Question about Bead Blasters

[Tidybuoy]

I was just wondering, where would I go to purchase a bead blaster. And, about how much do these things cost? I'm just looking for a ballpark figure.

I would really like to fixup a lot of parts from my car and either powder coat or POR15 and I think I could do a much better job if the parts were prepped properly. I also sell a variety of things on E-Bay so a bead blaster (of my own) would probably come in handy. However, if they cost as much as the car - then it's not in my range.

Also, I'm assuming that there are many different levels of these machines.

Any advice would be terrific. Thanks, in advance..............Vern

[Tidybuoy]

One more thing.....I'm buying an air compressor this weekend (primarily for house projects) but if I could somehow make my own bead blaster......I'm open to suggestions

[914GT]

Cheapest blast cabinet runs about $70 (unless on sale) from Harbor Freight and go up from there, to $1000 or more. Eastwood Co. and Sears also has them ($300+). Media is separate. Cheap is silica sand from hardware store. You can get aluminum oxide and glass bead. Depends on what you need to blast. Sand is ok for heavy rust on iron/steel parts but not for sheet metal or aluminum. Bead is good all around media to have. They take plenty of air. Small cfm and small tank compressors won't blast for very long. The cheap blast cabinets leak, invest in a good one big enough to hold your parts like a floor-standing unit with side doors. Get extra window shields, they get dulled quickly. Put a light inside of it and attach a shop vac to make it better to see and collect the dust and media. You could build one but may not be worth the effort. You still need the blast nozzle, gloves, window, etc. The other option is to get a sand blaster kit (tank, hose, nozzle) and blast someplace you don't care getting sand all over the place. You need respirator and goggles, and the sand gets everywhere you can imagine. Almost impossible to recover the sand that way though.

[rdupre@houston.rr.com]

I got my bead blaster at Harbor Freight at under $100. Also picked up some glass beads and aluminum oxide medium there also.

It's small and light enough to move around the shop, but just barely big enough to blast a wheel. If I had it to do over again, I'd get a little bigger unit with side opening rather than top opening. I'd also get one with better sealing. Mine, even if I tape up the lid, still emits some fine dust.

I'd be cautious of hooking up a vac to the unit. My neighbor did it and ruined two shopvacs before he realized that the stuff he was sucking out of his blaster was pretty corrosive to the inner workings of the shop vac. The airborne grit was so small that it passed through the shop vac's filter and ground up the motor.

Oh, btw, it's fun to use. Cleaning off old paint and rust is seeing a miracle before your eyes.

[Tidybuoy]

Thanks Guys!

I will take a look at Harbor Freight & Sears. Your reccomendations will be helpful.

Vern