Dustless blasting

[elese]

I have come across a few posts about blasting here. I have a canal boat which is full of holes and which needs welding.

It is at a boatyard where the owner is a bit fussy, and it is 5 foot from the canal. I was looking at dustless blasting e.g. https://images.airblast.co.uk/wp-co...last_Product_Catalogue_Dust-Free-Blasting.pdf

The manager at the yard asked for a demonstration first to see how clean it is. I tried asking a couple of mobile blasters, but one only did big industrial jobs and the other was familiar with canal boats but said vacuum blasting was too slow.

Does anyone do vacuum blasting or give recommendations?

Or maybe I could get this. The yard has a Hydrovane 5 air compressor I can use (10bar 4 cfm), but I don't know if it would be clean enough, air flow on the compressor might be a bit too low

Vacuum Sand Blast Pot with Built in Vacuum SB28 Abrasive Vacuum

Pressurised Sand Blast Pot with Built in Hoover SB28 Grit Blaster Container

www.sandblasters.co.uk

 

[rcx132]

I have come across a few posts about blasting here. I have a canal boat which is full of holes and which needs welding.

It is at a boatyard where the owner is a bit fussy, and it is 5 foot from the canal. I was looking at dustless blasting e.g. https://images.airblast.co.uk/wp-co...last_Product_Catalogue_Dust-Free-Blasting.pdf

The manager at the yard asked for a demonstration first to see how clean it is. I tried asking a couple of mobile blasters, but one only did big industrial jobs and the other was familiar with canal boats but said vacuum blasting was too slow.

Does anyone do vacuum blasting or give recommendations?

Or maybe I could get this. The yard has a Hydrovane 5 air compressor I can use (10bar 4 cfm), but I don't know if it would be clean enough, air flow on the compressor might be a bit too low

Vacuum Sand Blast Pot with Built in Vacuum SB28 Abrasive Vacuum

Pressurised Sand Blast Pot with Built in Hoover SB28 Grit Blaster Container

www.sandblasters.co.uk

Those blasters that try to recapture the media have been around for ages. They're probably too slow for a boat and still release a lot of abrasive dust which will damage nearby vehicles, engines and more and you could be held liable for that. Arent needle scalers the normal option for boats?

 

[julianf]

Is 4cfm a typo?

If it isn't, even taking into account the 10bar quoted, you are so far away from what's needed that the rest is a bit of a moot point.

 

[brightspark]

I have come across a few posts about blasting here. I have a canal boat which is full of holes and which needs welding.

It is at a boatyard where the owner is a bit fussy, and it is 5 foot from the canal. I was looking at dustless blasting e.g. https://images.airblast.co.uk/wp-co...last_Product_Catalogue_Dust-Free-Blasting.pdf

The manager at the yard asked for a demonstration first to see how clean it is. I tried asking a couple of mobile blasters, but one only did big industrial jobs and the other was familiar with canal boats but said vacuum blasting was too slow.

Does anyone do vacuum blasting or give recommendations?

Or maybe I could get this. The yard has a Hydrovane 5 air compressor I can use (10bar 4 cfm), but I don't know if it would be clean enough, air flow on the compressor might be a bit too low

Vacuum Sand Blast Pot with Built in Vacuum SB28 Abrasive Vacuum

Pressurised Sand Blast Pot with Built in Hoover SB28 Grit Blaster Container

www.sandblasters.co.uk

its rather a joke. a canal boat it would hardly blast a model one. even at 90 cfm at 90 psi would take a day to maybee get there

 

[addjunkie]

If my memory serves me right @spaffmonkey is the man to talk to about fixing canal boats. In the past when Ive seen blasting close to sensitive things, they build a scaffold tent around it. Another way is wet blasting, which can be quite effective. Again usually a tent, and sheet the ground to collect your mess.

 

[m_c]

Is 4cfm a typo?

If it isn't, even taking into account the 10bar quoted, you are so far away from what's needed that the rest is a bit of a moot point.

4cfm is about right for a Hydrovane 5, as it's only a 1.1kw compressor. It's the smallest industrial compressor Hydrovane produce, and certainly no where near big enough to handle much blasting.

 

[rcx132]

There's also tungsten tipped rust removers that work well for large flat panelled items like boats.

 

[dave h 2]

I have come across a few posts about blasting here. I have a canal boat which is full of holes and which needs welding.

It is at a boatyard where the owner is a bit fussy, and it is 5 foot from the canal. I was looking at dustless blasting e.g. https://images.airblast.co.uk/wp-co...last_Product_Catalogue_Dust-Free-Blasting.pdf

The manager at the yard asked for a demonstration first to see how clean it is. I tried asking a couple of mobile blasters, but one only did big industrial jobs and the other was familiar with canal boats but said vacuum blasting was too slow.

Does anyone do vacuum blasting or give recommendations?

Or maybe I could get this. The yard has a Hydrovane 5 air compressor I can use (10bar 4 cfm), but I don't know if it would be clean enough, air flow on the compressor might be a bit too low

Vacuum Sand Blast Pot with Built in Vacuum SB28 Abrasive Vacuum

Pressurised Sand Blast Pot with Built in Hoover SB28 Grit Blaster Container

www.sandblasters.co.uk

The manager has probably been left with about a ton of J blast to dispose of before. The guy who said Vacuum blasting was too slow meant you can't afford his time .
As above use a needle scaler.

 

[julianf]

Would 4cfm even be enough to run a needle gun? I'm thinking probably not.

 

[rtcosic]

Dear Santa........

Strange how I have watched this channel for ages and this Forum for far longer and Dustless Blasting occurs on both on almost the same day!

Pass the Tin Foil Hat.

Bill Gates and the Lizard People are out and about today.

 

[Erie Fred]

Dear Santa........

Strange how I have watched this channel for ages and this Forum for far longer and Dustless Blasting occurs on both on almost the same day!

Pass the Tin Foil Hat.

Bill Gates and the Lizard People are out and about today.

The dustless adds water at the nozzle.
You still are leaving the spent abrasive, and whatever nasty paint removed from the boat hull on site.
vacuum blasting does not.

 

[elese]

The manager has probably been left with about a ton of J blast to dispose of before. The guy who said Vacuum blasting was too slow meant you can't afford his time .

Yes and yes. I have been looking at the tungsten tipped wheels are by Tercoo.

There is also this tool which I could rent for £44 for one day then £15 or something after: https://prepandcoat.com/products/br...b1EkczNZcO1bPo6DAOpTuzgmEIxLEHoRoCgDEQAvD_BwE

 

[Dcal]

Yes and yes. I have been looking at the tungsten tipped wheels are by Tercoo.

There is also this tool which I could rent for £44 for one day then £15 or something after: https://prepandcoat.com/products/br...b1EkczNZcO1bPo6DAOpTuzgmEIxLEHoRoCgDEQAvD_BwE

The rent is just the start of it, the brushes are expensive and don't last long.
You can resharpen the bristles but it all takes time and the bristles get loose and fall out eventually.

They are a great tool but I only use mine when I can't blast or it's a small part connected to a bigger part that doesn't fit in my cabinet and even then I mostly use it for finishing off because of the cost of the brushes.

Needle gun would be a better option.

If you are going to use a bristle blaster get it as good as you can by other methods (grinding, sanding, wire brushing in a grinder, needle gunning, chipping, Tercoo etc) and do the final prep with the bristle blaster.

Despite what I've said it is the next best thing to blasting for prepping steel, but it is by no means a cheaper option.

 

[Barking Mat]

Can't you just put tarps down, get a traditional blasting service, and clean up afterwards ?

 

[elese]

Can't you just put tarps down, get a traditional blasting service, and clean up afterwards ?

No, it's been tried once before. It has to be pretty clean, so no or really minimal dust into the canal.

 

[elese]

The rent is just the start of it, the brushes are expensive and don't last long.
You can resharpen the bristles but it all takes time and the bristles get loose and fall out eventually.

They are a great tool but I only use mine when I can't blast or it's a small part connected to a bigger part that doesn't fit in my cabinet and even then I mostly use it for finishing off because of the cost of the brushes.

Needle gun would be a better option.

If you are going to use a bristle blaster get it as good as you can by other methods (grinding, sanding, wire brushing in a grinder, needle gunning, chipping, Tercoo etc) and do the final prep with the bristle blaster.

Despite what I've said it is the next best thing to blasting for prepping steel, but it is by no means a cheaper option.

Thanks for the tips. It is exactly what I want to know.

I searched "vacuum blasting" and the latest generation of machines from decent brands look very good. Too expensive to buy though and probably to rent without testing. Thought it was worth seeing if there was anyone near me with one and could do it for a fair rate.

I will try a few more companies, but otherwise it will be grinding / needle gun / Tercoo wheel and maybe the Monti bristle blaster.

The better the prep the longer the paint system should last after it is back in the canal, so I would like to do the best job.

The base plate (under the boat) looks like a hassle, which is partly why I was hoping to blast. A lot of boat owners don't even bother with underneath - they say things like 'oxygenation in the water underneath the boat is too low, you don't need to bother' etc., but I am not too sure about that.

The rust on the inside of the boat is also taking a while.

 

[elese]

Would 4cfm even be enough to run a needle gun? I'm thinking probably not.

The needle gun works ok on it I am told.

 

[elese]

Is 4cfm a typo?

If it isn't, even taking into account the 10bar quoted, you are so far away from what's needed that the rest is a bit of a moot point.

Say a blaster was used with it then what could you expect? Something like 20 seconds of blasting then wait 2 minutes for the volume to fill up again? I don't mind doing it that way. Could just buy another air compressor though.

 

[6ply]

Would 4cfm even be enough to run a needle gun? I'm thinking probably not.

My compressor is probably about that, and I have used a needle gun occasionally. The compressor needs regular breaks to catch up. I wouldn't consider it with a larger job.

 

[Richiew]

Dear Santa........

Strange how I have watched this channel for ages and this Forum for far longer and Dustless Blasting occurs on both on almost the same day!

Pass the Tin Foil Hat.

Bill Gates and the Lizard People are out and about today.

If you'd watched this channel you would have been ahead of the curve.