[Frankentruck]

I spent the better part of today trying to get my Harbor Freight pressure blaster to work without success. I tried two different types of media - Black Beauty reprocessed slag and Aluminum Oxide. The only way I could get the Black Beauty to work was to make a tip out of a 3/8" bolt with a 1/4" orifice. I got about 5 minutes worth of blasting done with this set-up but it would alternately loose pressure and the grit would basically just pour out. I completely emptied and disasembled the blaster - nothing was clogged. I replaced the media with a very fine Aluminum Oxide and used a small orifice. I had the same problem with this media. Any suggestions or are these blasters basically a POS?
Thanks,
Jim

[Fizzy]

I have the same type of blaster, I use it with a good 5 hp 2 stage compressor and 3/4" pipe plumbed directly to the blaster. I have to let the compresser catch up alot. Trick is to adjust the valve at the bottom of the blaster so it just lets out the right amount of sand (this is on a pressure pot blaster.

[F&J]

Sounds like the bottom sand valve is adjusted way wrong, UNLESS the humidity is plugging everything up.

I've run A TIP 60 blaster for years with 3/8 hoses. It would need a bigger hose for big nozzles. If you have a small compressor you need a nozzle 1/8 or preferably smaller to keep enough pressure up.

You should have a sifter screen to fill the tank if you run tiny nozzles with odd shaped chunks of black beauty. Then shut off the sand mix valve at the bottom, then run the air out of the nozzle at full pressure and then start slowly opening the sand valve until you can barely see sand. Test blast and open the sand valve a tiny bit more if you think it needs it. You don't want tons of sand coming out, just a fine mist.

[Frankentruck]

OK - sounds like I made some rookie mistakes. I had the valve on the bottom wide open all of the time - what you're saying makes alot of sense now. I've got a 6hp/60 gallon compressor, so that shouldn't be an issue. I tried to screen the Black Beauty media using window screen, but I was only getting about 25% of it to pass through. What do you guys use for a pot screen?

Thanks,
Jim

[F&J]

Sandblast suppy places should have the sifter that sits on the tank. The sreen is a slighty larger mesh than house screen. The sifter sort of looks like a steel pie pan but with a very slight funnel shape.

[oldred]

Originally Posted by Frankentruck

so that shouldn't be an issue. I tried to screen the Black Beauty media using window screen, but I was only getting about 25% of it to pass through. What do you guys use for a pot screen?

Thanks,
Jim

Black Beauty comes in different grits and if yours won't pass through the screen then it is probably too big for your blaster. Actually it would be too big for a nozzle the size you need which should most likely be a 3/32" using very fine media. The compressor is not an issue? Sandblasters need a LOT of air and you said you had a 6 HP 60 gallon compressor but that don't mean anything, what is the CFM rating? Since you said 6 HP I am willing to bet that is a "peak" rating and the data plate will say 15 AMPs so you will probably have somewhere around 10 to 13 CFM@90 PSI which is going to be very marginal with a 1/8" nozzle and definitely not enough air for anything bigger. With that compressor you will need a 3/32" nozzle or you are going to be spending a lot of time waiting on the air to build up and/or blasting at a low pressure. If memory serves me correct I think a 3/32" nozzle needs 7 CFM@90 PSI to work right and an 1/8" jumps all the way up to 15 CFM@90 PSI with the next size being a 3/16" at around 35 to 40 CFM and I am sure that 1/4" set-up you had needs 80 CFM@90 PSI, that's what we used at the shop. So you can see that the compressor is indeed an issue and in all probability the biggest issue.

[dinger]

I sometimes wonder if we shouldn't start a wiki on hot rodding tools, especially H.F. stuff. How to make them work for whatever it is you're trying to do. The guys with sandblasting experience are helping out here, basic knowledge and what to do to modify some of these tools to make them work for particular applications.

[SLR_65]

Originally Posted by dinger

I sometimes wonder if we shouldn't start a wiki on hot rodding tools, especially H.F. stuff. How to make them work for whatever it is you're trying to do. The guys with sandblasting experience are helping out here, basic knowledge and what to do to modify some of these tools to make them work for particular applications.

I for one would love such a wiki!!!

[SLR_65]

I was just reading some comments on the HF tools in the junk HF motor thread and found it quite helpful . . . how do we start a tools WIKI????

[Rob Keller]

This will be complicated.

where do you start?

Alphabetical~ hand tools ~ the basics to the eccentric??

[Rob Keller]

how does this read?

Tool
a tool in the mechanical realm is :

A devise or object that enables a user to gain a advantage over another devise or object that is in need of repair or altercation.

Possibly the 1st tool known to man is both simple & complicated ,the human hands.


I know I suk At writing but its a start

[SLR_65]

Hi Rob,

I dunno where we start! I'm not much up on "wiki"s yet! I just surfed over to the crankshaft coalition wiki though and there's some neat stuff there!

I'm thinking an alphabetical list so you can just lookup the tool you are interested in and then read reviews of the products from the various vendors?

[SLR_65]

Beyond the hot rod forums I also am on some computer related forums and one thing many of them have is a discussion area dedicated to good deals - if someone puts something on sale for a good price it gets posted there.

I wonder if that wouldn't be a good discussion category for here too?

Might be nice to know who's got what on sale cheap at the moment. I don't think any further breakdown would be needed, just post camshaft sales along with tool sales, etc. as I don't think there'd be that many posts so it'd be easy to check them daily and who knows, just because you aren't need a particular part right now if you see a good deal on one you might just pick it up while it's cheap!

Just a thought, it seems to work well in the computer forums . . .

Steve