Home sand blasting - is it worth the effort ?

[YZ250H]

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 ?

[mxfool]

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

[oldfart]

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.
   

[huskibul]

  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

[YZ250H]

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. 

[Davey Crocket]

If you have 3 frames to do I would send them out.....save pissing the neighbors off.

[frostype400]

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.

[oldfart]

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.

[YZ250H]

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.

[frostype400]

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.

[maico police]

  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. 

[shorelinemc]

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

[PCMAX]

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.

[Gerard De Ruyter (Twistandshout)]

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.

[steve7406]

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.