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Sandblasting recommendations?

Highpsi

Highpsi

Comfortably Numb
Joined
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Wausau,Wi
I'm about to break out my cheap ole portable sandblaster again to blast my axles recently acquired.

First of all, does anybody have a recommendation for a GOOD blasting hood? The junk POS that came with the blaster is going in the garbage this time. I want a shield that won't turn opaque the first time I use the hood!!

Second, I don't want to break the bank on media, but I am well aware that play sand from home depot or something isn't exactly best. Is there a good compromise for something I can buy a decent quantity of for a decent price and recover it and re-use?

Interested to see any ideas or tips you guys would recommend before I break this stuff out and transform my garage for a weekend to a blasting area.
 
Highpsi said:
I checked it out now, but there's still the question about a good hood. What do you use personally? Sounds like you have a lot of media blasting experience!
Click to expand...



As far as a "hood" I have only used a pressure pot type blaster and blasted outside one time. I used a regular face shield, and yes it sucked ass big time. I wore a hat as well, a long sleeve shirt and taped off any bare skin. What a PITA that was.

Do a google search, and type in "Hood for grit blasting" and you will see they can be bought for as little as $20 up to hundreds of dollars, and are fully enclosed soft material hoods. How long the view window lasts before not being able to see out of it I don't know. I would try and add some clear tear offs so to speak so as it gets blasted to where you cant see out of it you peal off a tear off.

You could use those thick plastic sleeves for paper, you can get them at like office depot or any office supply store. They make them in this or the thicker sleeves. I thing the thicker ones would be better to use. Just get them, and cut them the same size as the view window in the hood. I'm sure the hoods have replacement clear lenses you can buy too, but a do it yourself version may be done cheaper. The air supplied hood are about 150 from Northern tool.

Look here at Northert Tool. I do have alot of experience blasting, just not buying equipment for it other then the three blasting cabinets I have owned myself. But of course ya just put your hands in the gloves mounted to the cabinet.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/NTESearch?storeId=6970&N=0&Ntk=All&Ntt=sand blast hood&Nty=1&D=sand blast hood&Ntx=mode matchallpartial&Dx=mode matchallpartial&cmnosearch=PPC&cm_ven=google_PPC&cm_cat=Safety&cm_pla=generic&cm_ite=sand blast hood&mkwid=sQ1zuaqmS&pcrid=15754408391&mt=b
 
Scarab helmet

My blaster is the cheap-o pressure pot type but it does a pretty decent job for the very infrequent use that I've put it through. I used it quite a bit on parts for the truck, and did the whole bed and inside of tailgate just prior to having the bedliner done. Those cheap nozzles that come with them are junk, that's the first thing I found out.

I actually looked around on google already for the hood too, but I figured I'd check in here before going forward with a purchase. Here's the helmet I thought looked nice:

http://www.amazon.com/Scarab-Heavy-Duty-Blast-Hood/dp/B000OSJZFE


I thought your idea for the clear plastic was great - I'm gonna try that! Hehe.. Now that I think of it I even remember last time trying to use saran wrap on my new replacement lens I'd bought because its predecessor got abraded so fast! Needless to say the saran wrap idea was a big FAIL.

Wish I could fit my axles in the cabinet here at work! :D
 
That is a nice hood. But you could save a bit based on the pricing at Northern Tool. Or probably other places as well. I actually did blast my axle in the walk in cabinet at my last shop, and I had the coating dept Zink coat my entire axle, then I used self etching primer to paint it black. It should never rust period. Check out this thread, click on the pics.

http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1391753#post1391753
 
Man, I'm Jealous! That's some awesome work on that axle. You really do have the hook up for blasting big ole parts.. Looks like your axle will still be around even after there's no more cockroaches running around on Earth! ...grins
 
you can get helmets with peel-off lenses, like the offroad race guys use.. i used to use em with the 1000 lb Titan blaster we used on mixers, dozers, etc.. focker would cut cinder blocks in 1/2, or your foot just as easy.. :eek1:

but we're talking bucks... the Clemco helmets with the peel-off's run like 3, 400 bucks... but they are also air-supplied, thus the cost...


http://www.buy.com/prod/clemco-apol...ast-helmet/226256693.html?listingId=192398738
 
Yea, for sure that's exactly what I was thinking of Ryoken - just like the Supercross guys or what not with the tear off strips on the goggles!

I think I am going to come up with a quick and easy little system like RDN suggested, and get myself a halfway decent hood/helmet for under $100 if possible.

I think I found an appropriate media for a decent price too:

http://www.menards.com/main/buildin...lack-blast-blasting-sand/p-1408386-c-5648.htm


Coal slag is going to be a MUCH better idea than deadly play sand! Man.. I shiver to think how lucky I got when doing my previous blasting project with that stuff. Thank god I was at a minimum doing it outside in a well ventilated area with a respirator.
 
There are full face respirators that have peel offs. I have one that my uncle retired. He said it had a slight leak somewhere and that after 8-12 hours of blasting he could taste the dust. It worked fine for sanding and spraying nasty paint. I'm pretty sure the person blasting used a full blast hood over their head as well. They either had glass lenses or tear offs.

My uncle and his father own a company that blasts parts in power plants, including turbines/rotors. They use aluminum oxide for cleaning up parts and steel shot to shot peen parts, in order to relieve stress in the metal that can cause cracks to form. They said it is something else to be escorted by a guard armed with a machine gun, just to take a leak. Of course this was at the nuclear plants. The others weren't locked down quite as tight. The only blasting job I ever did with him was removing the color coat stucco on one of the houses we flipped. Working on power plants seemed like an intense job. The job in Page, Arizona was usually either during the summer when it was 120+ degrees or in the winter when it was near freezing. I saw pics from the Hawaii job. It looked a little easier.
 
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