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[autorover1]

I wonder if anyone near me  has a small sand blaster that could help me with the removal of  rust /paint from a a small but complicated bracket  ready for painting .  I would normally go to local shot blasters but they specialise in heavy stuff and it would probably get flattened  . Its actually off my Motorbike so if Moderators feel its its  inappropriate please move or delete.

[w3526602]

Hi Autorover,

Probably about 60 years ago I wanted to strip the chrome off a pair of 1930s headlamps, to get that vintage effect .... they were made from brass,

A local electro plating company, operating in the yard behind a shop did the job. Most industrial engineers use a "drive in" cabinet, and a fire hose

I don't know if they did a reverse electro-plating, or if they just sand/shot blasted them. Whatever, the result was perfect, albeit it looked like a fine wet & dry rubbing down paper, only yellow. (My web-belt brasses, when issued, at Boot Camp were not much smoother .... I wish Mum had packed me a smooth six inch file. BRASSO and a yellow duster had to suffice).

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[George P]

I wonder if anyone near me  has a small sand blaster that could help me with the removal of  rust /paint from a a small but complicated bracket  ready for painting .  I would normally go to local shot blasters but they specialise in heavy stuff and it would probably get flattened  . Its actually off my Motorbike so if Moderators feel its its  inappropriate please move or delete.

I have one and would be happy to do it for you if you can cover the postage? I don't need any payment for the actual blasting.

George

[Worf]

Just out of interest, has anyone tried one of these, and do they actually work

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125282379781?hash=item1d2b696805:g:aDsAAOSwWYpiaJn7

[Craig T]

I have tried a number of blasters.
The biggest problem with the ones that look like a spray gun is the grit leaves the nozzle at great velocity then impacts the surface where it changes direction and heads straight for you face.
Okay, you wear a full face visor, gloves, apron, metal armour but it still finds somewhere to get in and hurts like hell. The grit is also going straight to waste (the floor) so it is pretty wasteful.

The only useful thing I have purchased and still use is an enclosed blasting cabinet that you put your arms in through large rubber gloves. off course you are limited to things that will fit inside the cabinet so not good for doing door frames, chassis, bulkheads etc.
The grit in these gets recycled so far less wasteful.

For any kind of blasting you need a big compressor to keep up with the flow demands.

Craig.

[Wittsend]

Just out of interest, has anyone tried one of these, and do they actually work

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125282379781?hash=item1d2b696805:g:aDsAAOSwWYpiaJn7

I bought one 

Can't recommend it. The grit gets everywhere.

Free to a good home.
Don't all rush ... if you can't collect then taker pays the postage.

For small parts you need a blasting cabinet - AND decent lighting to penetrate the dust cloud.

I have a relatively small garage/workshop and a cabinet takes up a lot of space when most of the time it's not in use.
So, mine went ...

The density of forumeers and S2C members is scarce in distant Herefordshire, but you never know there may be someone local who has a cabinet
There are no really local pub meetings either, where you could ask for help 

 

[Kernowcam]

That eBay gun looks promising. I have quite a bit of small local spots to do on my camper and a controlled small blast would be good.
My glass grit gets everywhere, certainly with the big gun.

I tend to feed warm air from a Henry into my suction pot connection where it sucks the grit and mixes air, so it sucks warm air which means less clogging.

All a very heath robinson experience, just a buy a unit job.

My cabinet has a Lash up Henry suction thing with a dyson cyclone filter which works really well. Not far off the Apollo 13 air scrubber set up. Ie gaffer tape and tubes.

[Marky Harvey]

If you want a handheld gun, how about a soda blaster?

[George P]

I have to say that my large blasting cabinet has proved invaluable during my rebuild. Alan is correct that they do take up quite a bit of room and if I was staying in my current workshop I would be selling it on. My new place is bigger so I think it'll be going with me when I move to the Scottish Borders next year.

[w3526602]

Hi,

Ask Google ... IS IT ILLEGAL TO BLAST WITH GRIT?

The answer is too long and detailed to copy here. Apparently SODA is now the preferred blasting element. Cost? Dunno! It seems that sawdust (define?) will leave a mirror finish on aluminium pistons.

I'm commenting on the legality of using sand for blasting. I have happily sand myself, for small jobs, when nobody was looking.

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[oilstain]

Do these work
auction: #271841361606

[blackotter]

I have one and they do work. If using on steel need to dry off the item very fast or flash rusting will occur. I make up a "tank with a tarp. to keep the place clean and tidy. Once the tank has settled the water can be drained off and the sand dried for reuse. I use  3 different grades of sand of varying grain size to suit the severity of the task. For very heavy scaly rust a dry blaster is best at least to start with.

[oilstain]

I have one and they do work. If using on steel need to dry off the item very fast or flash rusting will occur. I make up a "tank with a tarp. to keep the place clean and tidy. Once the tank has settled the water can be drained off and the sand dried for reuse. I use  3 different grades of sand of varying grain size to suit the severity of the task. For very heavy scaly rust a dry blaster is best at least to start with.

How did you manage to dry the sand for reuse
I did think of the oven but with electricity prices as they are

[w3526602]

Hi,

Not as versatile as a blasting gun.

I have cut sheets of wet and dry into 3" wide strips, and poked a hole in the middle, so I could mount them on a rubber backing discs. They act like a propellor, with the high RPM making the paper stiff by centifugal (sp?) force. But if you press hard, the paper will bend.

This device willl rapidly wipe the paint of a flat surface, one layer of paint at a time, leaving a matt finish.

However, the paper does not last very long, so expensive.

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