Anyone know anything about sand blasting?

[Buzz]

circa 1971

Imagine cruising westbound on the upper deck of the Oakland/SF Bay Bridge at 6:45AM on an otherwise absolutely beautiful summer morning at about 60 mph on your finely tuned orange Honda CL450 motorcycle. As you exit the Yerba Buena tunnel the glorious vista [can I use that word?] that is the skyline of The City greets you, basking in the glow of the sunrise as it glimmers over the Oakland hills behind you. Suddenly, something seems terribly out of place. Something is amiss. There are large signs on both side of the bridge's roadway. You take this road, well travelled, almost every weekday. You know something is just not right today. There is a warning. What can this possibly be? Is this some sort of sick, cruel joke? Surely this can't really be happening.

"ROLL UP WINDOWS: SANDBLASTING AHEAD"

...and you instantly remember you forgot to order roll up windows on your motorcycle. Wait; roll up windows weren't even available on motorcycles. There's fast moving traffic all around you. There's no place to stop, no place to turn around. You must keep going. There's another set of signs. What do they say? Maybe you misread the first signs... You're hoping you misread the first signs.

"ROLL UP WINDOWS: SANDBLASTING AHEAD"

You didn't misread the first signs.

Anyone know anything about sand blasting?

According to the signs, you should roll up your windows...

[kap]

[quote Buzz]circa 1971

Anyone know anything about sand blasting?

According to the signs, you should roll up your windows...
Because the burn is intense!

[RAMd®d]

...I remember those days.

No daily commute, but some apprehension as to what the sand might due to my beautiful, rebuilt and customized CL77 305 Scrambler, and lustrous International Orange Bell Star!

[Golfer]

We've used several methods of cleaning over the years: solvent, sand, various nut shells, beads, but what I like the best is using dry ice. We're not talking about using cabinets, but out in the open blasting on our compressors and vessels. Nothing to clean up afterwards for the most part, the dry ice simply sublimates and leaves just a little paint/dirt/corrosion which has been removed to clean up.

[spearmint]

Do not sandblast cars or boats unless you use plastic, baking soda or wheat germ. It may warp panels. Dry ice is great after blasting it just goes away. Expensive equipment which creates the Dry Ice pellets. However in a enclosed area as for most blasting you need respiratory equipment. You are starting to talk some serious money but OHSA requires it for all blasting except in cabinets.


For this stuff you also need expensive compressed air filtering systems to make the compressed air clean.

[RAMd®d]

I saw that outfit in a movie with Billy Campbell and Jennifer Connolly.

[Racer X]

[quote BigGuynRusty][quote Racer X]Now, be nice. I have a 500 hp car, and know nothing about petro-cracking.
Absolutely not the same thing.
First thing they teach in welding is clean the surface.
It is a mantra!

BGnR
RX, you were reaching with your analogy, and fell WAY short!
I know, I was kidding. Surface prep is key with any welding technology, and painting, for that matter.

[ho'ard]

You mean you have to clean the surface before welding?
I just thought it would look nice . . .
Anyways, thanks for the great responses.
Spearmint, any advice for getting started in a smaller scale? Is the 135 cfm, 3 HP compressor I just bought good for anyhing at all?

[Buzz]

[quote RAMd®d]...I remember those days.

No daily commute, but some apprehension as to what the sand might due to my beautiful, rebuilt and customized CL77 305 Scrambler, and lustrous International Orange Bell Star!

same thoughts, different bike; same helmet... B)

size 7-3/4 then, 7-7/8 or 8 today, if only I could still ride...

[Racer X]

so your head got fat?