Hi Guys,
I've been media blasting my frame, and it's going MUCH slower than I would expect. I'm using 30 grit "black Diamond" in my Texas blaster.
Would you recommend another type of media???
Thanks,
Michael
I would take off only the rust, and what's loose. If the old finish is sticking so good, why remove it?
Rick....it's the rust that being such a bugger.
Go to the nearest Home Depot, get a work slave who holds up a sign "work for food." Chain him to the frame or a pole. Give him a bit of food and tell him supper will be ready when the frame is bare metal.
I'm almost 55 now. Age and experience have made me wiser. One of the things I learned is that doing slave jobs like scaring off old undercoating or roof tar is something I don't need to do anymore. If it costs me a bit of money to have these things done by somebody else, so be it. I can make more money while the slave is working.
Go with finer sand, it will get into the pits better
Or as some people prefer Bernard, the satisfaction of completing the task themselves start to finish.
And isn't the term "slave" slightly politically incorrect?
I have worked for food.
Everything takes longer than you think it will.
I'll elaborate a little on Don's suggestion. But before we get to blasting there's something else. I don't know how it is where you are, but when I buy sand labeled "FINE" at the lumber yard I find that it often includes at least a few grains that are large enough to clog up the works. I'd rather take a few minutes before I start and sift the sand through a framed piece of window screen, rather than have to stop work and take the equipment apart to unclog it. Those few minutes are a time saver.
Now to don's suggestion. Save your sand. I do my blasting over a large tarp. When the blaster needs refilling, I lift up each corner of the tarp to gather the sand in the center, then screen it into a pail and reuse it. Somebody once commented that sand was too cheap and his time was too valuable to waste on this. Well, I timed how long it took me to gather the used sand, screen it into a five gallon pail, and dump it in the blaster. Less than ten minutes, but let's call it ten. That's one sixth of an hour. The last sand I bought was $5.71 per bag. 6 x $5.71 = $34.26. For $34.26 an hour I'll do a little screening. But aside from my cheapness, the sand is finer after being used, and works a little better.
Are you using a pressure or siphon blaster?
I use an old cheap sears pressure blaster and play sand from Home Depot. I use 90 lbs pressure and it works great for me even on stubborn parts. Ive used the same setup and same type sand for 20+ years. I love to do it out in the heat of the day, I wear a hat and mask and glasses, I can blast stuff all day - Im nuts, I just love doing it! I capture my sand on a tarp also, and it does work better the second time thru the gun.