Sandblaster for a 185 size aircompressor

[farmerlund]

So I have a doosan 185 aircompressor. We were thinking about getting some kind of sandblasting pot for cleaning up some rust and a few odds and ends. I would need an air dryer on it also.
Not doing giant projects. Mostly stuff like truck frames and some smaller equipment. Flatbed goose neck trailer.

Can anyone recomend a size or model that they like or have used. I saw a few in the $4.000-5,000 price range, that seems like a little overkill for my projects.

Thanks, Steve

 

[DB2]

It’s more about the nozzle size than anything. With a 185 you could probably go pretty big. We had good results with a small unit providing the material and air were dry. You just have to refill more often which affords the man a chance for some fresh air and to check his progress.

 

[Parts]

185 will handle a lot of sandblasting. You could dustless blast or "dusty blast" just about whatever as long as the blasting equipment can handle the CFM. If you're just doing small parts maybe a quality cabinet could work? I don't know much about them but TPtools advertises all over and they are made in USA cabinets so might be worth giving them a call.

 

[JLarson]

We've run a lot of those 3 cf pots on 185 size tow behinds with a pretty good size nozzle doing tank and steel structure rehab work.

 

[1693TA]

Here you go for reference on tip sizes and capacity's:



I have a 6cf Clemco "Contractor's" pot and this is from the literature furnished with it.

Make sure your blast hose is three to four times the diameter of your blast nozzle or it will not operate at maximum efficiency.

 

[Legdoc]

I have a Clemco 3.0 CF pot for my I-R (now Doosan) 185 compressor. Works well but if you have a lot of blasting it needs to be refilled often. It is a real PITA to fill while in the suit. It has wheels and can be easily rolled. I made a stand to place a 12 CF silo above the pot with a slide gate which I have not used yet for long blasts.

 

[1693TA]

Small jobs is the reason I have a small 1cf pot. I find it's 1/2" blast hose works very well with all the twisting, turning, and contortion one must go through to thoroughly blast a truck frame, (as instance). I find this small pot works great and it's not bad to fill in a suit. I don't leave media in an pot that sets idle and a union ball valve on the base makes it very easy to evacuate the pot into a bucket after rolling it up onto ramps. This is the one I have and purchased it in 1994: https://brutmfg.com/product/pressure-fed-abrasive-sand-101h/

I formerly had a 3cf Clemco pot and liked it very well. However I found it just a bit tall to be dumping media into from 100# bags: http://49yfftsnlm811f7233q3laj4-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/images/pdfs/24879.pdf

I now have a 6cf Clemco "Contractors" pot with an umbrella and it is great as having the rear wheels makes it very easy to roll around to where you want it: https://clemcoindustries.com/products/blast-machines/contractor-blast-machines/ I fill this machine with an auger of my design that works very well and you don't lift media bags other than staging. I fill the pot at ground level after equipment setup.

 

[1693TA]

Both my 1cf, and 6cf pots. Noticeable difference in size and weight:

 

[farmerlund]

Thanks for the link. I was looking at a couple Clemco pots. they look like nice units.

 

[1693TA]

Thanks for the link. I was looking at a couple Clemco pots. they look like nice units.

They are the most trouble free IMO.

Be sure look at only "pressure hold" systems for intermittent use.

 

[farmerlund]

Do most of the bigger ones have the air dryer on them or do you have to add one? my aircompressor doesnt have one.

 

[1693TA]

When you reference an "air dryer", do you mean a water separator? Most pots will not have them installed but they aren't too expensive to purchase. With long duration blasting you want your compressor discharge air to run through a cooler to condense out much of the moisture to be drained away. Usually the actual compressor output air is fed into a water separator, then a cooler, then a coalescing filter to remove any oil and finally to the blast pot. On my small pot that little water separator needs drained about twice in a 100# blast session. Moisture in your media wreaks havoc on your production and with much moisture, you are cleaning your pot internally to dry it out.

 

[1693TA]

Just thinking but if you notice in the first link for my small pot style, the bottom of the tank or vessel is rounded like a vertical air compressor tank. The Clemco unit has a 45 degree cone to the bottom of the tank. I have to shake, or agitate the Brut blaster tank to completely empty it where the Clemco style will completely empty themselves. This is important, or more of an annoyance working by oneself and out of position having to shake the pot knowing very well it's not fully empty.....

I mostly use coal slag for blasting if surface profile is not the upmost concern as it is hard, and sharp doing a good job rooting out pitted rust. Fairly easy to clean up also if that is a concern. Glass bead, walnut shell also have their places for paint removal. For paint removal on equipment or automobiles I use baking soda. This runs through a Clemco pot easily but does require an assistant to agitate the pot every now and then. Pots designed for soda have a 60 degree cone in the bottom as soda does not "slide" on itself like other medias so the pot will not completely empty itself, always. Plastic is much the same but requires different valving and such. However the pot requires the 60 degree cone.

Dry input air is an absolute must when using most any media. Soda and plastic clump easily with the smallest amount of moisture and can ruin your day.....

 

[farmerlund]

Thanks for the information. It helps to know what to look for. Water was one of my concerns, my compresser doesn't have any cooler or water trap on it at the moment. I have all winter to collect parts.

 

[JLarson]

An aftercooler with fans and a then a cyclonic steam trap work really well for moisture removal.

 

[nowing75]

at first we did not have a dryer and had lots of problems. We found a used desacent unit that has 2 chambers. It uses one then purges it and switches to the other.

 

[James Sorochan]

If you don't mind nowing75, how much was the used descent unit and how do you like it?

 

[farmerlund]

at first we did not have a dryer and had lots of problems. We found a used desacent unit that has 2 chambers. It uses one then purges it and switches to the other.

Can you post a model number or pics of it? thanks

 

[nowing75]

i will try its out in our conex box

 

[Sberry]

Long wand.