Hot Rod Forum banner

Abrasive Blaster

5K views 19 replies 9 participants last post by  Riot Racing 
#1 ·
Guys,
I was planning on buying an abrasive blaster cabinet for doing some small parts. Something like this:


But, The more I take apart my car, the more rust I find. :(
Like this:
For this particular picture I have cut the Rotted metal out and will be replacing it.

But, the floors need work and there are some other tight corners that might be difficult to cut out. Wire brushing helps get the surface rust, but an angle grinder and abrasive wheel are really need to get the rust that is deeper. So, I was thinking maybe buying something like this:


Then I was thinking of using this blaster inside the cabinet to blast my parts? What do you think? Because the cabinet blaster doesn't seem to come with a gun does it?

What I would like to know is, How well do these blasters work for this type of job? I don't want to buy something that can't strip the rust like I need. I was going to spray inside my garage while wore sealed goggled and a filtered mask Then vacuum up the media that is left and refill it into the blaster. Eventually I would run out of media but, I could really strech it by vacuuming it up.
 
See less See more
3
#2 · (Edited)
Blast

Wow...your pics do bring back some memories.......

I bought a cabinet similar to the one pictured...I threw it in the trash and replaced with a larger scat blast cabinet with extra lights. Important to buy quality media that produces low dust so you can see part. I once bought unusable media from HF.

I also have pressure blaster and can't imagine using it inside garage. Remember some media like sand can cause silicosis even with respirator.

I use the angle grinder with stiff wire brushes when feasible.

As you know... it is good to cut out as much of the rot as possible.

Please don't try to use the pressure blaster in that small cabinet without a foot controlled dead man switch. The output from the pressure blaster will overwhelm the small blast cabinet.
 
#3 ·
001mustang said:
Wow...your pics do bring back some memories.......

I bought a cabinet similar to the one pictured...I threw it in the trash and replaced with a larger scat blast cabinet with extra lights. Important to buy quality media that produces low dust so you can see part. I once bought unusable media from HF.

I also have pressure blaster and can't imagine using it inside garage. Remember some media like sand can cause silicosis even with respirator.

I use the angle grinder with stiff wire brushes when feasible.

As you know... it is good to cut out as much of the rot as possible.

Please don't try to use the pressure blaster in that small cabinet without a foot controlled dead man switch. The output from the pressure blaster will overwhelm the small blast cabinet.
Thanks for replying. What are these portable blasters used for? Would it be safe to blast the car outside if I were wearing a respirator? I'm trying to weigh my options. For now, I'm cutting rust out grinding surface rust and doing my best to clean this car up. :(

Why did you throw your small cabinet away? I have one of these in the place I work and we love it. We do really really small parts and we do NOT do alot of blasting, but it is a nice unit for the money. The footprint is small and being a benchtop unit is nice.

I need to make a decision quick because I am in need of a benchtop unit.
 
#4 · (Edited)
I use the pressure blaster outside, as a last resort, to clean surface rust out of hard to get to areas.

The small cabinet I had was frustrating to use. I bought a large cabinet about 20 years ago and am still very happy with it.

A small cabinet is better than no cabinet....but...the bigger the better.

Visibility is very important...good to think about low dust media and good lighting. Also good to use vacuum. Make sure lens protectors can be installed easily.

Tip: Instead of buying those expensive ceramic or metal replacement nozzles, I use rubber fuel line cut to 1" lengths...saves much money! :)
 
#5 ·
Unless you enjoy having media in your outlets, in every crack and crevice, and the chance of really screwing yourself up, never use a blaster indoors. A cabinet is ok, but you need a good filtration system and like Mustang said low dust media. I use glass bead in mine and it cuts down on the dust considerably, Its hard to have too much light in there, I ended up using a drop light resting above the glass so I can see more.

You can reuse some media more than others, sand works if you are careful about it, not breathing any dust, blasting outdoors, staying upwind, and wearing eye protection. I have gotten sand in my eye while wearing a hood and safety goggles, it really goes everywhere. Sifting all the big pieces out takes some time, and I made a sifter from some door screen and an 8"-6" chimney reducer.

Sometimes its worth the expense to take stuff to a professional, if you live in the suburbs or a small town with neighbors close by, that would be one of those times.
 
#6 ·
Update on Blasting Media

I am looking for some new blasting media to use. In my cabinet I bought, I blast mostly aluminum parts. This is just to clean the parts up and give them a uniform look. What media is best for this?
I want to buy or rent one of those large pots and blast the under side of my hood and some other large pieces. This will be to remove rust. What media is best for this?

Check out this link about the different types of blasting media: http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/116/2702/=6ccrmo

Let me know what you think. I want the media that is the safest and does the fastest job. I was thinking Black Beauty OR Silicon Carbide Grit. Does the silicon carbide grit contain alot of silica?
 
#7 ·
Guys,
I am revisting this topic.
I bought a cabinet, I actually have it outside which helps with the mess. The harbor freight brand had terrible seals so I had to reaplce the seals for the window and that has helpped. Now, I am goignt o replace the seals at the door and that should make things alot cleaner for me. I need to probably buy a filtration unit, b/c I'm using the blaster alot more than I initally planned.

SO HERE IS MY QUESTION:
How well do these large abrasive blasters work?

I am just wondering if this is worth the money or not? I am going to so some blasting outside, but I'm going to wear the proper safety equipment and buy some low dust media. I'm also going to run a fan behind me to help blow the dust away from me.
So is there a major difference with the quality of these items?
 
#9 ·
51chrysler said:
Why not build a cabinet to your specs ???
That's not a bad idea, but it would be kind of a pain in the butt. Everything needs to be properly sealed, gloves need to be added but you need those sealing rings for the gloves, then seal the glass window.

THEN why type of abrasive blaster would you use? because that was my original question
 
#10 ·
Riot Racing said:
Guys,
I am revisting this topic.
I bought a cabinet, I actually have it outside which helps with the mess. The harbor freight brand had terrible seals so I had to reaplce the seals for the window and that has helpped. Now, I am goignt o replace the seals at the door and that should make things alot cleaner for me. I need to probably buy a filtration unit, b/c I'm using the blaster alot more than I initally planned.

SO HERE IS MY QUESTION:
How well do these large abrasive blasters work?

I am just wondering if this is worth the money or not? I am going to so some blasting outside, but I'm going to wear the proper safety equipment and buy some low dust media. I'm also going to run a fan behind me to help blow the dust away from me.
So is there a major difference with the quality of these items?
I have a larger version of the HF blaster that you show in your photo and it
works quite well at removing rust and paint, I would have to ask how large a compressor do you have? These things use a ton of air, I have a 7.5HP - twin cyl Eaton with a large tank that delivers around 20-21 cfm at 90 psi and it works hard to keep up with the demand from the blaster.

The ceramic tips wear fairly well, but you should have a supply on hand.

It's kind of fun to use on the 1st piece, then it quickly becomes hot, sweaty dirty work, after using it for about 6 hrs I ended up having media in places on my body that I didnt know I had places...

Oh, and did I say they make a big mess! I use it outside in the back of my shop and it ends up looking like the Sahara after a while.
 
#11 ·
Sand blast cabinet.

Hi,dont waste your money on a HF cabinet,theyre too small, go to TPI and buy their kit for you to make youre own cabinet,the directions for the cabinet come with the kit.it includes the dead man valve,gloves and rings,and gun, and glass window and plastic to hold the glass.ALSO BUY the plastic liners for inside the window,or the window will get blasted too. i made my cabinet almost 2 times the size of the plans. it works very well.i buy blast media from NORTHERN,.im NOT connected to these companys.
 
#12 ·
Blaster Faster

Riot Racing said:
That's not a bad idea, but it would be kind of a pain in the butt. Everything needs to be properly sealed, gloves need to be added but you need those sealing rings for the gloves, then seal the glass window.

THEN why type of abrasive blaster would you use? because that was my original question
Riot - ditto what Conrad said pretty much. I work on my car in a very suburban neighborhood so I purchased the 20 Gal Soda Blaster from Eastwood. It is pretty much just a Clarke abrasive blaster with their venturi solution for the soda. At the time I researched the Soda and the apparatus, I figured the best bet would be to be capable of switching to sand, bead, or soda at my will. What I've ended up doing is using an 80/20 mix of soda and aluminum oxide in the places that I cannot remove the rust with conventional flap discs or wire brush. I gave the neighbors a printout of the soda specs and that squelched any complaining about the "sandblasting" in the driveway.

Conrad is correct about the air consumption too - you need a fairly powerful compressor to make the 10-20 gal units effective. I have a similar setup to what Conrad describes. The little tank has worked out well for my purposes, but I certainly wouldn't try to use something like this to blast every panel on a car. The other issue is getting good media. I buy the Armex XL Soda and Aluminum Oxide from a local commercial supplier. Don't pay shipping costs from online suppliers if you don't have to - this stuff is heavy. Also, your air has to be H2O free or the soda clogs easily.

I have not used one of these in conjunction with a blast cabinet - I have thought about it, but unfortunately I don't have enough space for a cabinet where I live. If you try that out, post your results - I am curious. Good Luck
 
#13 ·
boatbob2 said:
Hi,dont waste your money on a HF cabinet,theyre too small, go to TPI and buy their kit for you to make youre own cabinet,the directions for the cabinet come with the kit.it includes the dead man valve,gloves and rings,and gun, and glass window and plastic to hold the glass.ALSO BUY the plastic liners for inside the window,or the window will get blasted too. i made my cabinet almost 2 times the size of the plans. it works very well.i buy blast media from NORTHERN,.im NOT connected to these companys.
Can you post a link to the TPI website so I can find out some more info? I googled that name and didn't find any DIY kits

MY COMPRESSOR: is a 60 gallon single cylinder. I'll just have to work on small sections at a time and be a little more patient.

Another option I have is, use the blaster at my work. They have a 200 gallon twin cylinder compressor, which works great!
 
#14 ·
Update: I Found A Great Deal

Gentlemen,
I found one of those 30lb Abrasive blasters with a Vacuum cleaner attached to the gun. It stucks up all the media while it is spraying. It's a harbor frieght blaster so I was a little hesitant, but I think I am going to buy it and give it a try.

What do you guys think? My concern is, it has a gun on it which is the same at the gun in my abrasive blasting cabinet. It is NOT one of those deadman valves. Is this going to be an issue?
 
#15 ·
For anyone that cares

I bought the sand blaster with vacuum cleaner attachment. It will be in from the warehouse on Thursday or Friday.

I can't wait to fire it up and see how well it works. I'll report back to you to let you know. Also, I'm sure I will be showing off my work. :)
 
#17 ·
I am about to cut up a 55 gal drum to build my own. For the window, I was going to make a reel-to-reel mechanism where I could wind the window protector by foot or knee bump control so I don't have to stop to clean it. I am thinking some of those HF led drop lamps will fit the bill for lighting quite well. I am thinking chem gloves and denim jean legs for the arms?

Should I build it as a siphon or for pressure? Very different designs I know. My compressor is about a 10 gal, 2 cyl Sears.
 
#18 ·
Ratdoggy said:
I have the 780 top load from Tip Tools and the vacuum thing. It works great and it wasn't really expensive. Not too big and not too small.
So I put mine together and fired it up. THe results are CRAP. I think The abrasive media I am using is too soft. The only media they sold was the glass bead stuff.

FOr the rust removal I am going to need some heavy duty media, even if it kills me!
 
#20 ·
Ratdoggy said:
If you're having problems with the 780 call their tech line.
I've never had a problem. Maybe for heavy rust you should use aluminum oxide.
My rust is not really that heavy. I switched to steel grit and it works, but the spray pattern is so small that this is going to take a lifetime.
The vacuum on the setup does not suck very hard so the media still gets everything. In fact, i tested blasting without the vacuum on and its the same...

I bought a deadman valve to try that instead of the gun style.
It that doesn't work.
I am going to buy play sand and blast that and use an empty parking lot. That way I don't care about the cost of the media or the mess.

Ill wear a good mask and try not to blast too long.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top