How to mount the body for sandblasting?

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npulver

npulver

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As always plans change and get pushed back. Was originally going to have a company do the sand/bead blasting while the body was still on the frame. Thinking now that im going to do the blasting myself in my garage (yes i know, very messy lol) My question is what is the best way to mount the body off of the frame, without using a rotisserie?

Was thinking about spending a few hundred bucks and making a table to set it on (without a top so it can be worked on underneath)

I've seen a few people laying there pigs on its side, not really comfortable doing that without damaging it more.

Whats your guys thoughts?
 
npulver said:
Was thinking about spending a few hundred bucks and making a table to set it on (without a top so it can be worked on underneath)



Whats your guys thoughts?
Click to expand...


A table without a top would be sawhorses and Google has lots of free plans you can download of sets that could be made to hold a 55 body for under $100.

Sandblasting in your garage might not be a great idea, a few things to consider before you go too far.

How large of a compressor do you have, this will dictate how big of a sandblaster you can run. As an example the Harbor freight Portable Abrasive Blaster Kit Central Pneumatic - item#37025 that is basically a blast cabinet without the cabinet lists it air consumption at 3.5 CFM @ 50PSI but you could not blast paint off a body at 50 PSI so you’ll need to figure that at 90 PSI so even that little blaster will need 6 CFM @ 90 PSI. The smallest air compressor at Homdepot that will run the little blaster is the Husky 60 gal. Stationary Electric Air Compressor Model # C602H and it’s rated at 11 CFM @ 90 PSI so it will almost be running the entire time you’re blasting. The problem here is this blaster doesn’t have near the volume to blast an entire vehicle and would be better suited to blasting brackets and such. It would take hundreds of hours to blast a pig with this setup.

If you jump up to the bare acceptable minimum 20 lb. Pressurized Abrasive Blaster a Harbor freight Central Pneumatic - item#68994 it’s rated at 25 CFM @ 125 PSI and the largest air compressor that Home Depot sells is the Ingersoll Rand 80-Gal. 5 HP Stationary Compressor Model # 2340N5-V is rated at Air Delivery is 14.3 CFM @ 90PSI not near enough to run the little pressure tank. I know these are generic products and may not be the ones you are looking at but they still offer real numbers for the work required to remove paint from steel.

So the best option might be to rent a large diesel powered compressor and pressurized abrasive blaster and try to get it done in a single weekend but this system would rule out trying to blast in a garage.
 
If you are dead set on doing it at home, by yourself, without the rotisserie, then yes some sort of table frame. Something with wheels, so maybe you could roll it outside to blast. Make a cheap inclosure to keep the mess out of the shop.

Let me just add, you can make a cheap rotisserie, if you have ceiling height. It would be much easier, just to spin it.

Just my 2 cents, you're going to spend much more time and energy, not to mention as much money to do it yourself.
 
I'll 2nd that with scrapdaddy and Pablo, having recently gone through this. The Harbor Freight sand blaster is crap! I spent more time taking it apart and reassembling it than actually sand blasting. Once I did get it working, the abrasives wore holes in all the brass fittings. The rotisserie is the way to go. Two engine stands from Harbor Freight and some tube steel ran me around $300.00. Believe me you do not want to be on your back working above, especially if you are sandblasting.
 
Here's what I did...with 3/4 of a body.:grinpimp:

DSC_0345.webp
 
Wow. Glad I ran this past you guys. Thanks jmack for running the numbers for me. Wasn't thinking about the psi I would needing to get a good blast setup. Also abq for the review on the harbor friend blaster (which was the one I was looking at)

As much as I'm use to being a "sweat bunny" lol worked construction sand blasting for several years lol. It would suck to lay on my back blasting.

I guess I'm down to plan b. Which I'm thinking is going to be taking everything apart and taking the body itself to the blaster, then the frame separately.

Thanks for the input guys! Why I love this community!
 
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