Sandblasting

tundrawolf · Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 10:50 am Post subject: Sandblasting

Hello,

I need to sandblast my VW Beetle inside and out for the application of Epoxy. I do not have an enclosure to do it in, rather I live in the rural hills of the high desert.

My question is, can I sandblast the Beetle outside and not worry about having to buy a $400+++ dollar breathing unit? What is the cheapest way that I can get away with sandblasting this vehicle?
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Letterman7 · Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 12:41 pm Post subject:

Epoxy what? Are you trying to get to all the rust? For a one-time shot, a good respirator and a blast hood will be all you need; if you were doing production work then I'd recommend the pressurized air apparatus. Watch how you shoot, though - regular sand will warp a panel really quick. Personally, I'd take it to a media blaster and have them do it. Less mess on your hands and all the worry is theirs.
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Mike Fisher · Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 2:38 pm Post subject:

Drag it out in the weeds where the sand pile won't matter. Blast it gently with #30 screened sand. A cheap plastic/cloth face mask/hood is necessary!
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tundrawolf · Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 5:45 pm Post subject:

Cost of having a sandblaster do it is more than the cost of a fresh air system.
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jamesmanxbuggy:

Letterman7 · Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 7:21 pm Post subject:

What's the car worth to you? Is it worth you risking warping panels and spending the time and money to set them back correctly or is it worth not cheaping out and having someone who knows what they're doing take care of the mess and risk for you?
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tundrawolf · Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 4:54 pm Post subject:

Since it is getting a thick epoxy coating I am not too worried about warping. Honestly it is worth it to me to pay someone to professionally restore the entire Beetle. But the (I would hope) obvious answer to that is the fact that I do not have the money for that. I have to do it myself.
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WM971252 · Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 6:54 am Post subject:

Do you already have a sandblaster and compressor that can handle it? If not it will be a lot cheaper to have someone else do it. Oh and primer will not cover up the warping you can do.

tundrawolf · Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 2:49 pm Post subject:

I have a large 100 gallon 175PSI air compressor and am turning a 10 gallon compressor into a pressure pot blaster.
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gatorwyatt · Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 3:02 pm Post subject:

Waiting your time...psi has nothing to do with what your talking about. CFM is what it takes to timely strip something...
Get your sander out and start sanding if you don't have the cash to pay a media blast shop...anything you buy and spend money on is pissing in the wind and could be better spent on sand paper...at least you would have a good start with purchase of the paper..10 hp compressor might make 30 CFM?? My helmet and water traps leak that much...just some friendly professional advise.
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wanted:unstamped serial number 36hp block

tundrawolf · Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 10:00 pm Post subject:

12HP engine underpowering a large speedaire dual stage pump. It had a 22HP V twin engine on it. The 12HP works though. I can put the 22HP back on if I want. The output from the compressor unit alone is more volume that comes out of a blowgun with the 12HP. If you have something more hardcore than that I'd like to see it.

I have been using an angle grinder with wire wheel. It works OK but no nooks or crannies, and it is taking a long time and a lot of electricity.

If I invest in a blast hood ($20) and a good respirator ($110) and I have a good 10 gallon pressure pot (I just have to buy fittings, most of them I already have) I don't see how that is money wasted. especially when I would have to bring the Beetle (No engine no trans no chassis) to a sandblaster THEN pay him $400 to do it THEN bring it back.

How would I get it there? Put it on the back of my motorcycle?
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gatorwyatt · Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 10:17 pm Post subject:

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Here is what I have...just speaking from experience...blasting your own stuff seems to be the easiest thing and anyone can do it until you head down the road of purchasing things for a one time use only to trade money for something that you will find you shouldn't have tried...
The job will turn out mediocre at best...the metal will be profiled and most likely warped because you used SAND...and you will just like I said...added more stuff to your garage from china that you dont need...
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wanted:unstamped serial number 36hp block

tundrawolf · Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 10:53 am Post subject:

I see you have a mobile setup... How much would you charge to do a Beetle shell and some fenders/miscellany?
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tundrawolf · Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 12:50 pm Post subject:

I can't find anyone mobile in my area (high desert). Between the cost and availability of having it professionally done I think I am sunk there.
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drscope · Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 5:03 pm Post subject:

I'm always one for having new tools. But if you don't know what you are doing, you can make a real mess of sheet metal in a very short time!

A few things to keep in mind when blasting - I'm using the word sand for whatever media you use.

Sand will get into places you didn't know your body had (and I'm not talking about the car body)

A bag of sand won't go very far on the work piece, but it will go very far all over the yard. You will be amased at how far it travels.

If you have cheap blasting equipment, you won't get very far before you get very frustrated.

After about 1/2 hour you will wish you paid someone else to do it.
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Letterman7 · Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 7:27 pm Post subject:

Well.. you never said why you want to have it blasted. Is there a lot of rust? Or do you just want to get it to bare metal just because? Since you're going to "epoxy" coat it (and you never did explain that) you probably don't need to get it down to the bare metal anyway - unless you're hunting rust areas. You mentioned an angle grinder is using a lot of electricity - are you off grid? Is the compressor you have gasoline powered? Why not just simply blast the corners and areas you can't reach with a wire brush (and would be areas that wouldn't warp easily anyway), and simply sand the rest and coat it? But like gator said - your compressor has to push the CFM, not PSI. You could be spending a lot of time and money on bags of clean sand (well, you are in the desert, so that could be a moot point) on a project where a little muscle power might be all you need.
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tundrawolf · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 2:34 pm Post subject:

well, I am hunting some rust. It was an ocean stored vehicle and it shows. Rust through in some areas, spots all over the place. The epoxy won't fix the rust, and if the rust continues underneath it, then I am in real trouble. Epoxy is hard to repair once it cures. And when I say epoxy I bought 5 gallons of Desert Tan bedliner.

An issue I found out, having gone off grid for the grinder: Even with a small generator (I have 1 at my disposal and 5 generators, 4 that run, from 1,000 to 7,000 watts) rated at 2,250 watts the grinder does eat gas. And at almost $5 a gallon it hurts.

What is the going rate to blast a beetle shell, hood, and misc. fenders for a mobile blaster?

And yes, I actually live behind a sand and gravel mine Smile

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jamesmanxbuggy:

gatorwyatt · Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 6:50 am Post subject:

I don't do cars mobile so I can not comment on price for that...it is to expensive to leave the media I shoot on the ground...they have to be brought to me and I do them at my shop in my booth..

And I also prefer not to comment on price for work I have no way of getting...it doesn't do good things for anyone to put prices on the Internet...
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wanted:unstamped serial number 36hp block

tundrawolf · Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 6:10 pm Post subject:

Poop! The internet is the last bastion of truth and justice.
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jamesmanxbuggy:

Brent · Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 12:13 am Post subject:

I blasted my entire car in and out with a 11 cfm compressor. I made a homemade tent out of 2 mil plastic sheeting.

Had to take frequent breaks for recharging as the compressor couldn't keep up with the blaster.

My blaster is similar to those sold at Harbor Freight, I used Black Diamond Fine media. It's crushed coal slag and doesn't have the silica content of sand. I still always wore a $30 mask though. I probably used 10 bags at $8 a bag. I sifted and reused it 3 times before it turns to dust.

It took forever, media got everywhere, but I did it myself and never warped a panel. I don't think the little 20 gal blasters are capable of warping a panel, there's just not enough heat generated.

If I were to do it again, I'd probably hire someone to do it. It's a LOT of work.

Here she is after blasting and before I epoxy primed.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

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Mike Fisher · Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 8:14 am Post subject:

A cheap siphon blaster will work fine with a cheap hood/face mask.

'less talk/more work!' Twisted Evil

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http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u236/mr_bojangles500/
69 FI/AT square Daily Driver
66 sunroof,67,71,71,71 AT,72,72 AT Parts
56 & 57 oval ragtop $2,500

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