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Pressure washer sandblasters?

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Scratch View Drop Down
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    Posted: 07 Oct. 2021 at 7:44pm
Does anyone have any experience with the pressure washer sandblasters?  I've been seeing them lately and not sure how good they work.  I have one of these pressure blasters, and it works all right, but it seems to clog up easily and it seems I'm constantly fiddling with the valves.  I was wondering if the pressure blasters work as good or better than what I have.  I've seen a few videos and they seem to be pretty nice.  I don't really like the fact that there's water all over the bare steel when you're done, but maybe that's not as big of a deal as I think.  

I already have a big gas pressure washer and if it's way better than dry sandblasting, I might consider it.  I sandblast outside in the dirt so I don't really care about it being dustless, I would care if I wouldn't have to worry about it clogging up from moisture.

What are your thoughts?

Here's what I have right now...





Here is what I'm talking about:




Edited by Scratch - 07 Oct. 2021 at 7:49pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DesertDog48 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Oct. 2021 at 11:57pm
My buddy got the pressure washer setup recently and loves it. Said it's works great. He. Let's the Sand dry out for a couple days. Screens it and reuses it. Don't think it was very expensive either. You just stick the tube in a bucket of sand and start blasting!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 48willys Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Oct. 2021 at 10:45am
I’ve got one of their older models. It works well when it works, but I have a lot of trouble with the sand feed clogging. It could be operator error though.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Oldpappy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Oct. 2021 at 5:26pm
A good water trap / filter on your air line helps a lot with the clogging.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Pope891 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Oct. 2021 at 4:19pm
I am in the industrial coatings business.  So I know a little something about abrasive blasting.  Here you go:

Water + abrasive = mud.

Water + freshly blasted steel = rust

Wet abrasive blasting is very slow production.  Your working area is about the size of a marble, as opposed to a golf ball or larger using bigger blasting nozzles.  The trick with wet abrasive blasting is adding a product to the water like Hold Tight to "hold the blast" and allow the steel to dry out before it flash rusts.  But here's the catch; now your steel is covered in mud.  How do you get mud off?  

We could debate this fact for hours, but the majority of industrial painters use dry abrasive blasting for a reason....it's efficient.  

Consider renting a whole blasting set up from your local equipment rental place.  It cost me about $1,000 to rent a 185CFM compressor, hoses, air dryer, 100lb pressure pot and pressurized blasting helmut/hood.  I used recycled glass media to reduce the heat created by blasting on sheet metal.  Oh yeah, and warn your neighbors before you open up that blast nozzle Big smile
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Scratch Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Mar. 2022 at 11:53pm
I just realized I never updated this thread even though I did end up trying a pressure washer sandblaster a few months ago in the fall.  I ended up getting one off Amazon and it was pretty basic, but worked very well.  Here is what came in the tiny box for like 50 bucks if I remember.  Basically, it was just a hose, two metal pipes, some hose clamps and safety glasses:


Here is the above setup all put together along with my 3500 PSI pressure washer and a bucket of sand:


I did a test on this wheel.  I hated to remove that cool patina but it was the only one I had in that color.  This was the results of the air blaster.


I used the water pressure washer sandblaster on the left side and the air blaster on the right.  For the air one, I used the same system as what I posted in my first post.  As you can see, they both did very good jobs:


Here's a close up of the air blaster results:


And a close up of the water blaster results:


Here's a shot of down in the crack with the air blaster:



And down in the crack with the water blaster:


As you can see in the fourth pic, the water blaster did a pretty good job, and if I didn't already have an air blaster, I think the water blaster would be great and all I really need.  It removed the old paint and rust down to bare metal very easily and almost completely, and I could have easily gone over it again to remove all the rust and old paint.
But you can tell the water blaster didn't do "quite" as well as the air blaster.  I think what it was, is that with the water blaster, since the steel was wet, the black sand I was using was removing the rust like it was supposed to, but then it would stick to the wet steel and it was hard sometime to actually "see" where the old paint and rust was still there.  The wet sand kind of blocked my view so I spent more time going over some of the same areas because I couldn't see how good of a job I was doing.

With the air blaster, since the steel was dry, the used sand blew off the steel and onto the ground keeping my "workspace" cleaner and I could easily see any spots I missed so I would catch them instantly, and not have to go over them again.  Because of that, I also seemed to use more sand with the water blaster.

Plus you have the whole "your bare steel is now wet" issue that you have to deal with.

Like I said, the water pressure washer blaster works, and works well, but the air blaster works just a little bit better.  If I had limited or no tools and wanted to do some heavy sandblasting, I might choose the water method since I'd have to buy a nice big expensive pressure washer and could use that for lots of other jobs like cleaning the siding, car washes, deck, etc... whereas if I bought a big expensive air pressure pot for sandblasting, it only gets used for sandblasting.  Of course you'd have to account for a good sized air compressor too which only makes the water blaster an even cheaper option...

Either way, I'm glad I tried it out, but I did end up returning the water pressure washer as I don't need it, since I already have a large compressor and an air blaster.  Just thought I'd update the thread.






Edited by Scratch - 05 Mar. 2022 at 11:58pm
43 GPW 93487 Blk
44 GPW 230283 OD
46 CJ2A 50100 Tan
46 CJ2A 77632 Wht
47 CJ2A 141681 Grn
48 CJ2A 156240 Red/Yel
48 CJ2A "Lefty" 181341 Red
61 CJ5 123120 Tan
03 TJ Inca Gld
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Oilleaker1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Mar. 2022 at 7:05am
I blasted in conjunction with a professional restoration/autobody shop for 12 years. I have a envirosystems $88,000.00 blast system which allowed in door blasting with a airwall. 235 cu feet per minute with constant 100 psi air that was run through a air dryer first. Adjustable feed and pressure with separate hoses for sand or plastic. Blast hood with adjustable temperature air and tear off plastic face shields. I had blast lamps on each nozzle that illuminates the area you are working. You can see perfect up inside fenders and inside car interiors.  I used both sand and plastic media and cleaned up in between.  Learned allot in those 12 years. Lots of know- it- alls would come in my shop and insult me with their cheap opinions and non prepped vehicles full of trash which I had to clean up before I could even start on things. I'm now retired. The work and clean up involved in the job was quite intensive.   Pressure, media granular size, hardness of media, recyclability, changed with each type of media. There are many types for different jobs. Cost of the media is a big factor. Silica sand was cheap and worked reasonably well. Recycled glass was a one shot deal and actually cost more than others. 

A Dustless water blaster guy with a portable rig did a job up the street from me and I observed it all. He thought highly of what he could do and was cheaper than me. Faster too. He made a mess of things for the bodyshop he worked for. The hood, trunk lid, doors and roof skin had to be replaced since he warped all of it. 

Be careful with blasting your prized possession. Take it to someone who is experienced and won't destroy your project. 

Wear approved respirator masks, ear, and eye protection. Gloves, full thick clothing, and boots. 

There are items that frankly should not be blasted on a vehicle. 

Chemical stripping or just plain old sanding on certain items. Dry air for pressure pots or yes, it will clog. 

Getting back to the water blasters, I would avoid them.  
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