slownrusty Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 Guys - I would like to pick-up a portable Sand Blaster. What do you recommend? What's best? 1) 2) 3) 4) Thanks! - Yasin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruez Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 I have the last one... it was cheap from harbor freight... I used it a couple times for some small spots on something I was working on.. goes through sand fairly quickly.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RB26powered74zcar Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 I have a brand new #2. Used one sack of sand thru it on my engine bay (then gave up and had it soda blasted) and its works fairly good. Makes a hell of a mess though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparks280zt Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 My dad has two of these, work great, just make sure you have the back for it! http://www.ikt.co.yu/images/clemco2.jpg Lol jk Yasin! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexideways Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 10,000 times better than sand. Soda-blasting requires absolutely no cleaning before blasting, you can go right over grease, oil, and other contaminants. There is no danger of overheating the substrat, woodworkers even use it to stip paint off of wood. As an added bonus side effect, if you leave the soda dust on your metal surface, since it's a base, it will neutralize the effect of oxidation which is acid... Another good thing about it is that you can just wash it away with tap water and it'll dissolve and isn't harmful to the environment. You also don't need to much protective gear as this stuff isn't bad for your health. In fact, your own body produces sodium bicarbonate. http://www.ace-sandblasting.com/soda-blasting.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustinOlson Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 Can you rent soda blasters? Justin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 I also have the last one. I found that I needed to get extra fine sand, the usual playground sand from HD didn't flow through it very well. I'd like to get another bigger one because as Cruez says you spend 1/2 your time filling the stupid thing up with sand instead of actually using it. If you want something reasonably portable I'd go with #2, maybe the 20 lb version or something light like that if you want to move it around a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slownrusty Posted March 23, 2007 Author Share Posted March 23, 2007 Thanks for all the replies guys! The Soda Blasting is a great suggestion and I will look into it, thanks for that Alex! Yasin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(goldfish) Posted March 24, 2007 Share Posted March 24, 2007 It will really depend on how big a project. last time I used any, I went through sand like crazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunar240z Posted April 1, 2007 Share Posted April 1, 2007 how is soda blasting equipment different from sandblasting equipment? I've already got the 40lb harborfreight sandblaster. [option 2] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustinOlson Posted April 2, 2007 Share Posted April 2, 2007 I found a local company in Oregon that does Soda Blasting: http://www.soda-blast.com/soda_cob_blasting_services_offered.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LLave Posted April 7, 2007 Share Posted April 7, 2007 I had number 2, got it from Harbor Freight and did a complete car with it in a booth I made from a huge tarp and some steel tubing. It made it through the car (70 dodge challenger) but it was pretty much done after that. Expect all of those blasters to do about a nickel sized spot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 I would vote for a #2 as well. I recently had a portable diesel driven IR compressor given to me (185cfm) so my blasting equipment is going to take a BIG jump in size! LOL So what if it labors to go over 90 psi...for stripping what I want tostrip with a pressure pot, I will need less than 60 psi anyway! FYI we stripped the underneath of a Sport Fury Hemi that sold at Barrett-Jackson in 2003 using the larger HF Pressure Pot like #2. Boss was going to spend some big $$$ for the 'name brand equivalent' and buying the HF saved almost $1000. He was so happy with the way it worked, he wouldn't let us finish the stripping! Talk about a kid with a new toy!!! He was under that thing blasting away grinning through the hood like it was christmas morning. The pressure pots work SO MUCH better than the siphon guns. I also have an ALC Sandy-Jet siphon gun (100# hopper) and comparing the pressure pot to it is like night and day: #2 HANDS DOWN! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 I'm going to add, reading closer through these posts: WEAR A GOOD RESPIRATOR!!! I got silicosis being young and stupid doing my 73's engine bay in 88 with the Sandy-Jet. After that little experience of LUNG PAIN like you wouldn't believe, I started wearing a GOOD catrtidge respirator with dust prefilters. The dust you will raise WILL knock you down. If you are dusting, you are using TOO MUCH PRESSURE as well. You're not supposed to do it, but I recycled my media several times through a fine seive so the finish got progressively finer as the job went along. Not supposed to do it, but it works well for me! Jut get a GOOD RESPIRATOR before you start ANY blasting, and use it EVERY TIME. You don't want silicosis. Trust me on that regard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirkatwork Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 http://www.mcmaster.com/ page 2635? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom'sZ Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Just want to add my two cents. Former bodyman for 25 years and did a lot of restoration ect. Pressure blasters rock! (like number 2) gravity fed blaster is for an area no bigger then a couple inches square. If you have a large area, a pressure blaster will use less air and make quick work of it. I had a 60 pound unit (held sixty pounds of sand) and could do the whole interior floor pan of a muscle car in about 45 minutes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparks280zt Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 The number 2 options have horrible reviews on both Harbor Freights website and on Northern website, I am sure they are the same model, any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted April 11, 2007 Share Posted April 11, 2007 Haven't read the reviews, but many times people try to run these units with a compressor that simply is too small. We drove ours from an Atlas Copco GA11 Oil Flooded Screw Compressor, and had plenty of dry air. If you are running a recip on a small tank, you will get hot air, and moisture which can lead to problems. Many of these vessels are generic, the real difference is the ends. It wouldn't be the first time someone used up the HF components and then replaced them with name-brand guns and nozzles on the end. I use ALC Ceramic Nozzles in my HF siphon unit, they fit just fine, and last way longer than the metal ones form HF. In my ALC Sandy Jet, nothing has really worn but I keep close watch on those nozzles, especially when running higher pressures and agressive media. They wear out the nozzles, and then can cut the gun right to nothing. I haven't done it yet, but I've seen the results on people who have! Using a smaller nozzle, with lower pressure really is the way to go with any abrasive media. It may take longer, but you will reduce dusting, panel warpage, and nozzle wear. I will have to go read those reviews and get back to see what the complaints are about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparks280zt Posted April 11, 2007 Share Posted April 11, 2007 Its mostly about the tips being junk, so you hit it on the head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted April 11, 2007 Share Posted April 11, 2007 Yeah, I see that now. Ceramic Nozzles wear better than the metal ones. You just have to keep replacing them if you use excessive pressure and agressive media. You can get nice deadman's handles at the places where they sell the name brand stuff, and in some cases at rental yards where they rent the stuff. It's really clamped down here in SoCal as you need an AQMD Permit for portable sandblasting rigs... So parts aren't as readily available as they once were. But once you get a source, use it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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