Sandblaster Help

[mikedealer]

well i bought a harborfreight sandblaster
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95793
with 80 grit glass media
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=46426

hooked it up to my compressor (meets the specs that it says not to exceed in the blaster manual) and it works terribly lol..

i was trying to strip some spray paint off a tuber and it didnt work worth a crap. i tryed it on a peice of rusty metal and about 7-8 passes later it took the rust off somewhat lol.

any suggestions? is this normal? do i need a stronger compressor, it says 90psi, i spray at 90psi and it doesnt seem to do the trick, manual says to not exceed 90psi

is there a strong option out there that will take off spray paint off metal?

am i doing something wrong?

[scr8p]

try using a 3/8" air inlet instead of the standard 1/4". you'll have to change the coupler, too. it'll increase the air volume and might help it work better. something to try anyway............

[mikedealer]

this thing should be able to take off paint right jason? if used right? lol

[scr8p]

it should. but, some paint is alot tougher to get off than others. especially if it's on heavy.

[jwscab]

it's partially because it's glass bead. This is very gentle on metal, and takes awhile to pull paint off.

You need to use regular sand or some other more abrasive compound for tough stuff, rust, paint, etc. You can use play sand from any old hardware store, screened. Wear a respirator though, silica is not good for your lungs. Otherwise, you can buy specialized sand or other stuff, for a good variety, look at eastwood co. for various media. They are pricey though, so use them as a guide, and find the stuff for cheaper.

bumping up the compressor lines should be fine, but don't be surprised if you find the hopper emptying very quickly!

[SoloGraphix]

Not sure if Black Beauty is available everywhere, but its relatively cheap and works well, definitely screen it.

[fastang]

I have the same one and it works good. Maybe try the larger inlet like mentioned. My only complaint is the small hopper size. It takes longer to fill than it does to empty lol. It works good for small odd jobs.

[mikedealer]

anyplace online i can buy that? is it a normal peice?

[aconsola]

I have not used a mediablaster in a long time, but I think you would be better off with a cabinet. As I recall it took a while in the cabinet to get parts really clean, I can't imagine how many times you would have to fill that hopper to do any real work. You can get small tabletop cabinets complete for like $120. The benefit to that is that it just keeps recycling the media down into the collector. most jobs will take a lot more media than the hopper on that gun will hold.

[mikedealer]

im probably going to make one from a big black storage container&lid and put a peice of lexan on top and cutout some glove holes.

i really want to find a blaster that will take my finger off if i use it wrong lol.

[Halgar]

i really want to find a blaster that will take my finger off if i use it wrong lol.

Those are easy to find, they're just expensive.