Sand blasting

[RyanBez]

Alright, this is a 2nd question after the rust prevention one. Everyone says the best thing to get rid of paint is sand blasting. I have a blaster but haven't had much luck with the abrasive I got at harbor freight...I've read that walnut is the best since it isn't bad for the lungs, can be re-used, and is bio-degradable.

What is the best abrasive to use and where do you get it?

 

[jlaird]

Sand, the kind used to fill sand boxes is fine. Buy it by the bag. The dust from a sand blasted car is not going to hurt you. Wear a filter of course.

 

[JPSmit]

Sand, the kind used to fill sand boxes is fine. Buy it by the bag. The dust from a sand blasted car is not going to hurt you. Wear a filter of course.

Most common component of sand is Silica, Jack. I have been using ground glass - cheap at Princess Auto (Like HF) reusable and does a great job.

 

[nomad]

Get blasting sand and keep it dry. I think you can get it at a Lowes or Menards here in the midwest. [ Discount building supplies if they are'nt universal] Remember that it is possible to warp panels by sandblasting them. Probably be OK with at home set-up's though.

Kurt

 

[bug_sixty]

Blasting requires a large expensive compressor...and it's messy. Silca everywhere.. Wish there was a place to rent by the hour to do my own blasting.

 

[billspit]

I love sandblasting. I stripped a lot of my Spitfire using a siphon blaster with blasting sand. You must keep it dry. Sand is deadly, so you must use the correct PPE. I'm not completely sold that black beauty (I think its coal slag) is all that safe either. If you are using a cabinet, there are several abrasives (ground glass, plastic beads, glass beads, steel shot, walnuts, aluminum oxide, etc etc etc) you can use since they recycle. Each has benefits and negatives. Some body shops now use plastic media, but it doesn't remove rust.

And sand will definitely get everywhere if that is what you use. THe key to not warping panels is to use low pressure and a fine grain sand. Older LBCs ahve thicker steel that current cars. TR7s and 8s may use thinner stuff. I know you can't really sandblast a 240Z.

 

[JPSmit]

I'm not completely sold that black beauty (I think its coal slag) is all that safe either.

used coal slag outside once - man did I get dirty!

there is something very therapeutic about sandblasting but slow unless you have a BIG compressor.

 

[jsfbond]

Glass is quickly passing sand for the medium of choice in my area. I blasted the underside of the GT6 using a small-ish (10 gallon/220 volt) home air compressor. I was mindful of the demands, and limited my blasting to small areas at a time. Always respect the limitations of the tool. (except in wood working, A scalpel sharp chisel can do anything!)

 

[TulsaFred]

I found that the Harbor Freight paint removal tool is excellent and I used it for the majority of paint removal.
Blasting would be a little quicker but as mentioned it takes a very big compressor. Even the common "top of the line" home compressors which are typically 5 HP 60 gallon units weighing hundreds of pounds are not really adequate. These may give you about 15 cfm at 90 psi. Plus you will find that moisture is a huge problem and the little moisture filters commonly sold don't cut it. You'll need to install copper or black iron pipe and a refrigerated air dryer.
I looked into renting, and this would definitely be the way I would go if I ever sand blast a car. I can rent a 185 cfm diesel powered compressor on a small trailer for around a hundred bucks for a weekend. 185 cfm is unbelievable and would make short work of blasting an LBC. Crushed glass (not glass beads) is the most cost effective abrasive other than plain beach sand. Blast sand is about the same price as the glass. Beach sand or construction sand is much cheaper, but it must be screened to remove larger particles that would plug up the gun/hose. Plus, it has silica which can cause a problem called silicosis of the lung. This is very unlikely to be a problem unless you sand blast frequently like a professional, but it is something to know about. None of this gets around the huge mess that blasting makes, so it is only reasonable if you have some acreage you can make a mess on.

In the end, I used the paint removal tool, then soda blasted the tight areas since the soda dissolves and washes away with the rain. Blasting just the corners and tight spots takes a lot less time, makes it easier to tolerate a less than optimal compressor, and takes a lot less abrasive so cost is reasonable. Worked well for me.

Fred

 

[RyanBez]

So the problems I've had before with sand is that

A) Sand for sand blasting is bad for the lungs.
B) This may be because mine was too fine, but the sand seemed to 'pit' the metal a lot. It didn't do that great of a job getting the paint off.

I do have a 26 Gallon compressor. My biggest problem is that it is only rated at 4.5ish CFM at 90 PSI (typical low end compressor).

 

[apbos]

Sand Blasted my car this summer (sand form HD). One problem is that sand gets into everything. I removed the trunk floor and sills so I ended up getting all of it out of the car. Use a good quality mask, gloves and hood. I do like Black magic (Tractor Supply). If you can find a concrete area and surround it with a tarp (duct tape to the floor) you will be able to re-use your material. For a winter project (high humidity), with such a small compressor I would use the HF tool one panel at a time. Do the metal work and put it into primer (you can roll on your 2 part epoxy), then do the next panel. Save the blasting for the engine compartment and the undercarage. The interior is a toss-up. Use the blaster, live with the residue, use a tool and you have to get into all the little tight spots.

 

[RyanBez]

Thanks for the info, but the reason I'm doing it this winter is because Minnesota winters are dry!

I'll check out black magic, anyone know of any good websites for sand blasting supplies? I haven't found any good ones.

 

[vagt6]

This subject about silicates and sand blasting is close to home for me as I'm a safety guy by trade. This is not meant to be argumentative in any way, and I truly hope it is helpful.

Sand blasting operations require highly specific safety protective gear, including at minimum an N95 NIOSH approved respirator. And if you have facial hair, the repirator doesn't work!

Silica dust, which is classified as a carcinogen, is not the only problem with media/sand blasting: other particulates that sand blasting breaks loose from the surface are also a problem. In some scenarios with automotive sand/media blasting the N95 respirator may not be enough protection.

Further, unless you have highly sophisticated ventilation and filtering systems, the remnants of your sandblasting dust will be vented into your neighborhood, potentially harming people and animals nearby.

Silicates and other chemicals encountered in sand blasting do <span style="text-decoration: underline">NOT</span> require repeated exposure to cause harm. There's irrefutable evidence to support this from medical experts who have studied this stuff for decades now.

The OSHA website tells all. If interested, go to OSHA.gov and put "silicates" or "sandblasting" in the search engine (top, right corner of the OSHA webpage). The info is sobering, even scary.

If you must sandblast take time to arm yourself with knowledge about the proper safety gear to use, and how to pretect the environment from your operations.

It's important for you, and for your family.

Please, my friends, be safe . . . :thumbsup:

 

[kalist]

TPtools.com has a good selection of sandblasting supplies and are reasonably priced. You would probably be better off finding a local vendor to purchase the media from as shipping is expensive due to the weight. When I did my sprite I put the small parts in my blast cabinet and found a local vendor to blast the body. I spent a little more money but got a good job and no mess. I have gone the do it at home route and it is time consuming and messy, I have a spot blaster from Ace Sandblasting with a built in vacuum that I will use occasionally to clean a part to big to fit in the cabinet. This tool greatly reduces the mess but is slow.

 

[JPSmit]

Harbor Freight has media

 

[TulsaFred]

If blasting to just remove paint, I would recommend the soda blast method. Soda is safe for you and the environment, and I found it works great to quickly remove paint. I used it for the engine compartment. The media is $30 for 50 lbs at HF. It makes a huge white powdery mess, like any type of blasting, but it is water soluble and washes away with the rain.
The only problem is that, while it easily removes paint, dirt, and grime, it doesnt remove rust at all. It is also as sensitive to moisture as any blast method.
I have a refrigerated air dryer and black pipe air lines set up like the diagrams from TP Tools. Before these were added blasting was an exercise in frustration.

 

[KSIS]

I spent a winter laying underneath a 65 Mustang in Virginia. I had a tarp underneath the car to collect the sand and filter it through a window screen to reuse. The sand was purchased at Lowes for a kids sand box. No problems.