Is a bead blaster worth the investment?

[DaddyGlenn]

I hate paying people to do things for me just because I lack the proper tools.

Is there a bench top bead blaster out there that is worth the investment? I know someone has thoughts on this subject.

[rsa]

I bought mine from harbour freight. You have to get one. It will save you hours of buffing and water blasting.

[mossguy]

Glenn - I built a nice one using plans and pieces from TP Tools in Canfield Ohio. The cabinet and stand are 3/4" plywood and 2x4's. It is large enough to blast wheels.
Tom

[dfink]

The bead blaster is cheap $99.00 at harbor freight. The air compressor required to run it is gonna set you back a bit.....

[Zef]

Go ahead...There is always something to blast.

[RallyJon]

I had an HF one. Worked fine for lots of things.

Just don't think to hard about it, or you'll want to upgrade. Issues include:

- Leaks all over. You have to tape the seams, but you can't tape the gasket.
- Leaks are incredibly bad for you. The dust is in the air, so you need a serious filter mask. Tell the filter mask company you're using it for media blasting and they'll tell you that nothing can protect you other than an external air supply.
- Media recovery/filtering. Vacuum rig is expensive. Normal shop vac will burn out if you try sucking up the media dust.
- Cleanup is a mess. The stuff gets everywhere.
- You need a huge compressor to blast continuously. My Sears upright would work for a few minutes, then I'd need to take a break.

[real550A]

I sealed all joints with silicone caulk as I assembled mine. It took a little
extra time, but no leaks!
Also built a rolling cart to mount it on so I can wheel it just outside the
shop door while blasting.
You'll need 10+ cfm to keep up. A 6h.p./ 60 gal. unit works great.

[john walker's workshop]

anyone who does restoration of anything needs one bad.

[DaddyGlenn]

Wow! Thanks Guys. A bead Blaster just moved to #2 on my x-mas list. (Right behind a compressor w/tools)

[DaddyGlenn]

Is this the HF unit?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=45411

[BoogieOnSkis]

A bead blaster is worthless without 2 important things: a compressor capable of supplying enough air; and a dry air source. Do a google search for compressed air piping and use black pipe (you'll need to size the pipe according to your air needs, and never use galvanized pipe).

[calling911]

After owning a cheapie bead blast cabinet I have the following thoughts:

1. They suck

2. They leak all over

3. They suck

4. The hose dries out after short period of time inside the cabinet.

5. They suck

6. Buy one from an autobody repair shop web site and pay $200 or more and you will be happier.


If u do buy one; caulk and tape ALL seams and buy the light or you can't see to work.. and dont waste your money if you do not have a 220v compressor with at least 10cfm... you're gonna HATE it if you dont have the right volume of air available.

I probably have a 1lb of glass bead in my lungs.. I am doomed.. thats why I am having fun NOW..

[DaddyGlenn]

No, really JP, what do you really think?

[calling911]

Originally posted by DaddyGlenn
No, really JP, what do you really think?

I think they suck!



I hate buying crappy tools.. whenever I buy a nice tool I really appreciate it everytime I use it.

[bbh03]

You will be annoyed if you have to stop to let your compressor catch up. I think about 10 SCFM at 90 psi is a minimum, as others have said. Use a dessicant dryer on your air supply line.

The HF box will work well enough if you take the time to seal it up with silicone and duct tape.

[randywebb]

I got an eye opener recently when a friend was nice enough to blast my shift tower/base for me. I thought we'd just stick it in there and then go mess with his motor rebuild. Un uh. He had to sit there peering thru the occluded glass window for about 15--20 minutes shooting the gun at the tower from different angles etc. He has a cheapo Chinese one and a lot of bead dust was flying out all over. I no longer regret not getting one. I'd rather pay somebody else to do it in a big facility with good dust control. The critical seal is the door one - and taping it all the time will be troublesome.

If you have a lot of parts to do AND they will fit in your cabinet then maybe the cost of the cabinet, big compressor, hoses, gun, dust control & quality OSHA mask will make sense.

But the cheap solution is not w/o some issues...

[CliffBrown]

You might look into the use of a media tumbler instead, unless you can step up to a commercial size bead blaster. No labor or large air compressor required.

[randywebb]

that's what I've heard... any info on the tumblers?

[DaddyGlenn]

OK, now I guess I need to think about it a bit. I'll move it down my list and increase the specs on the compressor at the top of my list.

[CliffBrown]

I haven't had the opportunity to use a tumbler yet but I've read a lot about their use in numerous applications and it all sounds good. The only down-side I've read has to do with the amount of time required.

It seems like I've spent years standing in front of a commercial size bead blaster as an A & P mechanic and I'm done with that.

Some of the guys on Pelican have talked about using homemade tumblers and I'm giving some thought of converting an old clothes washer or dryer into a homemade tumbler.