Want to buy my first Sand Blaster..... Want your suggestions

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I'm looking to buy a small sandblaster... I prefer not to buy any type used pressure vessel, like off of craigslist, after some of the stories of catastrophic failure i've read about from other WeldingWeb threads. Do you guys have any recommendations on a relatively inexpensive new sandblaster, or at least a company to look at? I would use it on my mid sized air compressor to clean up rust and paint in areas like corners, etc. that I can't grind down with my angle grinder. What do you guys think of something like this? are they lacking any kind of important features I should look for?http://www.fleetfarm.com/catalog/pro...rasive-blasterhttp://www.fleetfarm.com/catalog/pro...rasive-blasterThanks for you input guys!!!!
Reply:Looks like a very similar unit to the HF one a friend of mine had we used just recently. It worked OK, but I was unimpressed compared to the big commercial units I usually rent. A few things I noticed when we used it.The hose was very short. It meant the unit had to constantly be moved around.The wheels were cheap and poorly made, which made moving the unit around except on a hard surface like concrete a PITA when full.The nozzles wore out very fast. I completely blew thru one in 200 lbs of sand. Looking back I'd say the nozzles need to be replaced ever 100 lbs of sand. Considering when I need to run a pressure pot to blast something, I usually figure on at least 500- 1000 lbs of sand, say to do the small trailer or my 9' plow, that's not very good at all. We literally went thru a few tons of sand doing the need for the Mack and the big equipment trailer and didn't wear out a nozzle on the commercial blaster.Deadman unit on the gun was wearing fast as well by 200 lbs of sand. I'm betting in another 200 lbs of so the gun will need to be replaced because it will not shut off. Not a good thing if you are working by yourself with a unit like this.The "hood" included isn't even worth the effort. We have a heavy commercial airfeed hood for blasting. I tried one of the "better" non airfeed hoods years ago with a respirator underneath, but never again. respirator clogged up within minutes of use from all the dust. Expect to need to get at least a semi decent hood and respirator at a minimum to protect yourself and your lungs.I'm not sure what you mean when you say "midsized" compressor. My gas powered wheelbarrow compressor is rated at something like 13.5 CFM @ 125 IIRC, and I have a feeling it's underpowered for this. ( we'll find out in the spring when we try to do his trailer) The specs say 6-25 CFM on that blast pot. I can tell you from experience you simply can not have too much air with even a small blaster. We were running the one we had off a 185 CFM IR tow behind, and I'm betting a big part of the reason we had as much luck as we did was the fact we had plenty of air at max pressure to keep going as the tip wore down. I doubt my small machine would have been able to supply the air needed even 1/2 way thru the project with the tip wearing out. Also keep in mind all the dust will be very hard on the compressor, so you need to keep it a good distance from what you are blasting. Factor in line loss for volume and pressure as well when you figure the compressor.Also another big plus was the fact we were using real dry blast sand and a dryer on the compressor. I know a bunch of guys who have had nothing but problems trying to use these sorts of things with damp sand, reclaimed sand, concrete sand and so on. Pebbles, wet sand and so on clogs the tip and you need to stop, tear everything down to clear the jam and then reassemble. Not worth the ag factor.All in all the cost of the unit you show is about what it costs me to rent a commercial unit for a day. Understand we wore out the tip and thrashed the gun in about 2 hrs of blasting and the unit was new for all purposes when we started. That 2 hrs wasn't even continuous blasting because I had a bunch of things to blast and had to keep moving the unit, flipping the wrought iron chair and pots and so on. I'd consider the unit "disposable". I'm betting if we use the unit in the spring to do his small trailer and my plow frame, the deadman unit will be trash and will need to be replaced. Add in it will need a longer hose and new wheels as well as about 6 or 8 more tips, and this starts to not be quite so economical anymore. If he's lucky, he can still put the unit up on CL as a "project" and get some of his money back. If not, it will be a toss up if it was worth the money for the projects done vs simply renting the commercial unit for a full day and blasting every thing at once..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:i bought my soda/abrasive blaster from eastwood, made in usa Attached Images
Reply:Maybe this is what you asked not to be suggested but it is what I have.  It looks like the paint sprayer that holds perhaps a quart of paint and plugs into an air line.  I think mine cost like $35 15 years ago.  You wrap your head in a towel and use a respirator.  Yes you will get sand in your hair if you aren't bald.  Spread out a cloth or plastic tarp or some rubber roofing, collect your media, screen it and re use it.Like stated above the wheelbarrow type gasoline powered compressor won't keep up.fran
Reply:A hopper type sand blaster like the one shown in your link relies on a venturi in the gun to pull sand from the hopper. They don't work very well. The flow of media varies as you move the gun. You should look for a pressure pot type of blaster with an enclosed tank that you put the abrasive into. It gets pressurized from above the abrasive when you start blasting, helping to force the media into the air stream. The air/abrasive is mixed together below the tank and not at the nozzle, so movement of the nozzle does not affect the mix ratio. I have a 10 gallon size unit from Northern Tool that works quite well. For success at sand blasting or any media blasting you need clean, dry air at minimum of 12-14 cfm and 100+ PSI or more. My 18 cfm 5 hp 80 gal Ingersol Rand compressor can keep up, but it runs almost constantly. If you buy sand from Lowes or Home Depot you will need to sift it as you put it into your blaster. The blaster will plug up very frequently if you don't.  I found that a kitchen strainer basket (wire frame basket with window screen sized holes) works very well for this. Also, if you do any type of sand blasting, you absolutely need to use a good dust mask and not the disposable paper type masks. A good flexible canister type mask that seals tightly to your face is necessary. The dust from blasting is very hard on your lungs.Both of these are pressure pot type sand blasters. The one posted by Ed Mac is also one of this type.http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...duct_7960_7960http://www.harborfreight.com/40-lb-p...ter-34202.htmlIf you will be doing something large, like a trailer, and you buy one the size of the Harbor Freight listed above you will be stopping about every 15 minutes to add more media. Seriously consider one of the larger ones.CharleyMiller MM252Miller Bobcat 225NTMiller DialArc HF / DIY Cooler2 Victor O/A TorchsetsMilwaukee 8" Metal SawMilwaukee Dry Cut "Chop" Saw 5 Ton Wallace Gantry Various Grinders, Benders, etc.
Reply:Some decades ago, a company called TIP sold both blasting cabinets and pressure pot systems; I bought a Cougar valve and abrasive hose from it when I built my own system. The company closed/changed to TP Tools (with no pressure systems) but another company seems to have acquired some of TIP's patents; in any case, that one now sells  pressure pot systems and parts that equal the original ones. Below are three links to the company, the first a general one, the second to the pressure-fed systems and the third to the parts page.BTW,  I think this tank design is much better than the Eastwood one.It is well worth getting carbide tips for any gun you expect to use for more than temporary use, unless you have a lathe, lots of free time and a free supply of good steel to make your own.Take a good look at all the parts; you can learn lots about the systems and process from a bit of reading there.As stated above, you do need a good air system to run any decent blaster. Also, my air starts out being pretty dry but my refrigerated dryer still removes a significant amount of water so does make a difference in the blaster's operation. And, unless you're in the woods or desert away from others, you do need to worry about dust blowing away, or use a medium which produces little-to-none of it.http://www.brutmfg.com/http://pressurized-sand-blasters.brutmfg.com/http://www.brutmfg.com/pdf/brut-manu...ng-catalog.pdf
Reply:With everyones responses i've learned a few things...- It looks like I will need an air compressor that will deliver at least 14 cfm @ 100 psi. I have one i can borrow from an uncle when i need it.- Respiratory protection is a must.-The pressure pot type is the better operating design.- On the cheaper (non industrial) models the hoses, tips and guns will wear out after limited use and will need to be replaced relatively frequently.I'll look into the models that some of you guys suggested. Thanks again!
Reply:If possible, avoid using plain sand for blasting. Commercial blasting abrasives made from slag (sold under trade marks such as Black Beauty, etc.) contain no free silica and are less wearing on blaster nozzles. The higher cost is offset by less maintenance down-time, and by being able to breathe when you're older. Tarps can be set up in the blasting area to collect the abrasive for re-use.JohnA few weldersA lot of hammersA whole lot of C-clamps