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HF pressure pot sand blasting unit - what sand or abrasive to use and where to get it

Discussion in 'Builds and Fabricators Forum' started by benmack1, Nov 5, 2011.

  1. Nov 5, 2011
    benmack1

    benmack1 Member

    North Carolina
    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2010
    Messages:
    166
    Anyone use the HF 100lb sandblaster pressure pot? I am thinking about getting one to do some areas of my CJ5 that I can't get to with a wire wheel. (crevices, near cross members on the frame etc). So probably not a huge amount of area to blast. I see it recommends against using sand from what I have read. Was wondering if anyone actually uses the play sand in one of these or if that will be a problem. If not, any suggestions on what to use and where I can get it (if you are familiar with my local area please be specific for the Burlington to Durham NC vicinity, if not local any general places would be great as well) I was hoping to just use the cheap sand from Lowe's or Home Depot if it will work. I have a good particulate respirator and live on a big tract of land so I have plenty of room for the mess out behind the shop.

    Thanks for any advice!
     
  2. Nov 5, 2011
    rusty

    rusty Well-Known Member

    norfolk,va
    Joined:
    Dec 16, 2006
    Messages:
    1,652
    Re: HF pressure pot sand blasting unit - what sand or abrasive to use and where to ge

    I think Uncle Bill was trying to give one away a while back. Always heard sand was to course and the moisture content was too high. Could be wrong but it sounds right. :)
     
  3. Nov 5, 2011
    54cj3b

    54cj3b Member

    evergreen colorado
    Joined:
    Jul 7, 2010
    Messages:
    236
    Re: HF pressure pot sand blasting unit - what sand or abrasive to use and where to ge

    play sand works as long as it is kept dry
     
  4. Nov 5, 2011
    Howard Eisenhauer

    Howard Eisenhauer Administrator Staff Member

    Tantallon, Nova...
    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2003
    Messages:
    8,102
    Re: HF pressure pot sand blasting unit - what sand or abrasive to use and where to ge

    I primarily use glass grit in mine, works reasonably well on light rust, great for taking paint off. I have used sand for heavy rust but it eats nozzles alive.

    H.
     
  5. Nov 6, 2011
    willys59cj5

    willys59cj5 Sponsor

    Gilroy, CA
    Joined:
    Jun 1, 2005
    Messages:
    660
    Re: HF pressure pot sand blasting unit - what sand or abrasive to use and where to ge

    Tractor Supply has sand blasting media for $7.99 a bag.
     
  6. Nov 6, 2011
    joe51

    joe51 Member

    c. Fla.
    Joined:
    May 24, 2011
    Messages:
    201
    Re: HF pressure pot sand blasting unit - what sand or abrasive to use and where to ge

    I haven't used the HF blaster so I can't comment on it but I do have a siphon feed blaster that I bought from Sears about 30 years ago for about $35. It has a replaceable ceramic liner inside the nozzle. If your blaster doesn't use that then the sand will make short work of it! I buy play sand for about $2 a bag and it works fine in it. I wouldn't pay the higher price for blasting media unless I was going to recover and re-use it such as in a bead blasting cabinet. Even then sand may still work better. You do need to make sure that the sand that you get is DRY and then keep it indoors and in a very dry location. You can use glass beads but they're much harder to find and much more expensive and they don't remove as much material. GBs are for use on soft metal such as aluminium and they give a more polished look. Sand will leave a much rougher surface and is much more aggressive. Use sand for on steel and for rust and paint removal. Use GBs for cleaning stains off of aluminium, particularly if you want to leave it unpainted.
     
  7. Nov 6, 2011
    PieLut

    PieLut Member

    Glendale, Arizona
    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2010
    Messages:
    464
    Re: HF pressure pot sand blasting unit - what sand or abrasive to use and where to ge

    I have the 90 pound HF sand blaster with the concave top. I like the concave top because it makes pouring blast media in to the unit much easier and less falls on the ground. Of course you need a large air compressor to keep it working. As far as the media is concerned, I use this and it works very well. The first time I hit my frame with this stuff, the 40 years of crap fell off instantly. The aluminum oxide is expensive, but I have been running it through the blaster many times. I use an old lint trap from a dryer to filter out any dirt or unwanted particles. The lint trap fits on top of the concave lid and it all falls down the hatch. Sometimes the blaster fails and doesn't want to spit anything out, but after a quick air nozzle to the lower manifold, it starts to work.
     
  8. Nov 6, 2011
    SFaulken

    SFaulken Active Member

    Bellevue, WA
    Joined:
    May 24, 2011
    Messages:
    1,178
    Re: HF pressure pot sand blasting unit - what sand or abrasive to use and where to ge

    I don't know if it's available in your area, but at work, we use a product called "Nevada Black", it's actually slag from the old copper mills at one of the mines in the area, and contains Zero silica, and basically represents no environmental or health hazards, if you use a particulate respirator. I just did a quick google search, and can't tell if anybody carries the stuff out your direction though =[
     
  9. Nov 6, 2011
    willswilly

    willswilly New Member

    Northern New Jersey
    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2008
    Messages:
    41
    Re: HF pressure pot sand blasting unit - what sand or abrasive to use and where to ge

    On the East coast we call it Black Beauty and Tractor Supply carries it. I don't recall the cost, as it has been a few months since I have needed any, but it works great for rust and paint removal on steel. I am preety sure I used the medium grade! I will look and see if I have the coarse # in the garage if you need it! It will wear down gun tips over time but buying a couple of extra tips compared to using wire brushes on grinders or having it proffesionaly blasted is well worth it in my opinion!! I agree with SFaulken that the Silica(play sand) with it's hazards, is not worth the 2 or 3 bucks saved per bag. The Black Beauty can be reused quite a bit if sifted and kept dry. I have used it with the Pressure blaster and in the blast cabinet and it works great. Good luck with your project and hope this helps!
     
    Last edited: Nov 6, 2011
  10. Nov 7, 2011
    benmack1

    benmack1 Member

    North Carolina
    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2010
    Messages:
    166
    Re: HF pressure pot sand blasting unit - what sand or abrasive to use and where to ge

    Went with the black diamond (I think I called it black beauty originally - oops). Bought it at Northern Tool, just 2 bags to try it out. Had it for 7.99/bag and I had a $5 coupon off a $15 purchase so approaching the cost of sand. Anyway, it worked well. I noticed the blaster I bought worked much better when quite full than when it was way down on media. I think this stuff didn't settle around the bottom of the tank very well. I ended up with the bigger blaster from HF. The 110 lb capacity unit. I wanted the mid size one, but they didn't have any. It cleaned my frame up well. More about this over on my build thread in a few days. Thanks for all the advice.
     
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