sand blast DIY vs. Pro

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I have a big railing project to do and the specs call for blasting before painting. Should I invest in a sandblasting rig or take it to my regular powdercoater and have him blast it? I've got 80 lineal feet of 45" tall railing with 3/4" pickets 4.5" on center, about 3500 pounds of steel total, and my compressor is rated 10.2 cfm @ 90 psi. Steel will be all new, I'm not sure how much blasting will be required, just enough to get a good "tooth" in the paint.Last edited by fortyonethirty; 05-30-2012 at 10:07 PM.Ian TannerKawasaki KX450 and many other fine tools
Reply:your compressor doesn't have nearly enough cfm. its a lot of work, it makes a mess, and abrasive is expensive.Take it to someone who is setup to do it properly.Are you field welding? Id ask if i could have it all powdercoated instead of paint.I don't paint any rails anymore, everything gets powdercoated. Better final product and its easier on me.
Reply:fortyonethirty  - Weld shops don't blast and paints anymore.  If you are painting,you are on your own.  If you are powder-coating, run the numbers; the cost ofprimer, paint, and labor for proper prep. are multiples of the cost of powder-coating.  If your powder-coater doesn't blast before coating you need to find a new coater.  In my market area I have a choice of 12 +/-  coaters and all include blasting in theircoating price.  The only up-charge is from a 'market blast' [get it done and get the check], to a white blast [necessary for the promised 20 year UV out-door service-life].  Coaters refer to the application of powder as 'painting'.  The actual application process doesn't relatively differ from one to another; in your selection of a coater you should consider:  1st. - their ability to follow your specific instruction [attention to special conditions],  2nd. - their prep. practices [blasting],  3rd - coating coverage, their not skimping on powder, it's a matter of 'painting' expertise'.  I currently use three coaters: one for industrial, one for residential/commercial crap, and the third for 'high-end' furniture.    OpusLast edited by OPUS FERRO; 05-31-2012 at 02:35 AM.Reason: Website flaw 'between - quick and advice - post'.
Reply:The specs call for a specific, really expensive, paint. It's a gov't job and I can't talk them out of it. If I had a choice for the coating, it would have been hot dip galvanized. This thing is going out in the woods where no one will see it, or care if the paint is shiny.Ian TannerKawasaki KX450 and many other fine tools
Reply:Price out hot dip galvanizing.  Fancy epoxy with sandblasting to white often costs more.  A standard galvanizing job will last over fifty years on the coast and inland 100 years.   If it is a government contract then it would be worth persuading the engineer in charge.
Reply:Maybe in Canada, gov't project managers are allowed to use common sense. But, here in California, common sense would require too much paper work.Ian TannerKawasaki KX450 and many other fine tools
Reply:I would be surprised if you could blast at your location, in California, without getting some sort of citation for environmental pollution. I am a fab shop, and I do all of my own finish work, including blasting. It is messy, and requires a LOT of air. Figure an extra grand or so for the compressor to do the blasting. If you have the stuff, the space, and can tolerate the hard work (blasting is surprisingly hard work in an enclosed suit with supplied air), then it is a doable thing. Otherwise just hire it out. BTW, powder coating aint all it's cracked up to be, and is virtually untouchupable after damage to a point where the touch up is invisible. There is also the moisture wicking issues.
Reply:Originally Posted by walkerI would be surprised if you could blast at your location, in California, without getting some sort of citation for environmental pollution. I am a fab shop, and I do all of my own finish work, including blasting. It is messy, and requires a LOT of air. Figure an extra grand or so for the compressor to do the blasting. If you have the stuff, the space, and can tolerate the hard work (blasting is surprisingly hard work in an enclosed suit with supplied air), then it is a doable thing. Otherwise just hire it out. BTW, powder coating aint all it's cracked up to be, and is virtually untouchupable after damage to a point where the touch up is invisible. There is also the moisture wicking issues.
Reply:The specs call for a specific, really expensive, paint. It's a gov't job and I can't talk them out of it.
Reply:I will not weasel out on anything. I'll bet this paint they've spec'd is great stuff and worth the money. I was trying to talk them into galvanizing, no paint could match the durability of galvanizing.Ian TannerKawasaki KX450 and many other fine tools