I completely sandblasted my Cletrac M2 with one of those Princess Auto 100 lb blasters on a heavy duty 5 hp electric compressor. I'd blast one area then blow it off and paint it so it wouldn't rust. With matte paint it doesn't matter if some of the sand hits the paint when you're doing the next area as the finish doesn't change. With a fairly new nozzle the compressor would keep up at 100 psi but when the hole wore too big you'd have to stop and let it catch up every now and then. I was usually ready for a break by then anyway. For a face mask I used a welding helmet but I took out all the lenses and just closed the hatch on a piece of Saran Wrap. It lasts several times as long as the hard plastic or glass lenses and doesn't cost anything to replace. I wore a dust mask under the helmet for breathing. As for clothes I just wore loose fitting stuff because you can't keep the sand out anyway. Just give yourself a shake and be rid of most of it. I reused the sand about four times in the shop then the last time I blasted parts outside and let it go. I bought about 1000 lbs of the Sil 4 from an oilfield supply outfit so after using it five times that's a lot of sand. I replaced about $50 worth of nozzles and valves before I was done.
|