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Posted: 9/22/2011 7:15:33 PM EDT
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Looking to invest in some equipment to remove old firearm finishes. I'm tired of the wire brush method, and need to expedite.
Never blasted anything before, I do know you are supposed to use aluminum oxide on firearms though. Looking at options. I see the "mini sanblasters" or "erasers" which basically look like little gravity-fed airbrushes. Will these get the job done for just a couple of long guns/year? I don't intend on using the rig to blasting anything else. I was looking at a Harbor Freight blasting cabinet for about $100. I have a little Porter Cable pancake compressor which should be more than adequate. |
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My dad has one of the HB units. Works great but the nature of media blasting uses a lot of air. His 80Gal unit is almost constantly running while using it, since blasting uses a high volume of air not high pressure.
Aluminum oxide will strip finishes fast, kinda have to be careful that you don't eat a hole in a receiver like I nearly did the first time. You can get away with learning to use it as long as you keep the pressure down and have a bit of patience. |
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My dad has one of the HB units. Works great but the nature of media blasting uses a lot of air. His 80Gal unit is almost constantly running while using it, since blasting uses a high volume of air not high pressure. Aluminum oxide will strip finishes fast, kinda have to be careful that you don't eat a hole in a receiver like I nearly did the first time. You can get away with learning to use it as long as you keep the pressure down and have a bit of patience. You mean one of the Harbor Freight (HF) units? Any experience with the little one? |
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http://www.tractorsupply.com/tools/sandblasting-tools-accessories/jobsmart-reg-vertical-abrasive-blast-cabinet-32-lb-capacity-3900843
I have the older Clark branded version of this. It works great with aluminum oxide. As the poster above mentioned you need air volume more than pressure to run a blast cabinet so a small pancake type compressor will cause you to have to start and stop while using the blast cabinet. I also highly recommend a good coalescing filter to keep moisture out of the media. My only complaints about this unit are the cabinet light. I trashed it and put in a sealed weather proof dock light with a 150 watt equivilant CFL bulb. I can see more detail of what I am working on inside the cabinet now. |
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OK I have done the research you are talking about. I am at a loss also. No one wants to give a definitive answer. Well "YOU can" do it that way but you will run into problems.
I would like to know what will run one of the gravity fed blasters fairly well. If anyone has experience with this it would be much appreciated . I am currently trying to avoid spending a couple thousand dollars just to have a set up that will run a blaster properly. 80 gallon compressor.... 500 to 1000 dollars. Haven't price out what it would cost to have a electrical box run to the garage but I know that isn't cheap. Want a MIG welder so I may have to bite the bullet and get the power run properly. |
I'm a little confused now. Why would the use of a cabinet effect the amount of air you need? I thought the cabinet just collected the media. My compressor is a .8hp / 3.5 SCFM, I could still get away with one of these tiny "hobby-style" erasers in or out of a cabinet, no?
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Most, if not all blast cabinets are going to utilize a much larger nozzle than the one you have pictured. I think it would take a very long time to do a long gun with what you have pictured. I run my nozzle at around 70 PSI, sometimes down around 60 PSI. At those pressures the nozzle uses around 8~10 CFM. My compressor is a old 25 gallon 5HP unit, it is a two cylinder single stage and it is ratty/wore out to say the least. I imagine at 60~70 PSI it can put out maybe 6~7 CFM. I run the compressor tank at just over 100 PSI and feed a separate regulator on the blast cabinet to keep the nozzle in the 60~70 PSI range. I also feed through another filter before the regulator on the cabinet. Moisture will cause the media to cake in the nozzle and it can cause flash rusting of parts if your no careful so in my opinion the filter is extremly important. A good Parker 3/8" NPT filter can be found on ebay for as little as $30.
With the set up I use the air compressor kicks on after about one minute of nozzle use and it will run continually for about ten minutes of nozzle use. After ten minutes I have to stop because my compressor tank has drained down below 60~70 PSI and the nozzle just can't strip very well at that point. I will usually wait about five minutes and start again. I can prep a barreled receiver and small parts for one gun in about 20 minutes of nozzle use time. With what you have pictured I would think it would take hours to prep a long gun. |
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Gotcha. That is definately not the way to go then.
What are your thoughts on this harbor freight unit advertised as a "portable" compressor: 
HF says it requires a 1HP compressor (my Porter Cable is .8 close enough) and a minimum of 3.5 CFM at 50 PSI. My Porter Cable claims to deliver 3.5 SCFM at 40 PSI. Could I get away with it? |
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you could probably get away with it, but you'll be there a LONG time with your smaller compressor. I have a little compressor and I am always waiting for it to build enough pressure to run, and then I only have enough pressure to blast for 15 to 30 seconds at a time. Frustrating. Also, you want a cabinet to contain the media or you'll be breathing it in/making a huge mess. When I get the coin for a new compressor, I'm going with at least 10 SCFM at 100 PSI. Most of my work will be prepping for Cerakote on 1911s and other steel/stainless steel guns. I don't want to wait around for my compressor all the time.
Robert |
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I've always liked the DIY approach. Check this out.
http://www.customfighters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23694 |
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I've always liked the DIY approach. Check this out. http://www.customfighters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23694 No doubt about it; what he spend in materials, you could buy a metal cabinet ready to go. I just made a rifle crate for my M1 carbine, and by the time I was done with wood and hardware, I had spent $150.00. The same price they were selling them for. |
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I've always liked the DIY approach. Check this out. http://www.customfighters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23694 No doubt about it; what he spend in materials, you could buy a metal cabinet ready to go. I just made a rifle crate for my M1 carbine, and by the time I was done with wood and hardware, I had spent $150.00. The same price they were selling them for. He said he spent ~250 on that project and the Tractor Supply unit is listed for $349. I guess $100 would be worth it if you don't like DIY projects. |
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I've always liked the DIY approach. Check this out. http://www.customfighters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23694 No doubt about it; what he spend in materials, you could buy a metal cabinet ready to go. I just made a rifle crate for my M1 carbine, and by the time I was done with wood and hardware, I had spent $150.00. The same price they were selling them for. He said he spent ~250 on that project and the Tractor Supply unit is listed for $349. I guess $100 would be worth it if you don't like DIY projects. For any media blaster, he's going to need a bigger compressor and tank. |
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