Sand Blast Setup and Pics

[Curt Campbell]

Seemed to be lots of interest in bead blasting so thought I would share my sand blast setup.

1. Built 3 portable 2x4 walls covered with heavy plastic sheeting. Two walls 16' long....one 10' long. All 3 10' high. Made the big and tall enough to accommodate my homemade rotisserie. Walls are screwed together on the driveway to my shop. One end open toward shop door. Also braced to ground for wind strength. Wall opposite garage door has 3x3 ft opening. Large stand up fan blows air thru enclosure....oddly enough not much sand blows out of the enclosure. I also drape a plastic tarp over top for shade.

2. Have 5 hp compresser with 100 lb sandblast unit.

3. Most importantly, I use a fresh air supplied sandblast hood that is long enough to cover below my waist. The turbine that supplies the fresh air is located inside my air conditioned shop. If very warm day I refrigerate the hose from my turbine to the hood. I do that by having a large coil of hose in a cooler filled with ice. The hood hose is attached to the cooling coil and pumps nice cool air to the hood....factory AC!! I also use tear off plastic sheets on the hood face mask....changing when needed.

4. Since the sand is all captured on the concrete within the enclosure, I scoop it up and poor it thru a screen funnel back into sand blast unit. Can be reused several times.

5. When done blasting I disassemble the 3 walls and store the against the wall in another garage...Easy to do. Scoop up remaining sand into 5 gal sheet rock mud buckets and save til next time or dispose of sand into ditch.

This works great for me. DO NOT SANDBLAST WITH OUT PROPER BREATHING PROTECTION. Fresh air supplied is only way to go. How much are your lungs worth to you???

[Curt Campbell]

Forgot pics

[Vin-tin]

Curt, that sounds like a nice set up. But doesn't your 5hp compressor get a bit overwhelmed?
I have a 5hp / 60 gallon compressor and occasionally use it with my small harbor freight blaster. It gets the job done but it takes forever because I have to stop and let the compressor catch up. If not, it runs continually, gets hot, and will slowly lose pressure.
I decided if I was going to blast anything big, I would just pay someone to do it. Actually, just today, I dropped off my chassis, axles, torque tube, and a bunch of small stuff at a local blaster. The price he gave ($110.00) hardly makes it worth while doing it myself or risking my health.
That's just my way of thinking. Other may disagree.

[29 model-a]

Curt has to get very hot in your plastic bubble.

[Tinbasher]

Nice Set-up. Good thinking.

[Curt Campbell]

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29 model a.....Actually is is not bad at all with. the large fan running and cool air coming to face mask. Kinda. Feels like air conditioning....nice. on end next to shop is open. The room the fresh air pump is in is air conditioned. The mask ha built in helmet...nice. try to do blasting easy in morning or in even. Usually do something inside shop where it's cool sur heat of day. And of course rotisserie makes it less work to get all areas.

[Mitch//pa]

nice Curt thanks for posting.
your home made rotisserie is first class i believe we discussed that a few years ago

[Curt Campbell]

Vin tin: I am anal about my work (some would say a personality defect). I have been around a lot of "Sandblast Pros" and usually I find they have little understanding of the characteristics of metal and what over blasting can do. They usually have big compressors and primarily do big truck beds, trailers, cement mixers and the like. Usually a minimum wage person doing the blasting. I have had friends get their pieces over blasted and ruined. I want it done right so I Do it myself. I have tried others...never had good luck. Not to say there not good ones someplace.

Health....I know a little bit about health. After stage 4 throat cancer, 35 straight days of awful radiation and chemo,9 months on a feeding tube, and after 5 years clear of cancer but still dealing with side effects of awful life threatening g treatment I am VERY SENSITIVE ABOUT HEALTH. Proven fresh air supplied systems are the only way to go for blasting and painting. I cringe when I see the "PROS" ON TV using drug store particle masks and cheepo 3m throw away charcoal filters which DO NOT stop silica particles and the isocyanates in modern paints. They simply don't work. Skip Foose uses cheap charcoal masks or none at all when painting on his Overhaulin show. Sets terrible example for others in my opinion. $25,000 for paint booth and 100's of 1000's of $$ on tools...and uses $2 or $15 protective gear for the only throat and set of lungs we get.. Go figure. Fortunately I sometimes see someone using a SATA or other correct breathing gear.

The bottom line is do whatever you think is best for you.

[Curt Campbell]

Vim tin: My 5 hp compressor and 80 gal tank keep up just fine...in fact it will shut off during blasting. I know lots of guys use more pressure than is needed and desirable and that certainly eats up the air. My compressor is located in my clean room attached to my shop which is air conditioned. Also have stand fan available when I think compressor is needing additional cooling or when I don't need to run the AC. The lower pressure sure works better for me when blasting the sheet metal and body. Never had one instance of warpage from blasting panels.

Good luck on your project.

[Curt Campbell]

Thanks Mitch. I just hope all my "preaching" saves one person from carelessly getting silicosis or cancer. I don't mean to preach...just been thru hell before I wised up.

[Mitch//pa]

Curt you have been to hell and back, your a very lucky man god bless you. are you a painter / blaster by trade? was this the cause of your health issues?

[Curt Campbell]

No...I was the director of department of corrections for 30 years, parole officer for several years, and police officer before that working way through college. My dad was in car business...large body shop and salvage yard so I have been gear head and builder all my life. Did lots of custom body work and paint on the side. Built muscle cars and rods. Just recently into antique car restoration. Have full body/mechanical shop in back yard of my acreage.

I am 66. No known reason for the cancer. Never has cigarette in my mouth. Tried to always wear protective breathing gear all those years. Drs think not caused by car work...said I was just luck of the draw. Came very close to cashing it in but ended up surviving treatment and after 5 long years am back to normal (almost) less 75 lbs I didn't need anyhow!

Thanks for asking Mitch. Workng on cars kept me sane. Happy Fathers Day.

[Mitch//pa]

Happy Fathers Day Curt

[Vin-tin]

Originally Posted by Curt Campbell

Vin tin: I am anal about my work (some would say a personality defect). I have been around a lot of "Sandblast Pros" and usually I find they have little understanding of the characteristics of metal and what over blasting can do. They usually have big compressors and primarily do big truck beds, trailers, cement mixers and the like. Usually a minimum wage person doing the blasting. I have had friends get their pieces over blasted and ruined. I want it done right so I Do it myself. I have tried others...never had good luck. Not to say there not good ones someplace.

I hear you loud and clear on this one. I think the same way as you on doing my own work. I checked into a guy who came recommended to me. After seeing his outfit, grit size, and pressure he blasted at, the only thing i'd trust taking to him would be army tank.
I have searched along time to find a blaster who would do it as I would. I found one through word of mouth. He doesn't advertise. Him and his sons do it as a side job. I've seen car bodies he blasted and all was ok. So I think i'm safe on the heavy chassis and such I took him.
He'll even spray epoxy primer if you want him to.

It sounds like you went through a lot with your cancer and such, and i'm glad you beat it. The good Lord kept you hear for a reason. I'd like to think it was to restore Model A Fords. I suspect he has other plans for you.

[art ebeling]

I have been looking at air compressors for blasting /painting my 31 Victoria and other projects. What is the CFM rating of your 5 HP compressor?

[wrndln]

I sandblast almost all my rusted parts outside on a large tarp with a number of pieces of plywood on the tarp, as the TIP pressure blaster will quickly blow a hole in the canvas tarp if not protected. I sandblast at 80 lbs and have never seen any distorting on sheetmetal I have blasted. I shoot the metal at an angle (not perpendicular) to avoid problems with warping. I have probably sandblasted over 300 hours worth of parts. I use coveralls and a fresh air breathing system (see pictures below). Sandblasting is not a fun job, but with the coveralls to keep sand from getting into everything and the fresh air system, it isn't too bad. When I finish blasting, I scoop up the sand on the tarp and put it in 5 gallon buckets for the next blasting experience. Sandblasting can get into nooks and crannies better than any other rust removal method I have tried including electrolysis.
Rusty Nelson

[Curt Campbell]

I agree Wlndln