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Wanting to get in sandblasting, looking for advice on what I need to get started, I already have sign business with vinyl cutter and have a 4hp ,25 gal. air compresser. Wondering if compresser is enough,what type of blaster I need, type of abrasive , etc. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanx!
-------------------- Todd Land Land Designs Bridgewater, NY tland@twcny.rr.com Posts: 66 | From: Bridgewater ,ny | Registered: Oct 1999
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Look in the yellow pages under Sandblasting Suppliers...they will give you the best info available.
Depending what it is you are wanting to sandblast will determine your equipment needs...If you are really serious about high production (sandblast wood and stone signs) you will be wanting to look a a gas driven screw type compressor (like they use for jack hammers)a 300 to 600 lb.blasting pot with hose and blasting nozzle and for sure a really good resperation unit (if you shop right you might be out about $5000. if your just messin around with some etching on glass and small foam signs, what you have and about $200. worth of additional equipment will work just fine.
On the other hand you can do like I do...I have a guy just outside of town that lets me use his equipment for $50. an hour (I approached him with that offer) and I can blast a bunch of signs in an hour. For $50. he maintains the equipment ,buys the gas and is there with a smile on his face everytime I show up to use the equipment. I could have offered him less for sure but then he'd have found a dozen reasons not to have the equipment ready. This way I'm happy ...he's happy.
[ October 21, 2001: Message edited by: Monte Jumper ]
-------------------- "Werks fer me...it'll werk fer you"
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I'd sure be agreeing with Monty.. all the signshops around here that do blasting.. get another company's equip.. to do it rite is costly to get into...and if you rent the equip.. the cost is a small part of your particular job...
At duck soup, i sat in the alabama sun and watched monty outline the lettering on a stock car.. this guy is good!
:}
-------------------- Del Badry philmdesign Sylvan Lake, Alberta
Posts: 636 | From: Sylvan Lake, Alberta | Registered: Nov 1998
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I agree with Monte's comments!...it depends alot on what you want to do, there are many that buy small hobby equipment and it "works" on foam, but from a small workshop type compressor (ours is 5.5hp) there is no capacity to drive an airhood. Think about your health No.1
We use industrial blasting equipment from Clemco, pot, air fed hood and filter system, all driven from a diesel compresssor, this compressor produces 2500litres per minute, a 1/4 nozzle (6.5mm) requires 2000litres a minute and an air hood needs about 500litres per. Your average workshop compressor 5.5hp produces 500litres per minute so even if you don't understand the metric you get the picture regards air usage.
We have a small TIP pot here too (waste of time) and a cupboard for blasting small stuff, and samples.
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We tried getting into doing our own but now take the masked piece to the local memorial shop. The guy who does it is an artist in his own right -- has been doing it for years and uses the sandblaster like a paint brush. It's worth the cost of outsourcing for us as we spend the time we save on all the rest of the sign business. Has been a wonderful deal for us as the memorial place carries a portfolio of our sandblasted signs for customers coming into their shop.
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