Sandblaster

[Shannon Brantley]

Not exactly a woodworking tool, but I figured some folks on here have one they can recommend I get or not get. Looking at a 50-100 lb pressure pot style. I've got several cast iron handles to restore (thick paint) but I've always wanted to play with using one to remove paint from wood or to texture pieces. Thoughts?

[Richard Coers]

I thought you might be asking about the air compressor. Using a sandblaster requires a high capacity air compressor. Like the kind that will keep up with the hose cut in half. I have one of the Harbor Freight enclosed units. Sandblasting out in the open makes a huge mess.

[Shannon Brantley]

I've got a 10hp Curtis 3 phase compressor so I'm good on air. And I'll be blasting out behind my shop so mess isn't a problem either. The enclosed unit would be perfect for the handles but it would limit what I could do with it in the future.

[Warren Lake]

have 5 HP 80 Gallon 2 stage its not enough for stuff ive done and burned it out. Depends on size of stuff blasting and lots more. If the compressor runs more than 40 percent of the time its too small. I only run pressure not suction. Medium makes huge difference in cut.

[Michael Schuch]

I use this spin molded Polyethylene blast cabinet from Northern tools: https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_333803_333803

It is light weight so easy to move around and is one piece so there are no leaky seams. But, yes, I am limited on the size of objects I can blast in it.

Canister type sand blasting pots are not rocket science. I would consider looking at the Harbor Freight models. They are one of those designs that should be so simple that it is hard to mess up.

I have heard about water blasting. I believe they are an attachment to a regular pressure washer that induces blast media into the high pressure water stream to cut like a sand blaster without all the dust of an air powered blaster. It might be something that is worth looking into? https://www.toolbarn.com/products/comet-160117?variant=40023145382085&gclid=CjwKCAjwhNWZBhB_EiwAPzlhNgy2G86E3Yi6oqpE70i6 8Bb0bcPcnuQM4PpLrrpWmVHyvCOMKSiS3xoCcIwQAvD_BwE

[Tom M King]

You need dry air too, or moisture will freeze at the tip and block things up. For small jobs like handles, you might be okay, but the problem is worse for long runs.

The attachments to pressure washers work pretty good, but you end up with a lot of water in a small area, and the piece is wet when you get through, so needs to be dried fairly quickly. White pool filtering sand works the best.

[Warren Lake]

have a simple sharpe water drain on mine and for whatever reason have never had in water in it but for sure dry air important blasting.

[Pat Germain]

I used a Harbor Freight pressure pot blaster to blast the bottom of a classic car I was restoring. Oh yeah, big mess. But it worked really well once I got the air to media valve on the bottom adjusted right. I used coal slag media. It was cheap and available at Harbor Freight.

[Warren Lake]

enclosed cabinet I wont use anything less than aluminum oxide I started this it was silica which is pissing in the wind.

[Bill Dufour]

For a big RAS table I picked up a free, no poles, dome tent. Tied top to tree branch. Reache din threw the part way open door and blasted. Had to shovel up sand off the floor a few times to reuse sand.
Bill D

[Michael Schuch]

For a big object I would really consider a pressure washer with the attachment that adds grit to the high pressure water stream. At about $100 it is cheaper than a pressure tank and NO DUST!


https://youtu.be/FMZ9l5Zt4pw?t=377

[Tom M King]

That's the same pressure washer unit I have. It works as good as he shows that it does. The only thing you need to consider is where you set up to do it. I have some pavement on a hill that is ideal. At 4.4 gallons per minute, the minutes pass by in multiples, and that amounts to a lot of water that has to go somewhere. Downhill on pavement is good.

I like it because it's dustless, and use a turkey fryer burner to dry smaller stuff off on asap after finishing.

For smaller things that will fit in a blasting cabinet, that's a cleaner way to get it done.

[Shannon Brantley]

Thanks for the replies. I'm really liking the idea of the pressure washer blaster. Might try that first

[Paul Haus]

Not exactly a woodworking tool, but I figured some folks on here have one they can recommend I get or not get. Looking at a 50-100 lb pressure pot style. I've got several cast iron handles to restore (thick paint) but I've always wanted to play with using one to remove paint from wood or to texture pieces. Thoughts?
I have a Eastwood 50 lb abrasive blaster with a 60 gal compressor. I've used ground slag as an abrasive. The blaster comes with 4 different tips each with a different opening size. I've cleaned up a number of snowblower chassis and other pieces with it and it does well though you can't blast continuously as the blaster can consume air faster than the compressor can pump up.
I have to blast outside and use tarps and a shop made cabinet to hold what I'm blasting. A factory cabinet would be better but this does work for me.
Get yourself something like welding gloves that so up to the elbows, a food face shield and mask for protection.
Don't expect to use it on wood unless you want it chewing up a lot of hte wood.
My 2 cents.