Sanding Non-flat, bare metal before epoxy

Max

Member
Bare metal intricate parts you can't get 80 grit on.. is the best way a 3M pad to scuff up the metal prior to epoxy? This is part of the globe holder on an old gas pump for example but there are more parts like this involved.
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Yea I don't have a cabinet tho but that definitely would be ideal. I'm going to degrease them well (preservative oils), and see if I can just scuff them as best I can maybe even a wire wheel would do the trick.
 
if you have a bunch of parts like that they really should be blasted to get it the best. you dont need a cabinet really. goto your local tractor supply or harbor freight. you can just get a bag of media and a blaster gun kit. usually its a metal pickup tube, hose and a gun. they are cheap and wear out fairly quick but only cost about 10 bucks. just stick the tube in the bag and goto town. its gonna be way faster and do a far better prep job than you can do by hand.
 
Actually not that hard. Years ago I took a 35gal rubber feed tub and filled it with blasting media. Would blast my small parts right inside the tub sucking out the media and blasting right back in it. A little would go on the ground but big whoop, at the time it was filtered playground sand.

I'll do the same as i have enough parts to utilize this again but will fill it with the 80 grit glass media since i'm working with thinner metal.
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Honestly the cheap Harbor freight cabinet works great. I bead blast EVERYTHING in it and paint it. It is cheap (<$120 on sale) and works fine.
 
I really wish i had room in my garage for a cabinet but I don't. I'd use the heck out of it for sure. Had to get creative with the tub. I just put a tarp and some lumber over it when i'm not using it and stays dry. Heard you definitely need to do some work to the seals on the HF cabinets if you don't want an eventual mess.
 
I really wish i had room in my garage for a cabinet but I don't. I'd use the heck out of it for sure. Had to get creative with the tub. I just put a tarp and some lumber over it when i'm not using it and stays dry. Heard you definitely need to do some work to the seals on the HF cabinets if you don't want an eventual mess.
The $120 HF blast cabinet does need some work.
1 The fabric between the arm ports and the rubber gloves was junk (on mine anyway) and I replaced it with HD canvass.
2 The plastic window protection sheets they supply (3) are a pain to put on the inside of the cabinet. They are only available on line. I flipped the screws on the window retainer, put them in from the inside with nuts on the outside and use wing nuts to hold down the retainer. I can remove the window to replace the plastic protection. I use clear static cling plastic sheet, the stuff used to cover windows in the winter.
3 The bottom is a shallow slope and the media doesn't slide down to the bottom for the pick up tube well at all. I replaced the bottom sheet metal with a deep slope and made the media drain from the bottom instead of sideways.
4 You need light inside to see what your doing. I put a under kitchen cabinet light and painted the inside white (SPI epoxy).
5 The plastic port for a vacuum to clear the dust fits no hose I could find so that had to be machined larger.
6 The ceramic nozzles don't last very long I replaced that with a carbide nozzle. I had issues with the jet inside the blast gun, made new ones, don't remember the details on that.
7 Almost forgot to mention all the foam seals had to be replaced and all other seams needed calk.
So I bought it to clean and blast small stuff because I didn't want to spend the time to build one. But I could have!:mad:
I do use it quite a lot now that it works.
 
I used the sand for suspension parts off a 64 F100 and wore a hobbyair mask underneath the hood. Finished up and poured the sand in low spots in my backyard.
 
Never ever, ever, use sand regular sand to blast with.
One of the most dangerous health things you can do.

Silicosis.....the new asbestosis.
I say that partly because, by my understanding, the effects are pretty similar to asbestos exposure.
It is becoming quite the issue at our work safety briefs now.
 
I actually read about silicosis just prior to blasting my backyard parts. Had a co-worker (USAF crew chief) give me an earful about safety, what it can do, etc which i'm glad he did and why I used the hobbyair mask instead of just the hood like I was originally going to do.
 
I’m another hobby air user, positive pressure hoods make such a difference in getting fresh air and no fog on the lens.
 
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I haven't tried it but have read guys who have modified a cheap walmart cooler and put the unit inside that with ice or something and you're being fed fresh cold air long enough to at least empty a cup of paint or three.
 
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