Welding Tips and Tricks

If I hit the lotto a Saylor & Beall 25 HP compressor is going to be the first thing order. I want to sandblast really bad. My Quincy 5 HP 80-gallon verticle tank can't do the job.

http://www.saylor-beall.com/saylor-beal ... e-package/

I used to have a part time job sandblasting.. The guy had an IR tow behind unit that used a 460 Ford big block that used 4 cylinders to run and 4 for compression. It was a handful at the nozzle and loud, but it would take anything down to bare metal in a hurry. It made the little cabinet jobs that I had used before seem "cute" in comparison.

We used to use the some type of compressor but with a small block ford motor and it would run 2-90lb. jackhammers all day steady and never break a sweat. Before that we rented big diesel tow behinds and they worked harder than the small block. Amazing!

I built a blaster thinking it would do a better job than the kind of blaster you stick a tube in a bag of black beauty, but my compressor is way to small to run it.

That's a good looking piece. (Would those be John Deere colors? )
Any idea how many cfm at what pressure it would take to run it?

WoodpeckerWelder wrote:That's a good looking piece. (Would those be John Deere colors? )
Any idea how many cfm at what pressure it would take to run it?

Woodpecker I'm thinking a minimum of around 35 CFM @ 90 PSI and over with at least a 3/4" air supply hose. I thought I could use ball valves to regulate the air, but there simply is not enough CFM to work with. No matter how I adjust the ball valves the media still clogs up at the bottom of the wye and blast hose.

Perhaps a daisy chain setup with a separate storage tank? Cfms are key, so to have a large capacity tank with a combination of smaller volume compressors (two maybe?) might be a solution. We did something similar in a woodshop where I used to work to handle multiple air sanders, nail guns and the finishing department all working at the same time. I think it was something like two IR vertical 80 gallon units and another 80 gallon horizontal tank off of a defunct unit. Never ran out of air volume or pressure.

WoodpeckerWelder wrote:Perhaps a daisy chain setup with a separate storage tank? Cfms are key, so to have a large capacity tank with a combination of smaller volume compressors (two maybe?) might be a solution. We did something similar in a woodshop where I used to work to handle multiple air sanders, nail guns and the finishing department all working at the same time. I think it was something like two IR vertical 80 gallon units and another 80 gallon horizontal tank off of a defunct unit. Never ran out of air volume or pressure.

I've heard of similar stories that worked out well by doing what you're suggesting, my problem is space, I don't have the space to have such a setup. Also, as I'm sure you know, 80 gallon tanks are a very expensive and I don't know if I would trust used ones. I guess if I ever need to blast a big job the safest thing for me to do would be to rent a Sullair.

One of a kind wrote:

WoodpeckerWelder wrote:Perhaps a daisy chain setup with a separate storage tank? Cfms are key, so to have a large capacity tank with a combination of smaller volume compressors (two maybe?) might be a solution. We did something similar in a woodshop where I used to work to handle multiple air sanders, nail guns and the finishing department all working at the same time. I think it was something like two IR vertical 80 gallon units and another 80 gallon horizontal tank off of a defunct unit. Never ran out of air volume or pressure.

I've heard of similar stories that worked out well by doing what you're suggesting, my problem is space, I don't have the space to have such a setup. Also, as I'm sure you know, 80 gallon tanks are a very expensive and I don't know if I would trust used ones. I guess if I ever need to blast a big job the safest thing for me to do would be to rent a Sullair.

I know the feeling about both space and $.... Don't have a shop or the cash to equip one if I did. I know they say money can't buy happiness, but I believe that it could make a pretty fair down payment!

[quote="I know the feeling about both space and $.... Don't have a shop or the cash to equip one if I did. I know they say money can't buy happiness, but I believe that it could make a pretty fair down payment! [/quote]


I hear ya, I can guarantee you a 8-$10,000 air system is never going to be seen on this property either.