I buy it by the pallet load, it's cheapest that way.
Then I buy urea plastic from a deburring company here in town, comes in a 200lb fiber drum and is enough to do the outside body of a car. Last time I bought it, it cost $440. bucks for 200lbs.
The regulator at the end of your long supply hose must has larger orifice inside, way bigger than the one you use for your shop air and a regulator is important to keep your work consistent.
I could go on and on and on.
You don't want to spend hours blasting the hell out of your car over and over because you are always waiting on air. One time with huge volume is way better for the metal than point blank for hours with a little compressor.
Experience will dictate what to blast and what not to blast. Like undercoating, you not want to try to blast that off, imo.
Posted By: Challenger 1
Re: Sand for Sandblasting? - 02/24/13 03:22 AM
I have ton's pictures of my blasting work, this is the most recent for me. Easy, heavy steel truck bumpers, used 20/40 coal slage.
BTW I have blasted silica sand that was delivered to the jobsite by the dump truck load in bulk. We would jack truck scales out of the scale pit's with 20 ton bottle jacks and wood blocks. Then sand blast the entire I beam structure underneath and then coat it in heavy lead paint back around 1980. I did at least 6 10X60' scales in my time.
I blasted this most recently. Easy work, heavy steel truck bumpers.
I rented this so many times that I bought it.
I blasted every inch of this truck tank and put it in etch and epoxy primer all in one day.
[image]http://[/image]
BTW I have blasted silica sand that was delivered to the jobsite by the dump truck load in bulk. We would jack truck scales out of the scale pit's with 20 ton bottle jacks and wood blocks. Then sand blast the entire I beam structure underneath and then coat it in heavy lead paint back around 1980. I did at least 6 10X60' scales in my time.
I blasted this most recently. Easy work, heavy steel truck bumpers.
I rented this so many times that I bought it.
I blasted every inch of this truck tank and put it in etch and epoxy primer all in one day.
[image]http://[/image]
Posted By: chrisf
Re: Sand for Sandblasting? - 02/24/13 05:03 PM
here are some of my jobs, When i started my business i never inteneded to do industrial blasting so i honed my skills on specialty stuff like cars, boats, houses ect.
i originally started out as just a soda blaster but soda has its limitations, so i spend a couple years trying every media i could get my hands on. I am to the point now where i mainly use. soda, walnut, 3 grades of glass, (50, 100 and 200 grit) aluminum oxide and garnet. different medias for different jobs.
my main media now is glass. i have the confidence and experience to blast almost everything with glass but there are some exceptions. so i will use soda or walnuts if i feel they are too delicate or if the customer wants a finish thats smooth.
the vette in the pic is 200 grit glass, boat was soda, chevy panel was walnut/100 grit glass, caddy was 100 grit, chevelle was soda blasted, cuda walnut
like challenger says a good compressor is a must. buy good media, it will pay off in the long run. i would go with a 100 grit glass for a new guy as its a little more forgiving than the coarser stuff, stay away from sand. sand belongs at the beach, not your car. maybe floor suspension stuff but no panels. so to answer you question with my long winded response. 100 grit glass, cheap and user friendly
i originally started out as just a soda blaster but soda has its limitations, so i spend a couple years trying every media i could get my hands on. I am to the point now where i mainly use. soda, walnut, 3 grades of glass, (50, 100 and 200 grit) aluminum oxide and garnet. different medias for different jobs.
my main media now is glass. i have the confidence and experience to blast almost everything with glass but there are some exceptions. so i will use soda or walnuts if i feel they are too delicate or if the customer wants a finish thats smooth.
the vette in the pic is 200 grit glass, boat was soda, chevy panel was walnut/100 grit glass, caddy was 100 grit, chevelle was soda blasted, cuda walnut
like challenger says a good compressor is a must. buy good media, it will pay off in the long run. i would go with a 100 grit glass for a new guy as its a little more forgiving than the coarser stuff, stay away from sand. sand belongs at the beach, not your car. maybe floor suspension stuff but no panels. so to answer you question with my long winded response. 100 grit glass, cheap and user friendly
Posted By: Anonymous
Re: Sand for Sandblasting? - 02/25/13 03:02 PM
Quote:
Can you tell us about the equipment you used, compressor, blaster, any tricks with hosing ect. I have a harbor freight one and it I
Either works really good or not at all. I have a 2 stage compressor but I wouldnt say it is the biggest out there. Your car looks really nice and white. Looks good.
I have a 30cfm-80gal compressor and used a water separator at sandblasting unit which is a 100lb pot and I got 4- 55gal drums of the al-oxide for free. Best advise I could give is to get it done professionally, hassle free and no aggravation. You also need to be concerned about how the dust will affect your neibourghs.
Posted By: Stanton
Re: Sand for Sandblasting? - 02/27/13 04:05 PM
Well with all this talk about recycled glass and since the stuff in my cabinet was due for a change I decided I'd try it. Now this is in a cabinet but the results should be similar to a pot.
Well my friends, the stuff is crap as far as I'm concerned. It doesn't even come close to the performance of sand when it comes to paint and rust removal. If I had to estimate it in time I would say it would take TEN times as long to achieve the same results.
I will say this though - its less dusty and it leaves a nice "sparkly" finish to the surface. I didn't try it on aluminum but it just might leave a finish similar to a brand new aluminum intake.
Back to sand ...
Well my friends, the stuff is crap as far as I'm concerned. It doesn't even come close to the performance of sand when it comes to paint and rust removal. If I had to estimate it in time I would say it would take TEN times as long to achieve the same results.
I will say this though - its less dusty and it leaves a nice "sparkly" finish to the surface. I didn't try it on aluminum but it just might leave a finish similar to a brand new aluminum intake.
Back to sand ...
Posted By: chrisf
Re: Sand for Sandblasting? - 02/27/13 04:55 PM
Quote:
Well with all this talk about recycled glass and since the stuff in my cabinet was due for a change I decided I'd try it. Now this is in a cabinet but the results should be similar to a pot.
Well my friends, the stuff is crap as far as I'm concerned. It doesn't even come close to the performance of sand when it comes to paint and rust removal. If I had to estimate it in time I would say it would take TEN times as long to achieve the same results.
I will say this though - its less dusty and it leaves a nice "sparkly" finish to the surface. I didn't try it on aluminum but it just might leave a finish similar to a brand new aluminum intake.
Back to sand ...
Your comparison is fairly flawed, The glass you bought isnt the same grit as your sand so obviously its going to be slower and less agressive. I would assume your sand is around a 20-30 grit so go buy 20-30 grit glass and try it. 20 grit sand paper vs 100 grit sandpaper which one cuts harder?
Posted By: Challenger 1
Re: Sand for Sandblasting? - 02/27/13 05:01 PM
Quote:Quote:
Well with all this talk about recycled glass and since the stuff in my cabinet was due for a change I decided I'd try it. Now this is in a cabinet but the results should be similar to a pot.
Well my friends, the stuff is crap as far as I'm concerned. It doesn't even come close to the performance of sand when it comes to paint and rust removal. If I had to estimate it in time I would say it would take TEN times as long to achieve the same results.
I will say this though - its less dusty and it leaves a nice "sparkly" finish to the surface. I didn't try it on aluminum but it just might leave a finish similar to a brand new aluminum intake.
Back to sand ...
Your comparison is fairly flawed, The glass you bought isnt the same grit as your sand so obviously its going to be slower and less agressive. I would assume your sand is around a 20-30 grit so go buy 20-30 grit glass and try it. 20 grit sand paper vs 100 grit sandpaper which one cuts harder?
Used glass beads out of glass beader is already junk before you blow it through your blaster because it was already crushed too fine.
I run glass beads at low pressures in a effort to prolong the beads. You can tell when there used up because it get's dusty in my cabinet.
Also like Chisf said, there are many different grades of glass.
Then crushed glass is different than glass beads.
Posted By: Stanton
Re: Sand for Sandblasting? - 02/27/13 06:13 PM
WTF are you guys reading ?!?!
1) I never mentioned the grit
2) Who said anything about glass beads ???
FWIW its course grit crushed glass - same grit as my sand. And it still ain't worth a sh!t
1) I never mentioned the grit
2) Who said anything about glass beads ???
FWIW its course grit crushed glass - same grit as my sand. And it still ain't worth a sh!t
Posted By: Challenger 1
Re: Sand for Sandblasting? - 02/27/13 06:25 PM
My bad,
I assumed you were running glass beads in your suction cabinet blaster, because that's what they designed for. Round glass beads that are easy to suck verses crushed glass which is not usually used in suction cabinets,imo.
I use my cabinet to do fine work like steel connecting rods, cranks and such, not much rust removal.
I assumed you were running glass beads in your suction cabinet blaster, because that's what they designed for. Round glass beads that are easy to suck verses crushed glass which is not usually used in suction cabinets,imo.
I use my cabinet to do fine work like steel connecting rods, cranks and such, not much rust removal.
Posted By: BEINGmeISaCRIME
Re: Sand for Sandblasting? - 02/27/13 07:40 PM
I get the bags of play sand at Home Depot for cheap (~$4 for 50 lbs) and sift it at home. I know the silica is bad but outside with a good respirator I shouldn't have too many health problems down the road.
Posted By: Stanton
Re: Sand for Sandblasting? - 02/27/13 09:16 PM
Quote:
I get the bags of play sand at Home Depot for cheap
Not worth the time and effort. Blasting sand is about twice that price and you dump it in your blaster and go. No fuss, no muss. Furthermore, you're lucky if the playsand is dry since its purpose doesn't dictate that. Whereas blasting sand will always be dry.
I shove everything in my cabinet. I've even used shot successfully so suction and pressure isn't the issue. I suppose the glass has its place, just not in my cabinet.
Posted By: bobs69
Re: Sand for Sandblasting? - 02/28/13 01:35 AM
i have had good luck with dupont starblast. it is a little expensive but can be reused in some cases.
Posted By: tahoechallenge
Re: Sand for Sandblasting? - 02/28/13 03:24 AM
I used blasting sand when I did my car. I used a harbor freight pressure pot, and 180 cfm compressor. I removed all of the bolt on panels and paid around $700 to have them blasted with walnut shells and aluminum oxide. If I would have had a way to tow the shell to the blasters, I would have happily paid to have it done. If you don't have the experience, it is a horrible job doing it yourself.
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Posted By: 67dodge67
Re: Sand for Sandblasting? - 02/28/13 05:21 AM
This is an excellent post to follow... I have some experience blasting using a gravity feed pot, yah, it's a cheapo but it did it's job for stripping a steel bumper. I used black diamond from Northern Tool. I'm wondering if plastic bead will be easy/ok to shoot thru the same blaster as I have a hood to clean up once winter is over... 
Dave
Dave
Posted By: BEINGmeISaCRIME
Re: Sand for Sandblasting? - 03/01/13 04:21 AM
Quote:
Quote:
I get the bags of play sand at Home Depot for cheap
Not worth the time and effort. Blasting sand is about twice that price and you dump it in your blaster and go. No fuss, no muss. Furthermore, you're lucky if the playsand is dry since its purpose doesn't dictate that. Whereas blasting sand will always be dry.
I shove everything in my cabinet. I've even used shot successfully so suction and pressure isn't the issue. I suppose the glass has its place, just not in my cabinet.
True, I don't think it takes too long to sift and I don't reuse anything blasting outside in February haha. Luckily I haven't had any problems with the media being too moist. Us young guns have to do things cheap.