brightspark
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suction guns are best for bead blasting if the metals reasonably clean
- Thread starter rcx132
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Streetwerks
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No they aren't!
brightspark
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aren't they . better than a pressure pot I have a pattern guyson gun I cast and made myself that was 40 years ago./ I made a few. there still current
having sandblasted many aluminium wheels then bead blasted them with said gun making a living from it I don't know how I've managed
Streetwerks
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Pressure pot is way more efficient. I make my living too and suction is less efficient. I dont make a living blasting, it's just a necessity for my process and so my product is way better for the same price. not a real earner so I make it the most efficient
henry Kadzielski
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i have to agree, as I have both I can compare the differences. Suction cabinets / guns will and do work but their performance under the same pressure and air flow rate is significantly lower. The abrasive metering is also less controllable. I would guess that a pressure system with equal air flow would be in the vicinity of twice as fast in the cleaning process, possibly more. For those that have a suction system and it works for them well and good and there is no problems with that, however if they were to change over to a pressure system they would very much notice the difference. The greatest difference between the two is the speed that the grit attains. The higher the grit speed the greater the impact energy and thus the cleaning power. In pressure systems the rated operational pressure is 100psi. Now for every 1psi over 100psi in operation pressure at the blast nozzle, the blasting efficiency will by up by 1.5% and the converse is also true. When you compare both together you will notice the difference
rcx132
Philip
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What do you do?
brightspark
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both have there uses and I use both. a lot of things I bead blast would be ruined cleaned under pressure
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brightspark
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clean small parts by the sounds of it this is needed if u want anything cleaning fast. ive blasted a few houses with it and a narrow boat hull
rcx132
Philip
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So if you have such a machine with so much air flow then why are you using 3mm tips and not much bigger?
brightspark
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that's because I have 3 compressors all different sizes and a couple of pots the small one I tend to use in the cabinet for motorbike bike parts or anything else I care to blast so can contain the mess anything else gets blasted outside with the larger gear with expendable abrasive
rtbcomp
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BS said suction guns were better for bead blasting, I think we're all agreed that a pot is better for coating removal, I've used both for bead blasting and my professional (£50 not £15) suction gun is perfectly good for beads. I ran the pot at about 50 psi for bead blasting.
henry Kadzielski
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I also agree, all processes have their uses. For soft materials you can use pressure blast but reduce the pressure, suction is kinder due to the abrasive lower speed and or the abrasive being used. Still if speed is the most important then pressure is your answer regardless of the abrasive.
balmerchris
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Wow. That is very effective. Mine wouldn't be anywhere near that good at twice the pressure.
rcx132
Philip
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It does depend on the paint. This stuff was easy. It's probably also the alu oxide, apparently it's more aggressive than other media.
brightspark
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depends if u want to save it and use again . then it will loose its edge if u want fast and aggressive use chilled iron or copper slag https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=c...HYyazVAhUiBMAKHYpuCgQQsAQIOw&biw=1920&bih=934 .75 to 1.5mm will lace u at 90psi alu oxide is 9 on the mohs hardness scale and copper slag is 7
rcx132
Philip
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Chilled iron rusts and I heard it's no good for home use.
Copper slag is J-blast /Sealey grit and is expendable.
postie jon
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Blasting car body panels, take great care as they can look great but can be absolutly ruined if u use to high a pressure n to coarse a medium, i remember having to fill and sand a guys XR3 which he had blasted by a local firm who previously had been doing RSJs, whole sides looked n felt like a kids bumpy slide took days to rectify n it was black which made it 10 times worse.
brightspark
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personaly I wouldn't blast any body panels even at low pressure with kiln dried sand. been there and got the teeshirt
henry Kadzielski
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panels can be blasted with good pressure, but the problem is the heat generated. This heat will deform panels and to anyone that has done this will truly understand. The solution is to cool the panel as you blast. One very effective method is a misting spray or water injection into the air and grit. The amount needed is only tiny and it shows up as a fine mist out of the nozzle. This water also causes another problem and that is rusting of the blasted panel. This is controlled by, over here, a product called 'Hold blast', or 'Hold tite'. It is not just as simple as injecting straight water into the stream, the water mix is injected into the air stream under pressure into a mixing chamber. This process has been designed for larger scale blasting but can be adapted to smaller scale.
