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The Great Sandblasting Experiment


Pop N Wood

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Decided to take advantage of the mild 50° weather to prime my bad dog frame rails before installing them. And as long as I was painting with epoxy primer, figured I would strip off the Krylon primer I used on my cross members and coat them properly. So what better opportunity to use that Harbor Freight, 40# pressurized sandblaster I bought last year but have yet to use?

 

So at the suggestion of someone on this site I drill a bunch of holes in a bread pan and use that to strain a bag of el cheapo Home Depot sand. Got out the sandblaster, loaded it up, and learned a few things trying to use it.

 

1) Don't try sandblasting without a blasting cabinet. An open backyard is no substitute for something that keeps the blast from coming back at you.

 

2) They make sandblasting hoods for a reason. Wish I had one.

 

4) Dragging a sandblaster across the back of your bare hand really hurts.

 

5) Getting lacquer thinner in a fresh cut hurts even more.

 

6) The cheapest respirator approved for sandblasting with real sand starts at $600. I got a $30 3M cartridge unit at the body supply shop instead.

 

7) Harbor Freight sells really cheap tools.

 

8) If the sandblaster's inlet valve breaks before you use it, take the time to replace it with a new valve rather than a coupler. Being able to quickly turn off the air supply is a good thing.

 

9) Pressurized sandblasters can shoot a mighty impressive stream of sand when the gun unexpectedly pops off the end of rubber hose (see 7 & 8 above)

 

10) The stream of sand from a popped gun head is no less impressive and is just as disturbing the third time it happens (see #9)

 

11) Hose clamps have no buisness holding together a sandblaster (see 7, 8, 9 and 10)

 

12) Be careful what you get in your beard before donning a respirator for 3 hours. The scent can be rather distracting.

 

13) Cheap primer is very easy to remove with a wire wheel.

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This is why I say 'chemical overall, and blast spots'...

 

This did not stop me from snatching up a 185CFM Diesel Driven I-R Portable Compressor when I had the opportunity. Hey, it works, and can run those big commercial hoppers you see at the rental yards... Free is Free! It also makes a jackhammer/chipper work wonders on my clay soil and granite outcroppings in the back yard, especially when it's time to set fenceposts.

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#12 in my case...

When we were doing prep underneath the Hemi, the combination of a Santa Ana Summer Day, a Blasting Hood, and several hours of sweat matted me to look like Capn' Jack. Normally my Parakeets will 'groom' the strands when I return home and sit down, they got close, sniffed and fleww off---causing my wife and son much entertainment.

 

So from a Parakeet's point of view, there is much funk in a day-old sandblasting beard. For myself though, I didn't notice a thing...

 

Then again, bacon falling into my lap from breakfast is not an uncommon occurance, either, so maybe I'm not the best hygenic example...

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My wife doesn't like me posting that kind of info on the internet

 

That's the first thing I thought of ... not sure what that's says about me ...

 

That $600 respirator is there for a reason. Silicosis (spel?) is a serious thing and killed a lot of miners back in the day.

 

Cameron

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My wife doesn't like me posting that kind of info on the internet

 

Maaaan, I tried to be circumspect and you guys went and gave me mental images that were worse than good old clean matted pirate beard...

 

Thanks alot!

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