The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk using sand to sandblast

I'm a little worried about usind sand to clean the frame....seems that even if you have a respirator, that's not good enough. I'm wondering if anyone knows about how long it will take to clean the frame. Glass beads are about 25 dollars for 50lbs. versus $3.55 for a bag of sand. I don't want to seem cheap but I don't want to end up paying for it with my health later.... anyone got any ideas

southerncharm,

I think using glass beads would put you in the poorhouse post haste. There is nothing wrong with using sand if you do it outside and use even a basic respirator. I don't think you would develop Silicosis after blasting one frame.

If you can't come to grips with this, maybe a search for a commercial blaster would ease your mind.

Although I don't know this for sure, on a apples to apples comparison, glass beads are probably equally as destructive on your lungs as silica sand.

In my unprofessional opinion, if you do it outside with a quality respirator you will be fine.


Stuart

My preference is to find a local guy with a large blasting rig, then show up on sunday with a case of beer and 50 bucks. With a huge blasting setup, he can have the frame done in about 5 minutes, versus 6-7 hours if you DIY. PLUS, then HE gets to breathe the sand.

I'd have to agree with ya Stu, we are probably exposed to silica and asmostos in some amount every time we take a breath. I thing limiting the amount of exposure is the key and like Stu said a good respirator will be plenty of protection.
Beads are way to expensive for this kind of work and no where near as aggressive as sand. If ya want to eliminate your silica exposure then use coal slag, aka; black beauty it’s even more aggressive than silica sand and is just a little more expensive, around five bucks for an 50lb bag.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

The places I have used to have things sand blasted just use regular sand, one of them literally by the dump truck load.

Outside, a good respirator, and heavy clothes is what I have used when I do it myself. But I would not want to sand blast for a living...

About the $50 and a case of beer, you would be lucky or have really good friends to have a frame done for that little. I think $200 is a deal for sand blasting a frame. Try it once yourself and you will quickly see how much fun it is.

Grigg

Like has been said, its a big job and it takes hours makes a heck of a mess. If you pay 200bucks and have it done well in an hour its a deal. Anymore I only sand blast small items. The professional blaster down here could probably do one in half an hour or so, after doing one - I would say its a deal too.

Local guy here charges $100 for a frame, $400 for a complete car. Plus he will spray epoxy primer on the car for another $100 I cant buy sand for that, much less worry about the mess.

yea, I think I would be alright doing it outside and with a respirator also.... just wanted to hear someone else say it. It couldn't be any worse than they claim second hand smoke to be. Has anyone tried just wire brushing it with different size brushes so that you can get into all of the cracks and crannys and then maybe spraying two or three coats of ospho on it?

What it takes depends on how bad the chassis is to begin with. I recently blasted a 1968 chassis in 3 hours and 4 100lb bags of sand at $6.25 a bag. Just a few weeks ago I did my 1952 half ton panel chassis and it took me close to 6 hours and 6or7 100lb bags but my chassis was BAD.
Last summer I had a 1937 chassis blasted that wasn't to bad and it cost me $150.
Folks around here won't "do a chassis" at a flat fee because of what I mentioned above. They charge by the hour which includes the sand. Current rate is $100 an hour for sand and $125, or it may have been $150, per hour for soda blasting.
If you have only ONE chassis to do then pay someone else and you'll be better off. I bought the pressurized system and did mine myself. I may have save money in the end since I still have a practically new blaster set up but as hot as it was in the summer I wish I had stayed home and let someone else do it as i will probably not blast another and end up "loaning" my blaster out and letting someone else get the use out of it.
Hope this helps you make the right decision for YOU