blasting media

I pass the cost onto my customers who are getting a great deal. Never any complaints. I tried to sub out my blasting but the guy canceled the night before he was scheduled to show up. Said he had to take a family health day. He wanted me to wait two weeks. WTF….

Don
 
I've been using crushed glass, 40 to 60 grit, for years. Yes, freight is expensive, so I buy in bulk, multiple 50# bags, from MSC or TP Tools.

In my cabinet it drops through the bottom funnel into a bucket with a piece of aluminum window screen. I form the screen into bucket a couple of inches so the glass doesn't spill over. I've never collapsed the screen.

For open blasting, I hang a tarp behind and under what I'm blasting. I sweep up the glass and drop it through the bucket screen. Turns out I have can reuse the glass multiple times. I only loose a few lbs. Each use, mostly to whatever mild breeze is about.

So, though somewhat expensive at initial purchase, the continuous recovery and recycling means that 200 or 300 lbs. of crushed glass goes a long way. Not to mention how quickly and nicely it cuts, as well as minimal fine dust blowing around.

My experience for whatever it's worth.
 
aldefed said:
I use a fine mesh kitchen colander to filter my media and I use the fine coal slag from Tractor Supply. I thought it worked better than the medium grit but I also went and used some of those strip it discs to remove as much of the paint as possible before blasting. I also place a tarp on the ground and collect about half of the medium to reuse.
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most of the dust blew away as i was blasting. i was thankful for the breeze actually.
 
hate to beat on this but...........just for shits i rigged up a window screen sifter and sifted what media i dumped out of the blaster. a good 5lbs of it would not go through the screen. i found a half bag in the shop corner, no clue where it came from, prolly 20 years old. sifted it too and got no more than a palm full of over size. yeah, i gotta find a local vendor beside TS.
 
Treeslayer said:
hate to beat on this but...........just for shits i rigged up a window screen sifter and sifted what media i dumped out of the blaster. a good 5lbs of it would not go through the screen. i found a half bag in the shop corner, no clue where it came from, prolly 20 years old. sifted it too and got no more than a palm full of over size. yeah, i gotta find a local vendor beside TS.
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Do you have Mentards in your parts ? Lowes or Home Depot might carry it too. I get my media from Mentards.
 
OJ86 said:
The best media for any type of blasting is that which is located in someone's building that I drop parts off at.
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I use crushed glass on auto body metal and coal
Slag on heavy iron and removing paint with a sandblaster can be tricky. Some paint comes off easily, and some paints are hard as a rock and aggressive sanding might be the better option with tough paint then follow up with blasting, I've been blasting for over 40 years from a number ten nozzle with a 1600 cfm compressor, to a 3/16 blast nozzle, the absolute best blast media is silica sand the round shape of the sand brakes up the paint ten times better than anything out there, butt its a killer if inhaled, in large amounts, I keep some silica sand in stock for the tough jobs, coal slag is not round its angular witch leaves a better blast profile for paint to stick to the metal, butt its way takes more material you don't want to use coarse grits on sheet metal will leave a 6-10 mill blast profile and will require sanding before painting, paint removal can be tricky and not just one technique may be needed, don't try and remove tough paint on sheet metal with a blaster it wont end well,

ABS in Little Falls Minnesota is the best blasting supply shop around a pallet of crushed glass delivered 500 miles to me is only $500 bucks, I buy coal slag a Menards and silica sand from a lumber yard Quartz Sand is fine,
 

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Lizer said:
Do you have Mentards in your parts ? Lowes or Home Depot might carry it too. I get my media from Mentards.
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no sir, i wish we did. local lowes only has sand. i did speak to commercial blaster and he offered to sell me a few bags of crushed glass. thats very good of him i think. he said he gets from a place across the bridge by the pallet. it seems so strange, it seems like while i wasnt looking, every place around here closed up. and whats left dont carry any thing. this place is turning into a retirement home.
 
so would 40/70 crushed glass be good for what i want? that local blaster said he is happy to pick up how ever many bags i want and that he is soon going to get some. thinking i should get while the getting is good..........i will have to store it though.
addendum, you can not sift out all those sticks since they will turn and go through the screen. yeah...........that crap is getting thrown out.
 
sitting here with my back thrown out, bored to death.......thinking about the next project. blasting the tailgate has been a learning experience, its not done and i have to go over some areas again as it looks like there are some fine pits with tiny rust spots. i think i can get them.
but, i have a cab for the next project, it is super solid, top is sound, dip rail is great. however, there is no paint what so ever left on the top of the cab, it is a solid sheet of fine surface rust. i see now what im up against, its not going to be as easy as a quick blast, thats not gonna get it all.
my thoughts turn to a dirty word, oxpho. i have been reading up on this but i cant seem to find the thread on neutralizing it. if any one has a link? or you can reply here if thats easier. i have questions..........of course i will blast it first, however its a large panel with very little contour, im a little worried about warping if i get carried away. should i probably plan on oxpho after blasting to get the last of the rust out of the tiny pits?
do you think a reasonable plan is blast, oxpho, rinse, dry, go immediately to epoxy? i have never used oxpho so i dont know what to expect. i did years ago use some type of rust converter under filler..........late 80s, early 90s, that truck is still here and the filler never bubbled or lifted. no way i can remember what it was now, but i did not rinse it off. i would assume it was the same acid based product that we cant shoot epoxy over.
 
I never blast flat exterior body panels. Only jambs, floors etc. The risk is not worth it.

The owner of my current project decided to take his deck lid for media blasting. They warped the poop out of it. Quite a mess…

Don
 

How to neutralize Ospho

The ONLY acid cleaners SPI recommends is Opsho, PPG and DuPont metal preps as long as their instructions are followed to a tee. Use any other system you want, just do us a favor and use no SPI over them. There can be NO shortcuts for good results. Ospho, is a great product for automotive if...
www.spiuserforum.com
in case any one else cant find it. i simply googled oxpho neutralizing SPI forum.
not sure why that dont work on the site search here.
 
dhutton01 said:
I never blast flat exterior body panels. Only jambs, floors etc. The risk is not worth it.

The owner of my current project decided to take his deck lid for media blasting. They warped the poop out of it. Quite a mess…

Don
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yeah Don i am a little worried about that. the one part easily damaged of a dodge truck besides the doors is the cab top.
granted i have a little blaster, but im afraid ill get frustrated trying to get every bit of rust and screw up. i am not known for patience.
 
i always wondered what it was about these years [1988] that all the paint would come off? it didnt seem to happen with earlier models.
 
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