Topic: Sandblasting is not fun!

[stingray]

Today I am a man!  I sandblasted for the first time.  Boy did I learn a thing or two. Mainly that I probably won't ever do it again!  To messy, to hot and I'm not set up or equipped to do it right.  I ended up using medium grade black glass bead.  A fifty pound sack cost me $7.00 at the Tractor Supply.  I borrowed a gun with a siphon hose from a friend.  Jammed the siphon tube in the bag of glass beads.  It worked good, 'cept I don't run a water trap on my compressor.  If there is water in the air, it mucks up the process big time.  When it clears, the bead flows nicely.  The old finish came off the 550's motor pretty nice and left me with a nice ready to paint surface.  Used VHT matte aluminum paint.  It covered well and looks pretty good.  Only took half a bag too.  Naw, I'm not doing it again.  Thank God that there are professionals who do this for a living.  You really don't appreciate the work that they do until you do it yourself. I was covered from head to toe and I'm still finding black beads in the strangest of places! 

[cbjunkie]

this sounds interesting.

keep us posted, man.

[heffay]

are you kidding... i love sand/bead blasting!     it's one of my favorite things to do.  just watching the material come off with no elbow grease required... puts a smile on my face.

[kghost]

are you kidding... i love sand/bead blasting! it's one of my favorite things to do. just watching the material come off with no elbow grease required... puts a smile on my face.

Yeah...if its inclosed in a nice cabinet when you do it......

I think he stuck a siphon nozzle in a bag and went to town 

[ElCheapo]

I have one small blaster loaded with glass bead in a cabinet for doing pretties, and another to use in the yard that will just about strip the armor from a Abrams tank faster than a stripper on dime day.

Down right nasty job to do in the yard. 

[einsteingarage]

I just took my first shot a sandblasting today.  I would have to agree with Heffay.  What a blast?  No pun intended.  It was messy.  But watching the paint being stripped off the frame especially in the tight corners was great.  I don't think I'm going to sleep a wink thinking of doing more tomorrow.  What do you guys use to prep the metal for possible left over rust before you paint?

[ElCheapo]

The only thing I do between blasting and painting is rub her down with laquer thinner. Removes all the oils and makes sure the sand is gone. Hate fish eyes..They look at you and taunt you... No.. that is when I fish,,

[StevieMac]

I found an old guy that lets you do your own sand blasting at his shop.  I loved it!

I think I paid him $30 for doing my frame which seemed pretty darn fair considering the time it saved me trying to chemically strip it.

I'd do it again for sure.

[seaweb11]

Cool/
I've paid to have my 2 frames done, but would have loved the opportunity to try it myself

[einsteingarage]

I did some more blasting on the frame today.  I have noticed that you need a large compressor.  I was using a craftsman 2hp 25gal pro series comp. and I would have to wait and let it recharge quite a bit.  I would say it at the least doubles your work time having to wait.

[nuke]

 The old finish came off the 550's motor pretty nice and left me with a nice ready to paint surface. 


How did you prep the engine before blasting? Was it all taken apart, or did you go to town on the thing with just the intake and exhaust holes blocked. I'm wanting to blast the factory black finnics of my 78 F2. Details would be cool.

Joel 

[Steve F]

My personal experience with blasting an engine is to recommend plastic media chips.  Glass beads and sand are bad thing to have near an engine, let alone sprayed ON it.  I found a place near my home that specializes in blasting everythng including fibergalss Corvette bodies, and he strongly recommended the plastic.  It isn't abrasive or gritty, but it removes all the paint and built-up grease and stains.  I did get some of the media in one of the cylinders, but that was easily removed without complications by removing the spark plug and using a vacuum cleaner on the exhaust while blowing in plug hole with compressed air with the exhaust valve open.  Just be sure to tape everything that you don't want damaged, like the seals and double up on the openings for the exhaust and intake with heavy duct tape.