Blasting Recomendations?

[F-Zilla]

My original intention was to sand blast my 66 wich has a lot of surface rust. My concrete driveway runs from front to back ending at my garage in the back yard. I was thinking I could put together a temporary enclosure on the driveway behind the house with 4X4s and blue tarps. I can get sandblasting sand in two grits close to home. I have a sandblasting cabinet as my only experience as I have never blasted outside of it. I bought a blasting tank and gun last year which I havn't used yet. I know you can warp steel if not carefull, but I'm not trying to complete the job in a hour, so I'll have plenty of time. One of my friends says I should put it on my trailer and take it to Norfolk and have it blasted with walnut shells. I'm not sure I like the logistics and expense of that Idea as it's a good hour or so away through killer traffic. Plus it would be funner to do it myself. What say ya'll? thanks

[Shawn F.]

Not a good idea to blast yourself with sand.... You need to use some kind of walnut shell or possibly glass. Sure you can use the sand and do the inside door jambs and engine compartment yourself and the inside of your bed but that is about it. Also I hope you have the engine and everything else taken out of the truck. I've seen people blast their cars with glass and walnut shells and bring it to the shop here and we looked in the tranny after taking the motor out and the blast media got all inside. This stuff will get in EVERY crack and cranny in the truck so be prepared to do a lot of cleaning.

[MadMaxetc]

walnut shels will not get rid of the rust. I would use sand, it is cheeper than glass and it doesn't matter if it gets all over your yard.

I would allow a hole day! one hour and you will have the door done.

The sand will not warp the panels unless you build up some heat, as long as you move around you will be fine. do not point the gun directly at a 90 deg angle do more like a 45.

I plan to do mine this spring. I am not going to do an encosure, I will just clean it up when I am done.

[Uncle Skip]

Well, for all you guys that weren't members on the old web site, Bork and Joey used to brag about sandblasting naked.
TMI...... if you've ever seen a picture of Joey, you'd understand how ugly things could get. Never really saw a picture of Bork, but I can't imagine it would be much better.
But I digress.
You won't warp sheet metal on a Slick with a home compressor and sand unless you just stand there and shoot one area for about an hour.
The sand is good for your yard.
DO NOT sandblast without a mask.
No alibis, no excuses. Use a mask.
Sandbblast naked at your own peril, but if you do, you'll be joining a very elite fraternity.
Thongs and bikini's are optional I guess, but I don't want to know so don't tell me.
ROTFLMBAO
U@ss

[Slick Fan]

Sandblastng naked...

[61ford]

my personal experience with it is that it sucks.a little blaster that youve got wont worp the metal but takes forever for it to take everything off and mine was a piece of junk if youre gonna do it yourself i suggest covering all your body bc when that sand comes flying off that metal and hits you kinda stings and wear a hood had it in my eye one time that smarts but even with a hood it still gets under your hood and youll have it everywhere.i sandblasted mine a little and ive decided im gonna have the rest done by someone else,if you can afford it have it media blasted what im told is that its not as hard on the metal and you dont have the panel warpage.after ive bought a sandblaster that i never could get to work worth a flip and all the sand and hastle i put into it this summer i wouldve been money ahead to just have it done i got a price one time for about 1200 and if i remember right that was just for the body ive got a guy im gonna call i think

[Greg D]

[MadMaxetc]

sounds like one of those clubs you just don't want to know even exist!

[Johnny Canuck]

I would hate to let that gun slip out of my hand

[Kid]

O MAn, Thanks Skip, LOL. The nightmares had stopped from thinking about Bork sandblasting naked and Joeys pink thong, Not going to go to sleep anytime soon...............Kid

[F-Zilla]

Thank's guys, I have a hood and I will wear a filter resparator under it. I plan on covering myself much like we did for nuclear decontamination cleaning in the Navy (as long as it's cool out). I could envision Kate Beckensale sandblasting Nekid though! I could even see her warping my sheet metal!

[FORDMANLCRACKEL]

What size is your blaster, is it siphon or pressure and what is the size of compressor, horse power and cfm?

It takes a lot of cfm to operate a blaster. the more the better. the compressor needs to be big enough to keep at least 90 lbs of pressure at the blaster and pump up and cut off while you blast. you also need dry air moisture in the air will condense into water get in the blaster cause the sand to stick together and plug up the dead man valve. then you have to stop clean out the blockage. This alone will send your soul to Hell quick. If you dont have a moisture removel system dont even try to blast.

Use fine or extra fine sand.(Walnut shells wont do rust just paint )It leaves a nice finish on the steel for priming. If you plan on recycling the sand for more than one trip through the blaster use the blue tarps for a wall around the area ( no top )to keep the sand on the concrete so it can be scooped up for a second use. After about the third time its not much use.

Like Skip said wear a good resperator, not the little white mask with a rubber band they are good for nothing dont know why they even makem all they are is a false sence of safety. Dust from sand can cause cancer and other respatory problems so wear a good one.

Do one panel at a time and prime as soon as you get finished with the panel. There's not a body panel on the truck that you will get done in an hour. no need to worry about grease when you are done blasting the metal is clean. You might want to scrape caked up places befor you start blasting just to save some sand.

Blast at an angel (not at 90 deg.) the sand will bounce away from you insted of right back on you. ( just one fo the secrets of blasting naked but i would still wear the resperator , hood and at least shoes. with the hood no one knowes its you.) Blasting will show where the pin holes are that you might miss other wise. Have spare lens for the hood they dont last long. The paint will disapear quick the rust takes a little longer.

You will only warp a panel if you stay in one place to long or use a blaster that has a nozzel for blasting large i beams or a battel ship.

I blasted my whole truck, chassis and all but didnt keep up with how long or how many bags of sand it took so i cant help you much there. it was enough though. I might let some one do the next one but only after i have seen some of his work first.

Lonnie

[66fordtrucknut]

A friend of mine just put together a soda blasting rig, I'm excited to see what it will do.
Charlie

[jakdad]

Sand blasting is a nasty, dirty job. That's why I gave my blast rig to a friend that does body work. Your compressor needs to be a good sized two stage or it will never keep up. I have a 5 HP heavy service two stage with an 80 gallon tank. It wouldn't keep up at 100# pressure. What saved me was that after about 25 to 30 minutes I needed a break so the compressor got a break. Doesn't matter if it's summer time, dress with your body completely covered, long sleeves, etc. You're on the right track with the full hood. When you have all your gear on, you start sweating so bad you cant see what you're doing. And that's why I pay somebody else to do it. They earn every nickle.

[Uncle Skip]

What size is your blaster ? ? ?
I mean, after just talking about Joey and Bork sandblasting naked ............................... Phew. I'm still trying to catch my breath on that one. You made me spit coffee all over my monitor screen.
You shouldn't do that to old guys like me.
U@ss
Literally laughing my ass off.

[64 f100]

Heat and mositure are the major problems with sandblasting. Most of us don't have a compressor big enough for real heavy duty sandblasting. I've got a dual stage compressor with a five horse motor and 60 gallon tank. I don't consider it big enough for serious sandblasting, and just barely big enough for a blasting cabinet. When you run the compressor for long intervals, you get heat and this causes water to condense inthe tank. Be sure to have some form of water removal system, and blow th tank out after any large amount of blasting. Cooling systems for water removal are generally reccomended. As mentioned, you may be spitting in the wind, if you have a small compresser, and wasting a lot of time, and some money. I have about 2,000 in my frame axles and body blasting for the cab hood front inner and outer fenders core support and cab in, out and bottom. This does not include the bed which was a new stepside. this was media blasted and done well. Unfortunately, we no longer have this service. If you don't have a lot of major rust, and just need to spot blast a home unit will suffice if it is of the right kind, and you have enough compresser. For paint, I would suggest aircraft paint remover. Then light blasting afterward, although this is not neccesary. Quick coverage of the blasted area is important, as mentioned. Blasted and raw metal with rust almost imediately.

Rich

[FORDMANLCRACKEL]

What size is your blaster ? ? ?
I mean, after just talking about Joey and Bork sandblasting naked ............................... Phew. I'm still trying to catch my breath on that one. You made me spit coffee all over my monitor screen.
You shouldn't do that to old guys like me.
U@ss
Literally laughing my ass off.

Sorry Skip, i guess just the word blaster by itself would refer to the person or parts there of doing the blasting. So let me refraze the question. How big is the metal thing that you put sand in that has a hose that sand comes out of that operates on air pressure used for paint and rust from metal among other uses.

I dont know what Joey or Bork look like and thats all im going to say about that. Just conseder the big laugh a personal Christmas present from me to you.

Lonnie

[joeymac64]

i know we all try to save money by doing our own work but some things you just got to bite the bullit and and leave to the pros those who know what they are doing can do it quite cost effectivelly when i do any blasting at home i will hook my small compressor for running my carpenter type air tools into the tank of my large 5 horse 60 gallon compressor to give my large commpressor some relief.If you really want to do your own do yourself a favour and rent a commercial air screw commpressor and a 500 lb pot for a saturday or weekend 300.00 and never run out of air or sand and you will finish in a fraction of the time and get proffesional results still cheaper than having the pro's do it

[F-Zilla]

Thank's for the recomendations so far! My compressor is a 2 cylinder 30 gallon 220vac compressor, I have a small water trap on it now, I want a bigger trap though. My blasting tank is a 10 gallon job, within the ratings of my compressor.

[Uncle Skip]

Thanks for the chuckle Lonnie.
It just hit me wrong. I'm in that kind of mood today .
Merry Christmas to all of you.
U@ss