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There are several solutions for abrasive blasting based on the situation, and Eastwood has you covered for all of them. Our pressure sandblasters are a powerful way to grind rust off of frames, housings, chassis and other heavy-duty parts. For sheet metal and other thin metals, a soda blaster will take off paints without destroying the texture. Blasting cabinets give you all-way small part stripping in an enclosed system to reduce mess. Or you can go for a siphon spot blaster that connects directly to an air compressor for those on a tight budget.
Many of us at Eastwood have numerous projects going on at a time. This is great for a few reasons, one of them is the chance to constantly be testing and using our products. This allows us to make our products better and also gives us experience in the use of our products so we can pass that knowledge on to our customers. We decided to share our small projects we tackle from time to time here on the blog in our Eastwood “Project of the Day” series.....READ MORE
Media Blasting is a pretty simple process when you break it down into the basics. You mix an abrasive media with high pressure air and shoot it out of a small orifice in a gun/nozzle. Media blasting is extremely effective if you make sure you follow some fairly simple tips. In this tech entry we will cover the basics you need to follow when blasting with a pressure blaster.....READ MORE
Modern engines are often direct injection, as this process allows for advantages in fuel consumption as compared to conventional fuel injection, as well as yielding more power with an engine of identical displacement. The N54 engine of the BMW 335i and 135i also are direct injection; this means in particular that the fuel is injected directly into the combustion chamber of each cylinder and not in the intake tract. As a consequence thereof, the fuel injectors are no more placed before the intake valve, but directly in the cylinder itself....READ MORE
Using Pneumatic pressure to operate tools is an absolute must in your garage, but most of these tools DO NOT like excessive moisture mixed into the air. Moisture in the air lines can cause rust the inside of the air tank or air lines or even your air tools. Excessive moisture in your shop air can cause a decrease in performance as well as premature failure of the pneumatic tool. If you’re using a paint gun it can also allow the moisture to creep into the paint gun and contaminate your paint job. We decided to put together a list of the reasons and corrections to cut down the moisture in your air lines....READ MORE
Much like painting and welding, preparing metal for powder coating is multi step process that must be followed in order to have the best results. If any of these steps are missed or not done properly your end product will risk having flaws.....READ MORE
(Q) What’s the difference between pressure and siphon blasters?(A) Simply put: speed. Using the same amount of air, pressure blasters do the job in less than half the time it would take a siphon blaster. This is possible because the pressure blaster uses air pressure to push, as well as siphon, the abrasive to the nozzle. Pressure blasters cost more than siphon units, but are well worth the added cost if used frequently. Eastwood sells pressure blasters to meet any need, including our hobbyist model 150-lb. Pressure Blaster and our professional model 100-lb. Pressure Blaster.
Siphon blasters rely on the suction that’s created to pull the abrasive through the pick-up tube and into the air stream. The heart of the siphon blaster is the suction head assembly. This “T”-shaped piece is where virtually all the wear occurs. The Speed Blaster is a hybrid design, using both siphon and gravity for a more efficient flow of media to the nozzle.
(Q) How much air is needed to use an abrasive blaster? (A) The actual air needed is determined by the nozzle selection. All of our blasters, except for the Speed Blaster, can be adapted to run on as little as 7 cfm (cubic feet per minute) at 80 psi (pounds per square inch) using the smallest nozzles we sell. When selecting a nozzle use the largest size your compressor will power. See the nozzle selection chart for more details.
It’s also important that the air supplied is dry and oil-free. Moisture and oil mists can cause the media to clump and clog, leading to sporadic abrasive flow. We strongly recommend that you mount a Moisture Separator as close to the blaster as possible for best results.
(Q) Which media should I use?(A) If you’re using a system that recycles media, Eastwood has a wide assortment of specialized abrasives. Glass Bead and Aluminum Oxide are our most popular. See our Blast Media for details.
(Q) What about metal warping?(A) Metal can be deformed by abrasive blasting, especially when using excessively high pressures with the nozzle too close to the surface! This risk can be minimized by using the recommended pressures and maintaining about a 3"-6” distance, and holding the nozzle at about a 45° angle to the surface.
(Q) Can abrasive blasting be harmful to my health?(A) When using any blast media, be sure to use proper eye, respiratory and clothing protection, especially if using ordinary sand. Abrasive blasting with sand creates dust that can cause respiratory damage known as silicosis. Use one of our recyclable media as a substitute for sand and be sure to wear appropriate NIOSH-approved respiratory protection.
Media Blasting Videos & Articles
Step up your abrasive blasting work with expert DIY advice from Eastwood. Also known as media blasting or sandblasting, this process is an effective way to strip paint and rust of parts. Giving yourself a solid knowledge base will make things go even smoother.
We’re a pioneer of abrasive blasting and sell the highest quality equipment and accessories. More importantly, Eastwood provides the know-how to use our gear. Learn more about auto body media blasting thanks to these articles and videos put together by our experts.
Expert Sandblasting Tips
No matter what you have for experience in media blasting, there’s a resource that can help. If you’ve never blasted a part in your life, scroll down to our Abrasive Blasting FAQs and Soda Blasting FAQs. They’ll fill you in on the different types of sandblasting, what to use for an air source, selecting the right media and much more. Our abrasive blasting video library demonstrates pressure blasters, siphon blasters and blasting cabinets in action.
Once you’ve gotten the basics down, check out the intermediate and advanced sandblasting articles. We’ve put together guides about how to prepare metal for powder coating, reducing moisture in air lines and improving the performance of blasting guns, among other things. They’re written by people with years, even decades, of abrasive blasting experience who are happy to pass along what they’ve learned.
Get More From Your Abrasive Blaster
Before you buy a new blasting cabinet, abrasive media or accessory upgrades, take a look at our sandblasting videos and articles. We’ll assist with choosing the right equipment and also help you get a handle on the cost of media blasting a car body. The Eastwood Garage and tech library have even more resources provided free of charge. This commitment to service is why we’ve been a DIY leader since 1978.