im just started my full resto on my 69, and i would like to do the sand blasting myself when it comes to it. is there kits you can get for a compressor so you can sandblast in open space?(with a made both surrounding the car + protecting the garage) i look on eastwood but all i can find is cabinets and thats not the route i wanna go...

You might try Harbor Freight or similar places. They have pressurized sandblasters. There are also gravity fed blasters found at places like Sears (catalog) and they work ok but your better with the pressurized units.

P.S. wear a respirator!

I'd suggest ground glass for a media. You'll get a cleaner piece, and paint loves it. Plus you can lower your air pressure dramaticaly, reducing friction.


My resto page(s) www.geocities.com/eosupersport65 (http://www.geocities.com/eosupersport65)

Just be careful with sand because you can heat up the metal and warp it. They used Soda blasting on my 68 Chevelle. I have a few pictures on my website of the stripping
http://www.my68chevelle.com

thanks, i checked harbor frieght and found exactely what i was looking for, so i think i will make a both to surround my car (probably of pvc pipes and a think plastice sheeting well tied up so no sand or glass leaks through.)
how much psi do i need with glass media and is it more expensive? i am looking to get a new aircompressor and the one i liked was a husky at home depot with 5.5hp 1.9 working and a max psi of about 135. and it came with all the air tools. any thoughts???

Way to small, I run a 6hp 60gal with a 3hp 30gal in line and still don't have enough air. 2 stage is the only way to go but will cost around a grand. Waiting on recovery of the compressor is like watching grass grow.

correction: it is 5.5hp 60gal 150psi,

i know that may not be enough but i think it will do, i can wait for the lag for the savings of lots of money, this particlular setup comes with all the air tool included for $299 so it seems pretty decent

beside i love watching grass grow!!! hehe just jokin'

can you use glass media in open space? or is it just for cabinets???

how do u you soda for blasting? where do u buy it and do you just stick it in the bin like you would with sand???

thanks a million everyone!!!

To all who say "be careful with sand because it can warp panels". Do you say this from experiance or just what you've heard? I have been sand blasting for a while now with a 7hp 60 gal. compressor and a sears sand blaster with fine sand. I've held it it one place for 30 seconds. after 3 seconds, the paint was gone to bare metal. I stoped blasting and felt it right away. It was cold. Pressurised air gets cold. I don't know if this is because of my big tank or fine sand, but with my setup, sand blasting DOES NOT warp metal panels

I'm going to offer you a bit of advice, that you may not want to hear, but it comes from experience. I have all the equipment, the compressor, the Harbor Freight pressure blaster, the hood, the respirator and you could not pay me enough to tackle a project that big. You'll go through at least a dozen bags of media, I prefer crushed garnet, (no silicosis) at about $30 a bag, not to mention DAYS of your time. I just got done having the body of my 64 El Camino done for about $600 and would not have done it any other way. It is a horrible, time consuming job. The pressure blaster that I have does an area about the size of a quarter. How many quarter sized areas do you suppose are on your car? I attempted to do my frame one time and after about a half an hour, adn a half of a $30 bag of media, I had done an area about three feet long. Give this some serious consideration.....


Cam

cam sweet,
thats what i wanted to hear, the truth from someone that did it. after reading your post i think i will decide just to have it done by a pro, i heard from my painter that it will cost about $500 and i think that outways the disadvantages of doing it myself. plus even if i did it myself getting a rotisserie is a whole other problem i just started thinking about last night. so thank you - you made me see the light of day on this situation...

$500 sounds like a good deal. I paid closer to $700 for soda blasting the car and all of the parts. I think the problem with warped panels is when using the big equipment. I sandblasted an old VW in my neighbors yard using a small Sears unit with no problem but I was not willing to take the chance with my Chevelle.
http://www.my68chevelle.com

Guy don't let this people stop you from sandblasting this is what i did i bought a regular blast out of a bucket sand blaster first wrong way to go after to bags i only covered about 2 foot of frame and i knew then but i thought about to hire a sandblaster it would of been $180.00 to do the frame so what i did was i went to Northern Tools and got me the 10 Gallon RollAbout Sandblaster for $189.00 Bought 8 bags of sandblast media i believe for $4.99 each its called Black Diamond and did my whole frame in about 30-40 minutes and it was worth it because after i get threw doing my 71 Chevelle im going to buy my a 69 Camaro to restore and i will reuse it over again which is better than paying the $180.00 for a one in a time job but go to northerntools.com and order those items they are good to have around

hey chevyboy,
like this: http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=6970&langId=-1&catalogId=4006970&PHOTOS=on&productId=583&feature=true

how was the cleanup after and how did contain the mess???

I think this is the one http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=6970&langId=-1&catalogId=4006970&PHOTOS=on&productId=383261

Heat has little do do with warping, It is called "compressive mechanism - localized molecular packing" and YES IT WILL WARP. Don't ever think it won't, I have seen too many cars and parts RUINED by improper sandblasting.

Each piece of sand acts like a tiny hammer. It hammers away at the top surface of the metal spreading the molecules around and spacing them apart. The top surface of the metal GROWS and warps towards the blaster.

We are not taking "Darn I caused myself more work" kinda damage. We are talking "SON OF A &^$&^# I RUINED THE &%$@&*%$ THING AND IT HAS TO BE THROWN AWAY!!!!!!!!! kinda damage.

Unless you REALLY know what you are doing or you are SUPER lucky, you WILL warp sheet metal by sandblasting. PERIOD!!

hey martin,
since your in my neck of the woods (im in the east bay) do u know any good people that do media blasting???

Crown Chevrolet in Dublin will plastic media blast a car for about $400.00. It is a super deal if you ask me.

It will NOT touch rust, or bondo. But it will take paint off without any damage what so ever to the metal. It literally looks like NEW metal with no "etch" look like sand blasting, it looks JUST as it did before GM painted it.