[InTroubleAlltheTime]

Group: I want to purchase a sandblaster for restoration work. I have a De Walt framing double tank compressor. Specifications are:
5.1 [email protected] 40PSI
4.6 CFM @ 60PSI
4.0 CFM @ 90PSI
3.8 CFM @ 100 PSI
I have a $50 Sears Gift Card and a Lowes $75 gift card (so far none at Lowe's based on web search). Budget is up to a little over a hundred with the gift card.
I note at Sears they have a tank type:
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1260 ... ockType=G7
Gravity Feed: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1260 ... ockType=G5
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1260 ... mv=rr#desc
Hand Held:
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1260 ... ckType=G14
Plastic Jobby:
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1260 ... ockType=G2
So the big questions are can I be a little short on CFM and is there is any great advantage between the gravity feed and tank type. I would verify CFM in store. I also think a variable speed nozzle would be good because of my limited air delivery. I think I am going to be a little short in any case like I am with my HVLP paint gun. But of course I want to get as close as possible if this works. I also want to be fairly efficient and professional with the ability to do this work. Oh, one more question, what is typically used as the blast medium? Any help and feedback is greatly appreciated!
:222: :446: Best Regards, Rich

 

[mjodrey]

Rich ,I don't think the compressor you have is enough to keep up with a sand blaster.


Those pressurised ones like that Sears one are good rigs,that is a lot like the one I have,but they need a LOT of air.The siphon type works pretty good.I don't think you would be happy with the hand held one.
Maynard :canada:

 

[Bart]

Rich,

I have a blast cabinet, a pressure tank style blaster and a siphon feed type blaster all of which I have used with my 30 gallon compressor that produces about 5 cfm at 90 psi. Bottom line is that I have found it very tedious trying to blast much with the limited air supply I have available. The blast cabinet is ok for small items and recycles the blast media but has limited visibility. I like the one with the pressure tank best and use it outside where the media can be dispersed on the ground. The big problem is that a small compressor/tank requires that you have to stop frequently to let the air supply catch up. I have considered hooking up a larger tank--e.g. an old water tank--so that I can store more air but I really don't think that is a good solution. If you really want to do any blasting I think you have to commit to a large compressor that will set you back $600 or more.

Most of the things I am most interested in blasting are relatively large (hoods, decks, frames) and require more capacity than I have so I've come to the conclusion it's better just to take it to someone who can do it for me. I might also add that I don't find blasting to be a fun job because you need to wear a hood and you make a mess no matter what you do.

 

[Hydriv]

Rich,
If you buy 5 or 6 of those compressors and run them all at the same time, you might be OK. :sidelaugh:

What matters here is CFM @ 90 PSI.

I use an industrial compressor that will put out 16 CFM and it feeds an 80 gallon tank. I have a pressure pot blaster that holds one full bag of media. I still have to stop now and then to allow the compressor to catch up.

My pressure pot came for Princess Auto but Harbor Freight sells almost the same thing. http://www.harborfreight.com/110-lb-pre ... 95014.html for a lot less money that Sears charges.

 

[Hydriv]

http://gardentractortalk.com/f56-tool-s ... shop-4239/

http://gardentractortalk.com/f56-tool-s ... stem-1520/

 

[mikebramel]

I have a compressor with similar specs. Took me about all day to blast a roller

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/ ... 8129_28129

 

[mikebramel]

Black Beauty works great, its coal slag or something like. Regularly $8/50lbs but I have gotten it for $4

 

[Billygoat]

Bart, Hooking up a larger tank is definitely not the way to go. It will make the initial "batch" of air last longer, but will just take more time for the compressor to catch up. There is no such thing as a "cfm expander" ya got what the compressor puts out and that's it.

 

[Bart]

Bart, Hooking up a larger tank is definitely not the way to go. It will make the initial "batch" of air last longer, but will just take more time for the compressor to catch up. There is no such thing as a "cfm expander" ya got what the compressor puts out and that's it.

Yes, I understand but I figure with a big enough tank I could blast for awhile then have lunch while waiting for the compressor to catch up! :sidelaugh:

 

[Hydriv]

The process is called “sand BLASTING” with the emphasis on the last word in the phrase.

If the sand does not leave the nozzle at a certain velocity, then it will not strike the object to be cleaned with sufficient force to remove paint and rust rapidly. Compressors that cannot put out the required CFM will just spit sand out the nozzle at a low velocity once the pressure drops below 80 CFM and you will go through two to three times as much media as you would if the compressor could maintain at least 100 PSI at the nozzle consistently.

Now if you set up an area to do this work in, whereby you can sweep up the spent sand, screen it and re-use it, then your media costs will be reduced but your time factor will still be high.

Pumps are sized to the storage tanks so that the recovery period is short, thus reducing wear and tear on the motor and the pump. Those cheap-ass compressors you see at the big box stores all have what is referred to as a “duty cycle”. They are not designed to run continuously like an industrial quality compressor is and if you try to run the hard, they will burn out on you.

They are fine for a home shop where intermittent duty is the norm but sandblasting large objects falls well outside that description.

 

[Bart]

Rich,

If you want a big compressor on the cheap then do some research on the net and you'll likely come across plans for using old engines to build a compressor. I recall reading about someone who took an engine and converted half the cylinders to operating as a compressor and the other half would spin the engine. I imagine if you used a big block V-8 you could get the volume necessary to handle most blasters.

 

[Billygoat]

I had an old compressor that was the type people rented for jackhammers and such. I believe it was a Sullair. It was a Ford 302 that ran on 4 cyl., and pumped air with the other 4. My nephew gave it to me as he had another one in better condition. He sold his, borrowed mine, haven't seen it since!

 

[Bill.H]

There were some good results with this on the other forum. If you have a good pressure washer it might do what you need. Even the reviews at Northern are good.

 

[InTroubleAlltheTime]

http://gardentractortalk.com/f56-tool-shed/help-me-choose-air-compressor-sandblasting-shop-4239/
http://gardentractortalk.com/f56-tool-s ... stem-1520/

Thanks everyone for the feedback. Tom one guy did hook two up! Thank you for the links. Hey Maynard I like that Avatar you have there on that site, "How about a cup of shut up." :sidelaugh: :sidelaugh: :sidelaugh: Best Regards, Rich

 

[InTroubleAlltheTime]

I went to Sears yesterday. They were completely helpless. :thumbdown: They sent me to belt sanders. :clap: After much walking around it was determined they don't stock any. :crazy: Its only on line and very expensive shipping. Lowes does not carry sandblasters believe it or not (so much for the $75 gift card). So the $50 Sears gift card will be buying a 360 CCA Gold Diehard battery for the 224. But in any case I have learned from the posts that it appears that I am going to be quite short on the CFM with my 1.1 HP compressor. I may still buy this one at TSC
http://www.tractorsupply.com/tools/sand ... RRWidgetID

and try it with the finest grit with the goal of buying a bigger compressor eventually. Maybe even a used one. This is their brand but I tend to think its a "Buffalo". Bill was kind enough to point out another option using a pressure washer, unfortunately I don't have one.
Group, thanks again for the help. :thumbsup:
:222: :446: Best Regards, Rich

 

[Bill.H]

Rich,
I borrowed what appears to be the same blaster and tried using it with my (rated [email protected]) compressor and it was ... frustrating. It will work but don't even think about doing anything large with it. Be prepared to take a lot of breaks.

 

[oleblu72]

Here's a heck of a deal on a used Tp tools model 99 pressureblaster
on CL for $49 I have one just like it and it works great ,but I'm afraid it is to big for your compressor.

Mark

http://akroncanton.craigslist.org/tls/2373565498.html

 

[k0jdd]

My $.02

I had this same question...

I bought a 33gal 5.1 [email protected] compressor from Sears for about $300 along with their $49 siphon sandblasting kit.

Blasted my entire tractor with it. It took some time to be sure, but the compressor seemed to keep up.
This cost was a wash with the three estimates I received to have it blasted for me. Your mileage may vary.

Would I want to start a sand blasting service with this equipment? No way.
But for the money the job got done and I can now sandblast small jobs as needed.

John

A tip. I placed a 20x20 blue tarp on the lawn on a nice day and did my blasting in the center of it.
The tarp collects95% of the blast material for re-use (after screening) and keeps the lawn from being attacked by coal slag.

 

[bob_hefley]

Black Beauty works great, its coal slag or something like. Regularly $8/50lbs but I have gotten it for $4

100% agree. Thats all I use. I found it works good even when pressure starts to get low. Seems to be sharper than silica sand.

 

[oleblu72]

They have a plant about 15 miles from my house. It has been called Jet Diamond & Black Beauty .It is made when they inject water into the smoke stacks at the Niles power generating station, when the water hits the hot surface inside the smoke stacks it crystalizes this done to control the pollution and the stuff you use to sandblast with is a byproduct of this process.

Mark