Sears Sand Blaster Question

[shift1313]

Hey guys. Im looking to purchase a decent sand blaster so I can strip my car down with walnut shell media.  I stumbled across this one on the sears website.


right now its $45 and it has a 10ft hose and the container will hold 50lbs of media.  The only thing that worries me(besides the 10ft hose) is the nozzel size.  It said 1/4" tip. 

I was just wondering if anyone here has one.  Or if you guys have any reccomendations for an inexpensive sandblaster.

thanks

Matt

[Gambitt]

With a siphon feed blaster, such as the one at Sears, it will take you FOREVER to blast your car.  These type blasters are for very small projects, they just don't have very good coverage.  I would recommend buying one of the pressurized units from a place like Harbor Freight or someplace comparable.  These units initially cost a little more, but the time savings will be well worth it.  Another consideration is your compressor size.  The pressurized sandblasters will need a larger compressor than the siphon feed...and I am sure you probably already know about being careful with your body panels when blasting, because if not done right, you can warp them. 
When I think of a sphon feed blaster, I think of a blasting cabinet.  The pressurized models are more for what you are talking about doing.

[shift1313]

thanks for the reply. ill look into the harbor freight units.  I wasnt sure about this one since it held 50lbs of media.  Just seemed better i guess.  Ive used a siphon cup blaster to do an engine bay on another car and it wasnt fun.  The other units I looked at in eastwood looked to be gravity fed.  Do people still have a big problem with the sheet metal using walnut shells?  Im not going to blast in one spot for extended periods but im not a big fan of chemically stripping it, ive done that before and its just not the route I want to go.  The compressor I have will more then handle any blaster it get.  Its an 80 gallon tank 200psi unit. 

[Gambitt]

I think warpage can occur with any media.  The heat is what causes the warpage.  I'm sure the walnut shells are better than sand for this application.  I think the main thing is not staying in one place too long and hitting the metal at a pretty good angle, not straight on.  I am sure you will be okay, if you just use a little common sense.

[shift1313]

thanks for the tips.  I sand blast alot of stuff at work and we use pretty aggressive media.  The reason I want to use the walnut shells at home is because I will be doing this in my drive way.  Otherwise I would use plastic beads probably.  When I did my engine bay on another car I used very fine play sand and didnt have a problem but the sheet metal is much thicker and layered(unibody car).  I wouldnt think of using it on this.  Also the gun I used was a siphon cup unit from sears that was about 40 years old.  Id like to upgrade doing an entire body.

thanks

matt

[Gambitt]

No problem.  I have done a lot of sandblasting on cars and on buildings, so while I am not an expert...I am pretty well versed with it.  The next thing I will purchase will be a beadblasing cabinet for cleaning up those small parts. 

  Gambitt

[DanZ10]

Check out what Northern Tools has to offer in blasting pots (northerntools.com). They have a $99 pressure unit that works pretty well. The Northern is a 5 gallon size unit.

Also, check in your area for companies that do turbine equipment blasting for industrial applications. They use shells (I think its a combination of walnut, coconut, etc) and buy media in bulk. If you have a way to haul it,they can save you a ton on media costs. Don't forget some good eye protection....that dust is rough on eyes as well as lungs. Good luck.

[shift1313]

hey guys, doing some research on blasting media a came across coal,  apparently its good because it doesnt hold moisture?  anyone have experience with this

thanks
matt

[Gambitt]

I've used it.  Here it's called slag.  It works as well as anything else, in my opinion.