OzVMX Forum
Clubroom => Tech Talk => Topic started by: YZ250H on February 26, 2012, 11:12:58 am
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I have enough compressed air available to run a sand blaster. Is it worth buggerising around with or just simpler to get someone else to do it ?
Is it actually cheaper ?
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Hi YZ 250 H
It would depend on how much sandblasting you need to do and do you have the space to have a cabinet just to sit there not to mention the grit and other equipment you will need, If it is only one or two items i personally would just pay someone to do it job done move on.
Also if you did get one maybe you can do some paid work for other guys who don't have sandblasting gear.
mxfool
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As with Mx's reply.
For me it's a matter of convenience.....Job done and I'm not depending on some-one else ;)
I tend to use 2 mediums - garnet and soda more soda these days as Ican get it for free ;)
HINT .... Use it out side and not in the workshop as the dust gets every where and tends to settle on internal engine parts . After you have bead blasted engine case put them in the auto dishwasher with some "Morning fresh" liquid concentrate and put it thru a cycle to remove minute dust particals
DO NOT USE POWDER or TABLETS as the active oxygen will turn them black....... you have been warned.
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Hey oldfart,does the soda work thru the same equipment as the garnet or other gritty mediums or do you need special nozzles etc ? i have one of those little supercrap hand blasters which has worked well for a lot of smaller jobs and i source out any bigger stuff ,would be good to be able to use the finer soda in it as well :)
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I have three frames and other miscellaneous steel parts to blast.
i've got a bead blasting cabinet to do smaller buts and pieces (cases etc). I run glass beads in that. After a few teething problems it seems to work pretty well. Evacuating the fine dust is always the issue. Bloody hard to see what you are doing. I use a tractor size air filter, but it seems to clog up quickly with the fine dust produced. Still a work in progress ::)
I have plenty of room in the yard. I guess it is just a matter of getting some blasting media and a gun :-\
How much media do you go through and how much does it cost ?
Doing it in the back yard my media would obviously be going to waste.
thanks for the dishwasher idea (and warning) Stew. I will give it a go.
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If you have 3 frames to do I would send them out.....save pissing the neighbors off.
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I am setting up some sandblast gear in my shed all I need now is a suitable blast room I have the rest of the gear to do it I already have my bead blasting set up but like Oldfart says the stuff still goes everywhere I am might redo the seal on my small cabinet and place a bit of ducting off the filter outlet to outside.
It is convenient though last weekend I was cleaning some PE sprocket carriers and brake plates and to be able to do the whole lot myself in the shed strip, bead blast, prime and respray ready to go on a bike and look nice is a pretty good setup.
I thought I would buy maybe a old cool room to sand blast in as it would be sealed I have the airfed helmet etc etc to do it just lacking a room but then you can do a lot of gear and score beers or money for mates work.
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Yeah I agree Joan frames can take up to an hour each
Soda .... I just use a ceramic point and sometimes lathe up a S/S bolt to my requirement ( 9mm hole & 50mm long ) that fits onto end of gun of which is a Trade tools off the shelf item .
My cabinet is also home made and dust is my worst nightmare, dust extraction has failed on 2 attemps hence the reason I do mine outside.
For larger Items I put the media into a 20 litre drum and do it on the driveway in a sheltered spot ( no wind ) of which you should get about 15 minutes blast time - sweep it up and put it thru a sieve prior to use again.
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I might redo the seal on my small cabinet and place a bit of ducting off the filter outlet to outside.
I think that will be my next to Michael. Just duct it straight outside and do away with the filter altogether. It is fine when the filter is clean, but it doesn't last very long >:(
I have a vertical riser on my duct so the beads cant escape.
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Yep I will just be making it out of PVC with a riser like you say with a drain back into the cabinet for the beads to fall back down.
I have a few things I am setting up I have a fair sized shed but it gets pretty full and I have a car coming I will have that soda blasted in my shed yard but get the pros to do something that big. ;)
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Evacuating the fine dust is always the issue. Bloody hard to see what you are doing. I use a tractor size air filter, but it seems to clog up quickly with the fine dust produced. Still a work in progress ::)
If you want to evacuate the dust from one of the cabinets, get a workshop vacuum cleaner from Bunnings and make sure you use the paper disposable bags in it. Don't bother with bags that you have to empty out as it's very messy and the vac motor has to work harder with all the little pores being clogged all the time. ;)
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another handy hint if you are going to blast at home,hit the frame with paint stripper 1st -the hose off one .gets rid of some of the paint ,makes the rest a bit easier to get off so you arn`t just blasting away. to reuse your media tie a tarp up ,blast ,sweep,filter thru shade cloth,reuse. or send it out :D
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Mr Klean at Padstow NSW do a full frame blast and powdercoat for $180, hardly worth all the effort yourself unless you want to do lots of small stuff.
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Having a much more lowtech approach to workshop equipment (ie, cheap), I bought a compressor-driven sandblasting gun - on special at supercheep. Never used it. Are they ok?
I'm hoping could be handy for stripping off old frame paint that paint stripper can't get at etc. Backyard use of course.
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I've got one as well works ok i'ts handy for small jobs only problem i'ts a total loss system so i'ts best to use outside.
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I might redo the seal on my small cabinet and place a bit of ducting off the filter outlet to outside.
I think that will be my next to Michael. Just duct it straight outside and do away with the filter altogether. It is fine when the filter is clean, but it doesn't last very long >:(
I have a vertical riser on my duct so the beads cant escape.
Had the same problem with my small cabinet. I put a 50mm plumbers pipe off the filter outlet (filter gone). Pipe this straight down into a 25lt plastic bucket (through the lid) finishing the pipe around 100mm from the bottom. The lid also has three 50mm exhaust holes covered with fly screen on the inside. I then cover the lid of the bucket with a cloth. The bucket collects 99% of the media and does not block up. Just empty the bucket back into the cabinet. Well it works for me
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I bought a compressor-driven sandblasting gun - on special at supercheep. Never used it. Are they ok?
thats excactly what i use.
i shortened the hose and fitted a larger "jet" inside the gun as i found it sometimes was a bit slow to pick up the media.
although i am spoilt in that i use it in my lunchbreak at my work with a high powered compressor.
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I use one of the supercrap ones for heaps of smaller jobs ! they do struggle for air with a standard compressor on anything bigger or tougher ! i use a fish tub with a wire bench in it to catch and recycle the media and use it outside on the lawn-its a well worthwhile little unit for smaller bits and pieces and easy to setup :)cheers
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I have a blast cabinet, but only use it for small stuff. even a swing arm can be a pain in the arse to do if its strong paint. So small stuff i do in my with glass or garnet - easy to change as mine had a drop hopper in it so out with one and in with the other in under 3mins.
Frame and swings i send out coast me $50 and done in like 15 mins. powder coat same in sating is another $50 so neither is worht the power or my time. The only thing i would say is the industrial blaster can be a bit pitty on the finish so if its soft metal or somthing you want flat then you will have to sand the frame after you get it back to level out the bumps. Also powder coater has a habit of missing the inside of tubes and gussets, so when i pick it up i always ask for his tounch up can for that paint and spray inside the front gusset and inside open tubes as i can always see shinny blasted metal and i wan it to all be covered up. Also if its a frame im using i prime it with Spray on cold galv before i take it to the powder coaters that way its sealed if they have it sitting around before they can do it ( my pet hate was going back a week later and your frame sitting there still not done and steel rusting on its own - gggr ) and also if it gets a chips when riding it only exposes the grey prime galv so its still not going to rust spot on me. They only let me use one brand on this as you cant paint over 'wet' paint, but the CRC blue can of galv has never been and issue and they love it too as it never lifts and seems to also fill in blemishes, while the powder coats sticks no problems and isnt an issue with the heat.
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I have a small cabinet, trade tool type, and the air filter is the issue.The filter that came standard was a total joke!Mine is connected to a 80mm PVC pipe and truck airfilter, but still blocks pretty fast. I think running it outside is the only practical option. Maybe a vac. bag would be better as i suspect the truck filter is too fine.
Very handy for small items though.
The supercheap type $20 full loss gun works well outside but i dont like how the sand gets everywhere , have to cover up pretty well..
where i am the sandblaster want $200 to a frame... so i dont use him...
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Yeah, I gave the filter away altogether. Even a large tractor filter filled up very quickly, so I tossed it. I now have a 90mm pvc pipe coming off the side of the cabinet and a 600 mm vertical riser. Just added another horizontal that takes it straight outside.
Bought one of those super cheap total loss things and a big bag of Garnet. I'll give that a go.
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I have a small cabinet that I only use for glass beads I have it mounted on some legs so I walk straight up to it and I don't have to bend at all.
I removed the filter and I have just a 50mm pipe going about 600mm up then out and I used to get a fair bit coming out the seal as the cabinet would pressurize now there is nothing I lose a little bit outside each time but who cares the shed stays heaps cleaner.
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It's the way to go michael. If you want to save more beads just make the pipe a bigger diameter - even add a length of 90mm to the end of your vertical 50mm, reduces air velocity so the small dust particles stay suspended in the exhaust air and the heavier beads stay on the bottom ;)
Once the cabinet pressurises those bloody beads go everywhere and geez they make the floor slippery :o :o