Has anyone used a Harbor Freight 110lb pressurized abrasive blaster or similar?

[tmc_31]

I have a project coming up where I have to clean the heavy surface rust off of both sides of a 55"X60"X1/4" mild steel plate. Has anyone used a pressure abrasive blaster for this purpose? Specifically, one like pictured below (price $149.00 + tax & media)?

What kind of media would be best to use for this? How long should it take to accomplish this? My compressor is a fairly new Quincey 5hp 60gal 2 stage that will deliver about 15cfm at 125psi.

I have some other projects in mind for the future where this may be useful.

I did get an estimate from a sand blaster for having this done for me a about $100.00. I would have to deliver the plate and pick it up (not a big deal as he is within a few miles of my shop and I have the equipment to haul it around).


Harbor Freight Item #60696

Tim

[oxford]

Personally, if media blasting is what the plate needs, I would drop it off and pay the $100.

[reggie_obe]

Sandblast pressure pot @90psi is similar to an air receiver.
Would you trust a import compressor tank?
No me, I have a Tip/Trumans pressure pot made by a company that make boilers and pressure vessels.

[brian Rupnow]

I've done what you want to do, using similar equipment. Do yourself a favor---Take it to the $100 guy.---Brian

[David Powell]

I bought a cheap secondhand blast gun, and media carrier just to try out sandblasting. I got a few small pieces cleaned up but the effort and the clean up just simply were too much, not to mention that my compressed air supply was too little.
For the job you describe pay the fellow the $ 100 and use the time and aggravation you save to take your significant other out for a nice meal.
Then everyone will be smiling !
Regards David Powell.

[Black Forest]

It depends on how much time you have to blast the plate. At 15cfm you will be waiting a long time for your compressor. Take it to the professional. It will take about ten minutes max for him to do your plate and you will be good to go. How do you intend to protect yourself if you blast this at home? You will need a filtered air supply to a good hood with replaceable face shields, etc., etc. Send it out.

[Canus]

I have one of those HF pressure pots. Don't waste your money. Either pay to have it blasted or have at it with a wire brush on an angle grinder.

[tmc_31]

Wow, we seem to have a consensus. Okay, I will be taking it to the sand blast guy.

Just out of curiosity, anybody got an idea how long it would take to sandblast this piece with said equipment?

Tim

[reggie_obe]

With an adequate air supply, size of nozzle will approximately determine how many square feet a minute you can clean. But there are other variables at work as well.

[David Powell]

I spent a whole day trying to sandblast the few small parts I chose to test on. Ended up with media all through my clothes, a wheelbarrow half full of media, parts which would have looked better and more uniform had I just used an angle grinder, wire wheels etc and a very hot motor driving my compressor. Learnt a bit of how NOT to sandblast. Regards David Powell.

[flathead4]

I spent a whole day trying to sandblast the few small parts I chose to test on. Ended up with media all through my clothes, a wheelbarrow half full of media, parts which would have looked better and more uniform had I just used an angle grinder, wire wheels etc and a very hot motor driving my compressor. Learnt a bit of how NOT to sandblast. Regards David Powell.

I had a similar experience although I borrowed the unit. Still had to buy the media. It cleaned up the parts but left a mess in the yard that took years to go away. Like you I had sand in my skivvies before it was over.

[Dave C]

I bought the same one you showed to blast old tractor fenders twenty years ago. and it was just ok. I have plenty of air but it still was slow going, and the original gun was crap. Had to upgrade to their better gun with the ceramic nozzle. Get extra nozzles as they don't last long. Your sand has to be Sahara Desert dry, or it will clog regardless of the pressure used, and you need a real good respirator and a better hood. I modified an old motorcycle helmet to allow low pressure air to circulate inside it and wore the hood over it. All in all, it's a lot of bother, a lot of expense, a hell of a mess maker, and if it's like mine, will end up collecting dust and taking up valuable space in your shop. Do what the others say and farm the job out.

[junkaddict]

The media at Harbor Freight is a rip off. This place, the crushed glass media is $14 for 50lbs, since it is going on the ground anyways. That setup from HF sucks. Nozzle size will determine sq ft per minute. I agree with the other people who said pay the $100.

https://products.kleenblast.com/viewitems/specialty-abrasives-blast-media/crushed-glass

[tmc_31]

Sandblast pressure pot @90psi is similar to an air receiver.
Would you trust a import compressor tank?
No me, I have a Tip/Trumans pressure pot made by a company that make boilers and pressure vessels.

People trust import compressor tanks every day, there's one on nearly every compressor sold.

[tmc_31]

Went down to a neighbors house awhile ago, he showed me on youtube where guys were using a media injector tip on their pressure washer. The ones with a 4Kpsi/4gpm or better pump seemed to do pretty well, the 2.2Kpsi/2.8gpm models (which I have) not so much. One enterprising fellow put his media (garnet) in a pressure tank (as shown above) at 40 psi then ran that line to a media injector on his pressure washer. This seemed to work very well. This method is dustless and not much mess to clean up.