What blasting media is everyone using?

[RobertJ]

I'm getting ready to blast the 416s frame and tub. frame has no paint at all,just heavy rust. The tub has many,many layers of military cammo paints. So what is everyone using for blasting media for rust or painted surfaces? Im going to POR-15 whats useable of the frame and the new bare metal I add. Im just using the large Harbor Freight blaster. Not sure if I'll use the shops compressor or rig up a 230 liter 380 psi LN2 dewar to it yet.
Thanks

 

[Scoutn79]

I have one of the HF pressurized sandblasting tanks I think you are talking about and use it with a 10.3cfm@90psi compressor and I can run the pressure down is about 5 minutes of continuous use. It will still blast but I think the tank will stabilize between 60 and 70 psi (I never really looked). Many use baking soda when blasting outside but I never have. When I sandblasted my truck, I did it in my garage. I set up tarp walls about 5' away from the truck all the way around and blasted until I ran out of media then I would shop vac up all of the sand off of the garage floor, run it through a strainer and funnel with magnets in it to capture the iron particles and then start all over again. It worked but it was dusty, I had to use a respirator along with the regular sandblasting gear.
It surely wasn't the best idea but it is what I had and didn't waste a ton of media only being able to use it once.

Darrell

 

[Copasspupil]

I used garnet for my media for most parts cleaning and rust removal. You really have to watch on the flat sections not to warp the steel for media blasting. Eastwood came up with a pwertool I thought about using for stripping the paint and rust off in that situation. I used to be a huge supporter of Por15 products but switched to the Zerorust on my trailer build. Remember you can always wipe down the steel with phosphoric acid on the metal so it doesn't flash on you. Just wipe it off so it doesn't stand there and dry. Then use a wax and grease remover prior to the priming.

If you don't mind me asking, did you call around to see what the blasting shops would charge you? It may be worth your time to pay to have it done. Mine was 200 to have it done and I picked it up the net day to prime it...