Sandblaster Recommendations

[Leathernek]

Looks like I'll be in the market for a good sandblaster soon...... Anyone have any recommendations? I want one that will blast big stuff fairly quickly......thanks!

[Mike V. Florida]

I got mine from Harbor freight as I'm just a hobbyist. I have a friend that has a mobile air compressor I use since my home unit is not big enough.

[pooch]

Big stuff fairly quickly?


250 CFM diesel compressor, large pressure pot, 3/8ths nozzle.

[Kevin in NJ]

We use a Smiths compressor head on a A engine.

It is run on idle through 80 feet of hose in a water tank to cool the air and through an old water heater tank with a drain valve always open on the bottom to separate the water. There is a water separator on our old TP tools (it is marked TIP) pressure tank.

The engine is run on idle and it provides a constant 40 lbs and turn the media valve until you just see sand in the stream. We keep the pressure low and never warped sheet metal (we tried and couldn't). For heavy stuff you can up the pressure and move quicker and allow more sand in the stream.

There are other media you can get. Black beauty I believe is the trade name of one that does not have silica.

I strongly urge you to buy a pressure fed air mask. They can be pricey, but they can also be used for painting. They also tend to have a very high resale value.

[Richard Wilson]

I use a TiP Sandblast unit. It holds 100 pounds of sand which I can empty in about 15 minuetes depending on how worn out the ceramic nozzel is. It has been used for nearly 20 years and rebuilt at least once. More important in my opinion than the sandblaster is the air compressor. You can NOT have to much air when blasting even with the smaller hobbiest sand blasters.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

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Depending on what compressor you currently have, maybe this is one of those items you might consider renting for a one-time scenario? No matter what you decide, I'm sure you already figured out it will be kinda expensive.

[Kurt in NJ]

It's alot more than just the sandblaster, it is much more if you want to do big surfaces fast.

My system has evolved, started with the cheap syphon units and a small compresser--very frustrating ---now I have a smiths compresser conversion, a 100 foot coil of 3/4 inch pipe in an 60 gallon tank for a condenser, going to a10 gallon tank used as a water seperator, then to the sandblaster, an old TIP 99 pounder pressure fed sandblaster, 1/4 -3/8 nozzel, no more than 45psi--I adjust the governor to have the compresser run steady, strain ALL the media through a screen, I also use an old tip turbine compresser for "air conditioning" under the hood--keeps the glass from fogging up, in hot weather a few coils of hose in icewater to keep you cool doing a very nasty job.

You learn to screen all your media after the 3rd time you take the pot apart for a pebble or wad of paper clogging it up

The Harbor Freight pot looks ok, but you will spend as much as it costs soon to replace the worn out "consumables" with real hardened fittings, and sand hose ,adding a choke valve, etc.----heater hose doesn't last long for sand hose, and after the first time it gets a hole and blasts your ankles you will want the real 100$ hose.

[Terry, NJ]

I'm thinking of my friend Kris. Kris likes big stuff. He welds with a MIG machine that handles 1/8 inch wire off huge rolls. He likes to work on pieces that require a fork lift or crane to move. He got a diesel powered, rotary compressor that handles an enormous amount of air and a huge tub to hold about 500 lbs of sand. We fired it up and cleaned a 19" wheel in about a minute. This thing is a serious sandblaster! I gave him about 100lbs of aluninmum oxide I had sitting around in two plastic buckets and he commented that it would last about 30-60 seconds. It has 1 1/4 nozzle and can creat a neighgbor hood dust storm in a very short time. But it cleans things up fast! However! The neighbors from as far away as 1/4 mile complain of the dust. He hasn't found a way to contain the that goes upward like an alto cumulus cloud on a hot afternoon . What he needs is a box or building to hold the sand down. He's tried making a "tent' with plastic tarps but that didn't work too well. So he has it, but for the present, can't use it. Just something to think about.
Regards, Terry

[flatford39]

It's more about your compressor than the sand blaster. You need a pretty large compressor and most homeowners don't have one in their garage. I have an ancient Curtiss compressor with an 80 gallon tank,two stage two cylinder unit that works pretty well with my HF 40 gallon pressurized pot but I do need to let it catch up on larger projects. Once I got it dialed in I am pretty happy with it. Don't buy a siphon style. You won't like it. The pressure pot is the only way to go. Also invest in a quality respirator as sand blasting will do a number on your lungs over the years.

[Great Lakes Greg]

I bought a harbor freight portable siphon bucket. Okay for occasional use if you aren't in a hurry. It was cheap and I got what I paid for.

[RonC]

do a little research on this site. high quality blast cabinets

[asapguy]

I have used a Thurmans Industrial Products, TIP 99'R unit for over 25 yrs. I have done four frames, three complete bodies, many fenders, etc. I have never worried about warpage when using my 5 HP compressor. I outsource wire wheels because it takes about 45 mins. per wheel & a professional can do them so much quicker. I have a H.F. standup cabinet for smaller items & that works well. S/B outside does make a mess. I use large tarps to catch the sand which can be sifted & used again.

[Keith True]

For years I have used a PK Lindsay pot.They were made a few miles from me.They made both blasters and compressors.Back in the early 70's they built pots for an outfit called EZ Truman.If they got a PK label they went in one truck,if they got the EZ blast label they went another.The name later became Truman Industrial Products.Lindsay built a nice blaster.No ball valves in the sand stream.A Lindsay 25,50,75,and 100 all use the same valve,just a different size pot.I use a model 200,and have replaced maybe a dozen or so new valves over the years.Reed minerals,the aggregate supplier,told me I had bought over 300 tons of sand over the last 30 years,A 125 CFM compressor will run two of those pots at the same time.I've done it blasting dump trailers and cranes.They Lindsay blasters can be bought on ebay.I bought one on there about 8 years ago,figuring mine would wear through at some point.I sold it last year as I never used it.I do have a 600 pound pot,either a Phillips or a Watts.I never use that one anymore,it's a days work just to load it.It is no faster,you just don't have to stop as often to fill it.I only use Black Beauty sand.It is just coal slag.All the warning labels on it are marked 0.No hazard,treat as a nuisance dust only.You can do an A frame in 15-25 minutes,add another 15 if it has running board brackets.

[Keith True]

I should add that I never use any kind of water trap with my setup.Early on,when I started doing it,I thought I would need to. The kind of trap I needed to work with 75-100 CFM running through it at 50 PSI was just too much work.It complicated setting up a job too much with no advantage.I can set a pallet of sand on the truck,(3000 pounds),hook the compressor on the back,and go.When I get to a job I can be blasting within 10 minutes of driving in.Moisture in the air is just not a problem for the blaster.It blows right through with the sand.Moisture in the air for me is another story.Trying to rebreathe humid air under a canvas helmet is hard for me.I did finally rig up a fresh air system,it hooks on the top of my hood and blows air at the top of my head and out the bottom.I need to be near power for that though,or I have to use a generator.

[Leathernek]

A ton of great information! Awesome guys, thanks!