Sandblasting 21" Rims

[Canton_Model_A's]

Hello all:
Anyone got some ideas on how to sandblast my 21" rims. I managed to pick up 2 of them for $10 but they are pretty rusted. Any thoughts on a particular Sandblaster? Hobo-Freight, Home Depot, Amazon, Water Blast..

Thanks!

[ronn]

would save money by soaking them in vinegar.

by the time you buy a sand blaster......................... lol

[Seth Swoboda]

Unless you have an air-screw type compressor, the sand pots that are sold for home use will not work. You must have the ability to recover air supply fast and with cool dry air. Find a professional to balst your wheels. It will be cheaper, faster and safer.

[Big hammer]

Powder coaters will sand blast your wheels, they sand blast before powder coating

[wrndln]

I have a USA made TIP pressure blaster. It will hold about 90 lbs of sand. If you can do the sandblasting outside, like I do, you can use a real tarp (not a cheesy plastic one) and lay plywood on the tarp, as a pressure blaster works about 5 time better than siphon feed blasters and will blast through the tarp in less than a second (don't ask me how I know that). I use about 80 lbs of pressure. Sandblasting works better, in my opinion) that any other way to quickly remove rust and gives an excellent surface for epoxy primer. Vinegar takes a long, long time to do anything and in my opinion is pretty much worthless. I have done 3 model A's with my blaster - all sheetmetal, frames, chassis parts, subrails, etc. I have yet to see any down sides to sandblasting. Sandblasting is not the most fun thing to do, but works very well. You do need to prime the freshly sandblasted items to prevent surface rust. I have attached a few picture of my sandblasting stuff. You do need a large air compressor.

Last note, a fresh air breathing system and coveralls help a lot to make the blasting experience a little less of a job.
Rusty Nelson

[Keith True]

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Before you put any time into a 21 inch wheel you need to make sure it is worth it.Put a lug nut into all the holes,if it protrudes out the back you will never get them tight.Look at the tubular beads real close.They rust out.If you roll it around in your hands and you hear rust sliding around inside it could be a problem.Most importantly,mount them on a hub and spin them.It is shocking how much wobble those 21's can get in them.I have some nice looking pit-free 21's with over an inch of side to side runout.

[Synchro909]

Originally Posted by Keith True

Before you put any time into a 21 inch wheel you need to make sure it is worth it.Put a lug nut into all the holes,if it protrudes out the back you will never get them tight.Look at the tubular beads real close.They rust out.If you roll it around in your hands and you hear rust sliding around inside it could be a problem.Most importantly,mount them on a hub and spin them.It is shocking how much wobble those 21's can get in them.I have some nice looking pit-free 21's with over an inch of side to side runout.

There was a thread here years ago about straightening buckled wheels. The way Henry made his wheels with welded spokes might have been cheaper for him but it made life difficult for anybody trying to straighten one later.
From memory, the job involved shrinking the appropriate spokes with heat. IMO, that would require the services of someone skilled in straightening the conventional wheels with screw ends on the spokes.

[Oldbluoval]

Seth is spot on…
I sandblast with a 250# pot and a Sullaire 175 and that’s really what it takes unless you want to spend days at it. Then there’s the moisture issues. Living in the humid south, I find it best to pick cool, low humidity days. And I have multiple water traps.
Take away……forget it ! Pay to get it done.

[updraught]

https://www.raptorblaster.com/sandbl...and-silicosis/
I'd leave it to those with good breathing gear.

[Keith True]

The last time I used any media containing silica was in the late 70's.And then,it was only about 5 bags or so.I've always used coal slag,was sold in my area as Black Beauty.The warning placards on the bags are all zeros,and states no free silica.Treat as a nuisance dust.I used to do a little blasting,in the summer of 82 I went through 80 ton blasting dump trailers.I still have a 200 pound Lindsay pot and a Dresser 175 compressor.I used to use a Phillips 600 pound pot,and A Joy 450 CFM compressor.

[ronn]

Take away……forget it ! Pay to get it done. x2

or just buy decent wheels to begin with. they are everywhere........

[Dennis Pereira]

Electrolysis is an option a battery charger and some washing soda. I've done several sets need to treat with metal prep afterwards to stop flash rusting.

[8EL]

I have an Ingersol-Rand 2 stage recip that has no issues supplying the volume of air needed at 100 psig to drive the 110 pound pressure type blaster in the shop. White silica sand used to be the media of choice until the government figured that we were to stupid to wear a respirator and banned it's sale to consumers. The best substitute I have found and so therefore use is Black Beauty fine grit. It will yield a white blast on steel fairly quickly with this setup.

[Oldbluoval]

Tractor Supply sells a fine grit sandblast sand….works fine for me

[8EL]

I see that, I did not realize that the handled it. At times the Black Beauty has been out of stock, so a second source is good to have. They are calling it Black Diamond, selling it for $12.99 in my area for a 50# bag...Probably the same product as the Black Beauty. I buy the Black Beauty for about $18.00 a 100# bag, so checking into these two products would be worthwhile....

[8EL]

Forgot to add, I would suggest wearing a proper fitting respirator with good filters for any of this type of work regardless of whether the product safety placards say that is inert or not however.

[Oldbluoval]

I guess I hadn’t bought any lately…
Was 8.99 then 9.99 now 12.99…
Everyone is jumping on the inflation bandwagon!
Ain’t it grand!!??
They sell water….wonder when they’ll start selling air??

[8EL]

If the politicians figure a way to tax the air, they will do that also, no doubt. Truth be known the elites like Bill Gates say there are too many people in the world (of course that does not include him or his circle), so I guess they do not even want us to breathing "their" air in the first place......

[Keith True]

When I first started blasting I only used Black Beauty.A man that was retiring from it showed me that white silica was better for sheet metal.Coal slag hits,tears of the rust and paint,then makes a little cut in the metal.Good on machinery and chassis parts to hold paint.The silica hits,explodes,and kind of blows sideways on the surface without cutting into the metal.It is also the stuff that is not good to breathe in.I don't know where it is illegal,I buy it from the masonry supply to use it in my cabinet blaster.

[ModelA29]

Originally Posted by 8EL

Forgot to add, I would suggest wearing a proper fitting respirator with good filters for any of this type of work regardless of whether the product safety placards say that is inert or not however.

It's not just the product you are blasting with but the crud you are blasting off that you have no idea of its composition.
Use at least a partial (nose/mouth) HEPA filter. If you don't wear a hood and suit jump in the shower right after you blast. Some things can get absorbed through the pores of your skin especially if you are sweaty. Yes slim chance but things like asbestos can take up to 20 years to kill you.