Is there such a thing as a gentle sandblaster?

[JimConlin]

I often want to clean finish off things that have enough contour that any grinding would be destructive and who's got the patience for chemical removers?

My dentist uses some kind of sandblasting process on occasion.

What are the options for us mortals?.

[GregH]

As suggested above, walnut shells, and other non-sand media are available. Also, you can adjust the air pressure of your compressor to your liking.

[Stiletto]

The choice of blasting media can make a big difference to how aggressive the effect is.

Soda blasting is another type. Essentially industrial grade baking soda (bicarb). It can strip paint off truck trailers without damaging air hose lines.

[Boatman53]

I did some work on an historic windmill and before we started the whole interior was sponge blasted. Cleaned everything up but did no damage to the historic structure. Don't know if the medium is available to home blasters, and it might not be aggressive enough to remove a finish. But the did remove a lot of pigeon droppings.

[StevenBauer]

Those flap wheels are kinda cool, too. Might be worth a look.


Steven

[Peter Malcolm Jardine]

Soda is used quite commonly to blast off old bottom paint on fibreglass boats. One of the problems going forward is the requirement for cleanup at most yards, and that makes the setup of the blaster more problematic... you almost need a enclosure. Walnut shells is another medium, but on wooden boats you have to be careful with pressure, and the kind of wood the boat is made of. Softer woods, or areas of softness in the makeup of the plank can end up seriously damaging the surface of the wood.

The other media that has grown popular for boats is corn. Corn can be manipulated for grit size, and is quite good for sensitive surfaces. Plastics are also gaining grown for sensitive surfaces.

Here is a video of soda blasting on a cedar boat

[JimConlin]

I'm talking small projects- a few square inches. I understand that he media make a difference. Are there small guns?

[Peter Malcolm Jardine]

I'm talking small projects- a few square inches. I understand that he media make a difference. Are there small guns?

Sure, just find a small sand blasting cabinet used on Craigslist or something.

[Gib Etheridge]

I once bought a sandblaster at auto parts, no more than a pipe on a handle with a rubber hose that went down into the sand bucket. Even at 120 psi it was ineffectual.

Beach sand is worn round. At a low pressure with the rig I have it would be worth a try.

[upchurchmr]

Try Northern Tool for a sandblaster of various sizes. There is a process called plastic bead blasting, which has been used on aircraft parts including composites. I don't know what kind of beads are used but they are round not sharp and jagged like blasting sand.
I also bought the simple tube (with nozzle) and a hose to drop in the bucket - not worth much, probably not really designed at all.

My company is experimenting with tiny sandblasters for removing paint off of a fastener. Also with lasers, but none of us could afford the development for that.

I assume you don't want to use a hot air gun and scraper? One of those micro torches used gently might do for a small area.

[Todd Bradshaw]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BADGER-260-3...item5ae7cb3909

[Bob Cleek]

It's amazing what they use for blasting media these days. I saw a think on TV where one outfit is using dry ice "sand." The dry ice evaporates, leaving nothing to clean up but the paint that was removed. Really cool, but, of course, probably super expensive for the equipment.

[John Meachen]

Have a look for companies in your area that offer vapour bead blasting,it can be a very gentle process if you describe exactly what sort of surface finish you are looking for.

[Hunky Dory]

They use soda blasting to strip Corvettes so it should be safe for wood. There are different types of blasting equipment, the siphon type which is your basic hose in the bucket of medium. or a pressurized system which is more controllable as you don't need a lot of pressure to pick up the medium. Sandblasting equipment uses a lot of air and you will need a big compressor and tank.

[coelacanth2]

For a very small sandblaster the folks at Paasche make an airbrush which is quite effective at cleaning small things. At my office I use it with 60 micron AlOx to prep crowns for cementing and also to prep the surfaces of plastic prostheses for repairs. It leaves a frosted surface even on hard materials. I wrecked a Ducati carb about 30 years ago that way. I _think_ that they make large diameter nozzles and fine walnut media for it, but don't quote me on that

[Lew Barrett]

Soda is the current media for bottoms here. I would not consider sand for any wood application.

[woodpile]

There was a gentleman at the Mystic WBS who did lot of wood canoe restoration, we got into a conversation about removing the old varnish from the inside, a real pain with all the ribs and usually a lot of build-up on the older boats. His method was paint remover and a nylon bristle brush used in a power rotary tool. From the looks of the canoe he had there it did a pretty good job without any noticable damage to the cedar.

[Waddie]

coal slag is cheap and super aggressive. comes in different grits. Will blow of many layers of paint all at once. Just keep it moving.

sand is prohibited in some areas because of the silica dust. really dangerous stuff.

A cupped wire brush in a drill is very handy. As are the diamond 7 1/2 inch grinding discs that Harbor Freight sells. Eats fiberglass.

regards,
Waddie