Sand blasters

[oj]

I'm maybe thinking about buying a small sand blaster from northern tool or similar, I see amazon has them too. Anyways, does anyone have or use one of these home sand blasters? I've got an old fertilizer spreader that I would like to fix up and it's in poor shape in a few spots, figured a sand blaster would clean it up nice then I will have to weld in some new metal in a few places.
Are these sand blasters worth the money or am i better off sending it away?
My compressor does about 9cfm at 90psi if I remember correctly, got 1 80 gallon tank on the compressor and a 60 gallon one I can plumb in if I need (used as a remote air tank if I need to inflate a tire in the field or something - even run an impact off it).
Thoughts?

 

[504]

Sand blasters use more air than you can imagine. As long as you go slow and take your time you will do all right with a small compressor.

 

[Steve@Advance]

They do OK.

Be aware it will need replacement parts, like the gun nozzle. Chances are NT or HF won't stock them. Be sure they are available, and you may want to go ahead and order some if spares don't come with the blaster.

The air needs to be very dry. Any moisture coming through will clump and clog the sand flow.

If you can, come up with another compressor to supplement the CFM, then you can step up to a bigger blaster. A big storage tank will help keep the air dry, but will do little to make up for an undersize compressor.

Once you get suited up and start blasting, it will be very frustrating to have to stop and wait for the compressor to catch up.

 

[jeffcat]

You better believe they use a lot of air. One of those little blasters with the smallest tip you can install. Then you need like 20cfm worth of air. That is just to be comfortable.

 

[Leroy]

I found that is not true, Takes way more air than that and 90# is not enough.

 

[huntingreen2day2]

If you have a high pressure washer get one of those kits norther tool sells that will let you use your HPW It will do a great job and you wont have to deal with the dust. Unless you have a big sand blaster and a lot of air CFM at 90 psi you will be forever getting it done.

 

[showcrop]

I got the HF 20 lb. unit. It works OK but I am not really happy with it. It seems like the Wye where the sand feeds into the air admits too much sand. As others have said you need to keep the air dry. Multiple water traps. Another big factor is vision. You have to see it to blast it, and condensation can cloud your vision.

 

[Mark-Ia]

Send it somewhere for blasting. You will be alot happier than trying to do it yourself with a small blaster.

 

[wjytexas]

I have the small one HF sells and it is fine for tight spots and small jobs that would be hard with a wire wheel or grinder. I use play sand from home Depot. if I can't do with mechanical removal I take it to a commercial blaster.

 

[showcrop]

(quoted from post at 07:00:37 02/23/20) I have the small one HF sells and it is fine for tight spots and small jobs that would be hard with a wire wheel or grinder. I use play sand from home Depot. if I can't do with mechanical removal I take it to a commercial blaster.

Play sand is a very bad idea. Google silicosis. Black Beauty is what you want unless you want to do more gentle work.

 

[David G]

I do not think 9CFM will touch a decent job on blasting, I would want about 25CFM at 150 PSI. My 5HP does not handle it, would want at least 7.5 HP.

 

[Goose]

I have both a small spot blaster and a can type that holds about 100 pounds of medium. With a 60 gallon, 2 stage compressor, I can only do small stuff, like cleaning up spots for body work. Like others have said, you wouldn't believe how much air a sand blaster needs to do a decent job.

For anything serious, I send it out.

 

[Nordic]

If you invest in a blaster buy a real productive one and rent a compressor that will put out 100 CFM. I have a commercial size pot and in the past I owned several compressors from 100 to 150 CFM. Small equipment serve to convince you to get ''man sized'' help.

 

[Tim Cl.]

TP Tools has some good sand blasters and parts are available. I got one in the shop and it works great

 

[spacecadet9]

(quoted from post at 01:53:45 02/23/20) high pressure washer get one of those kits

which somebody would elaborate on huntingreen2day2 suggestion. I've watched some videos on using one and it sounds like an alternative to using compressed air. I've been mulling over buying one of the kits.

 

[DR. EVIL]

I've got a full 7-1/2 hp Porter-Cable 2 stage 80 gallon compressor, 25 cfm @ 165 psi, and it BARELY keeps up with my 40# HF pressure blasting pot. With a new small tip the compressor will catch up and shut off, but I'm way beyond my compressor's duty-cycle, of 50%. I set a big 20 inch fan up next to the motor and compressor and shut down blasting occasionally. Blasting makes a mess. I used crushed, ground, and sized quartz, about $4 for 100# bag. Get some sand on the concrete shop floor and it's slick like ice. I've seen sand fly 50-60 feet away from where I was blasting. The quartz cuts great, but it etches anything you use to protect your eyes, and I wear a respirator under my full face shield. I wanted to set up a blast cabinet to recycle sand but no room left in the shop.
Buy a coalescing air filter pressure regulator, removes all moisture from compressed air, controls psi, 75-80 psi is enough to blast with, makes your too small compressor seem bigger. Be REAL careful what you sand blast. Anything with grease seals, oil seals, do not blast, you will get sand inside the thing. Smooth machined surfaces will become rougher after being blasted.

 

[showcrop]

(quoted from post at 14:59:06 02/27/20) I've got a full 7-1/2 hp Porter-Cable 2 stage 80 gallon compressor, 25 cfm @ 165 psi, and it BARELY keeps up with my 40# HF pressure blasting pot. With a new small tip the compressor will catch up and shut off, but I'm way beyond my compressor's duty-cycle, of 50%. I set a big 20 inch fan up next to the motor and compressor and shut down blasting occasionally. Blasting makes a mess. I used crushed, ground, and sized quartz, about $4 for 100# bag. Get some sand on the concrete shop floor and it's slick like ice. I've seen sand fly 50-60 feet away from where I was blasting. The quartz cuts great, but it etches anything you use to protect your eyes, and I wear a respirator under my full face shield. I wanted to set up a blast cabinet to recycle sand but no room left in the shop.
Buy a coalescing air filter pressure regulator, removes all moisture from compressed air, controls psi, 75-80 psi is enough to blast with, makes your too small compressor seem bigger. Be REAL careful what you sand blast. Anything with grease seals, oil seals, do not blast, you will get sand inside the thing. Smooth machined surfaces will become rougher after being blasted.

Dr.Evil that silica sand is killing you. Google Silicosis.

 

[boler76]

anyone here use a wet sand blaster with their power washer? they sell a kit for it?

 

[Jim in N.M.]

I've used a Soda blaster from HF and it works great for small items like wheels etc. I also have one of those that works with my power washer. If you want to use sand, it must be "CLEAN" and you need at least a 3000 or better PSI pressure washer. right now I'm into buying a 4000 PSI unit! The one I have now is 2350 PSI, It works fine just not quite enough PSI. Jim in N.M.

 

[huntingreen2day2]

The wet blaster works real well. I bought one from Northern tool to blast a 20 ft trailer. 10 faster than a small pot sand blaster and no dust.