Sandblasting pressure pots?

[B19GRR]

Hi All,

Have any of you got any experience with these DIY blaster things? They seem pretty popular on Ebay but can they do the job? Like this:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7967515350

I've got a decent (3hp, 100ltr) compressor top is it worth investing in or should I stick to the semi-local blasting company. I've got a fair bit that I need to clean up on my 240Z so cost wise they're probably pretty even in the long run.

Cheers,
Rob

[sparkythecat]

I'd send a PM to Dontlift aka toolsnstuff-couk.
He's a tool retailer who was until recently a regular poster on here.
He certainly knows his stuff and I'm sure he'd be happy to advise.

[docevi1]

sorry for thread hijack, but what did happen to DL?

[wedg1e]

I assume you can contain the blast media? I considered one of those Ebay things as well, then I considered all four car engines, my lathes, mills, the house, the neighbours (I know, to hell with the neighbours...) and decided against it.

[B19GRR]

I was thinking about knocking together a box to do the blasting within - 3ft sq, 6ft high - that would at least keep most of the sand in one place(-ish!). I'd have the box in a discreet part of the garden, definitely away from my workshop and expensive bits of metal

I've been told that you can just use silver sand or playpit sand, as long as it's dry it'll do the job. Certainly work out cheaper than spraying ali oxide grit all over the place!

Cheers,
Rob

[Phil Dicky]

I used to have a business sandblasting, works very well with the right equipment. Our pot cost over 2.5K and was a good bit of kit. These cheeper types are as you would expect for the money. You will find it quite difficult to remove heavy rust etc.
Mail me if you want any advice.

Phil

[ndg]

I bought the ACE kit from www.blastitclean.co.uk

They're the makers of the sealy kit but a lot less cost. Certainly work although a little slow on heavily rusted items, the chassis on a 1930 car took me 2 days to complete, now just got the rest of it to do! They can also provide copper slag, which is a disposable blast media, although I reuse it a couple of times without problems (just filtered through my Mums sieve!). The main thing is to have a sufficiently large totally dry air supply. I was running it off the largest compressor that single phase electrics can supply, and it was just keeping up, but it worked better when I had just started and there was a bit of 'head' in the receiver. Dry air was provided by sinking the airline in a big tub of water to condense out the vapour, it was then collected using the provided water seperator.

Hope this helps

Nathan

[tvrforever]

I have working proof that the back end of a Ford Fiesta hatchback (vertically cut car in half at middle) makes a very goot shotblasting bay...

I'll dig out some pics of the ones at a work I might know

[B19GRR]

Hey guys,

Well I got one of the pots of ebay, only cost me £60+p&p. Just tried it out with some patio sand courtesy of Wickes. After a lot of messing around adjusting the different taps on it and trying different sized nozzles, I finally got some serious blasting done. I guess it's all about careful adjustment of the tap that controls the sand feed rate in relation to the air flowing past it. I'm definitely going to have to build a cabinet though as the sand got everywhere in no time at all! Good for the grass though

Cheers,
Rob