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pedrobedro
Man at Matalan
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If it's the 2.5hp Powercraft compressor you will struggle to run anything bigger than a small spot blast gun for a few seconds at a time. For the amount of blasting you will be doing you will not damage the environment too much if you use dry sharp sand.
rtbcomp
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Don't use sharp sand - it's sold wet and you have to dry it out yourself and it contains big bits that need sieveing out. (10 Kw-h to dry 25 kg sharp sand). Some people use kiln-dried sand sold for laying paving flags.
That said it's illegal and dangerous to use sand except in a few special cases, there is a risk of silicosis.
I use crushed glass, this guy sells it by the bag or by the ton http://www.ineedgrit.co.uk/index.php
Pedro is right about the compressor, I have a 3hp 14cfm machine and it works its little socks off to drive a 3mm nozzle.
That said it's illegal and dangerous to use sand except in a few special cases, there is a risk of silicosis.
I use crushed glass, this guy sells it by the bag or by the ton http://www.ineedgrit.co.uk/index.php
Pedro is right about the compressor, I have a 3hp 14cfm machine and it works its little socks off to drive a 3mm nozzle.
Excellent,thanks
oh friggin'ell,another hurdle. It is the 2.5hp Powercraft version. Apparently a 45cfm unit is needed
yep,been reading on wiki about common abrasives,hence the prefered oraganic option.
right ok
,thanks
shenion
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My compressor is 5HP 10CFM (probably near 13 CF displacement). It can not keep up with a large nozzle. With a medium nozzle, it slowly falls behind. The 60 gal tank helps as I can run near 10 minutes at a time.
2.5HP and a small tank will be a pain. Be sure to use a small nozzle.
2.5HP and a small tank will be a pain. Be sure to use a small nozzle.
As sand occurs naturally, it doesnt need to be biodgradable anyway, but it is known to cause silicosis.
As regards all blasting media, more often than not, its the material that is cleaned off that causes the environmental problems, eg paint.
Why not use Black Diamond? Its possibly the best general blasting media around, a real workhorse.
As regards all blasting media, more often than not, its the material that is cleaned off that causes the environmental problems, eg paint.
Why not use Black Diamond? Its possibly the best general blasting media around, a real workhorse.
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rtbcomp
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More info on this page http://www.nstcenter.com/writeup.aspx?title=Abrasive%20Blasting&page=TechResourcesAbrasiveBlasting.html
Doesn't sound very pleasant!
rtbcomp
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Also says "however, may release hazardous air pollutants (HAP) into the surrounding air."
I agree it's good to use waste by-products, one of the more popular grits is J-Blast, this is made from copper slag & contains iron silicates, so more chemicals in the air, and it's imported into the UK from South Africa.
Glass grit is probably the most benign of the rough abrasives, it's produced here and forget about powdered glass being a poison!
I wasnt even going to mention that point! A lot depends on who you listen to. Some say that glass has no known health hazards, but others say that it is known to be one cause of pneumoconiosis...
For the time being though, I personally will stick with my Black Diamond.
For the time being though, I personally will stick with my Black Diamond.
pedrobedro
Man at Matalan
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Just assuming he has some common sense and is using a mask and a blast cabinet when possible. Let's give him a chance before we condemn him to death by asphyxiation. It took my Uncle fifty years down the pit in constant dusty conditions to contract pneumoconiosis so let's be a bit realistic, he's more likely to die of boredom waiting for the compressor to get back up to pressure 
Glass is molten sand resolidified so how is one safe and the other not? I would speculate that you are more at risk from the paint and rust you are removing than the medium used to remove it.
Glass is molten sand resolidified so how is one safe and the other not? I would speculate that you are more at risk from the paint and rust you are removing than the medium used to remove it.
rtbcomp
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The smelting process changes the structure of the sand, it's not the silicon element per-se that causes the problems.
