Sidewinder Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 While wandering around the Spartan at the weekend deciding where to start, I convinced myself to take advantage of the fact the vehicle is already half stripped and get stuff like shotblasting out of the way first. Don't want grit getting all in my repaired electrics and engine etc.. What sort of prices have people paid for mobile shotblasters to do a (CVRT sized) vehicle? I'm toying with trying to save money and do it myself. I can borrow a 5/6hp petrol compressor and a hand held shotblasting gun from the usual suspects are only about £20/30.. obviously I'd still need the blasting media and a respirator but I'll need that for respraying anyway. Has anyone got any advice/experience on this or is this one of those jobs thats just better left to someone else? Cheers, James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirhc Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 James, I've had one blasted for about £300 but it was stored on the farm where the guy does his blasting. I needle gunned my Sabre and it took ages. If its an empty hull sand blasting is the way to go. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruggyjohn Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 While wandering around the Spartan at the weekend deciding where to start, I convinced myself to take advantage of the fact the vehicle is already half stripped and get stuff like shotblasting out of the way first. Don't want grit getting all in my repaired electrics and engine etc.. What sort of prices have people paid for mobile shotblasters to do a (CVRT sized) vehicle? I'm toying with trying to save money and do it myself. I can borrow a 5/6hp petrol compressor and a hand held shotblasting gun from the usual suspects are only about £20/30.. obviously I'd still need the blasting media and a respirator but I'll need that for respraying anyway. Has anyone got any advice/experience on this or is this one of those jobs thats just better left to someone else? Cheers, James simple answer is dont do it, it will take forever, cost a fortune in sand, which will go everywhere, leave it to the people who know what they are doing, a vehicle that size needs a road compressor and a 2 bag pot at least, plus its the dirtiest job you will ever have done, so to recap DONT DO IT YOURSELF. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny P Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 While wandering around the Spartan at the weekend deciding where to start, I convinced myself to take advantage of the fact the vehicle is already half stripped and get stuff like shotblasting out of the way first. Don't want grit getting all in my repaired electrics and engine etc.. What sort of prices have people paid for mobile shotblasters to do a (CVRT sized) vehicle? I'm toying with trying to save money and do it myself. I can borrow a 5/6hp petrol compressor and a hand held shotblasting gun from the usual suspects are only about £20/30.. obviously I'd still need the blasting media and a respirator but I'll need that for respraying anyway. Has anyone got any advice/experience on this or is this one of those jobs thats just better left to someone else? Cheers, James You'd better do it yourself by hiring a sanblast cabin the size of a garage for the big parts and ask friends or your employer for the smaller parts. Especially the smaller parts will be time-consuming and as you know time is money. So, it will be a way of choosing the middle of costs but you will be satisfied at the end. Besides, you don't have to clean all the mess at home! Look before you leap!:cool2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
griff66 Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 needle gun it character building!!:cool2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ploughman Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Done this for repairing railway wagons. We have Shot blasted some and Needle gunned others and if I have the choice it will be to get a Shot Blaster in to do it. However the downside is the cost. Small scale DIY blasting outfits are a waste of time on heavy corrosion you need to get a contractor in with heavy gear. If possible do the work outside away from everything as the Sand or Shot will get everywhere. You should be able to get the cleaned item air blasted off afterwards and a coat of primer applied as part of the deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbo Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Get a cheap bottle jack and put it on some wooden blocks or sleepers. Then off with the tracks, sprockets and roadwheels, block up as many holes as possible to the interior, then GET SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT. Trust me it is money well spent, you should get them to prime it while youre at it, then you can just paint in the colour of your choice once youve got all the bits on so it all matches. It also means you will make rapid progress which will give your project a good kickstart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big ray Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 False ecconomics to attempt it yourself, it needs to be done as quickly as possible AND primer applied, it will attract surface rust in a matter of hours after blasting. Anything less than proffesional equipment and it will be like the 4th Bridge, by the time that you get to the end it will be going rusty at the start point. Good luck with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidewinder Posted March 11, 2013 Author Share Posted March 11, 2013 Cheers guys, think I'll start getting some quotes then. Can anyone recommend a mobile blaster around the Peterborough/Grantham area? On the upside, at least I don't have to worry about making a mess.. she's currently parked in a quarry so a bit more dust will be the least of their problems! James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woa2 Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Just a comment. Professional sandblasters re-cycle sand, which you cannot do. Therefore it will cost a fortune in sand as you will only use it once. As for rust, if it is even damp the day you do it, it Will rust as soon as it is done, so paint it quickly, but try and not get sand in the paint. Also, you will need a suit with an air feed to breath (looks like a spaceman suit). I tried to sandblast some stuff myself once, gave up very quickly and used a professional. Much less hassle and a much better finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerry275 Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Totally agree!!! I did some smaller bits last summer, it took ages, needs a big compressor and what a mess!!! Pay a mobile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulbrook Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Spend 500 quid for a decent job and get them to blast it over with 2k etch pimer (looks for all the world like egg yolk but does a fine job) The folks who blast for me use recycled glass which is environmentally friendly and will not contaminate any water courses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbo Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 False ecconomics to attempt it yourself, it needs to be done as quickly as possible AND primer applied, it will attract surface rust in a matter of hours after blasting. Anything less than proffesional equipment and it will be like the 4th Bridge, by the time that you get to the end it will be going rusty at the start point. Good luck with it. Ah but Ray this is one of the advantages of the noble CVRT, it's made of ally y'see..! Wont stop all the brackets etc going rusty though...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidewinder Posted March 11, 2013 Author Share Posted March 11, 2013 Definitely glad I asked! Sounds like I'd have got about half an hour into it before throwing my toys out the pram.. Will get it stripped and on blocks, then let the pros have a go. Sounds like it'll be more than worth it in the long run! Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
utt61 Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Interesting thread, and particularly interesting to read the strength of feeling against blasting. I'm going to buck the trend and recommend wet blasting. Dry blasting is messy, blast medium gets everywhere, and is relatively vicious. Wet blasting is cleaner, quieter, and it is possible to control the abrasion better. Since the blast medium is expelled damp, it doesn't blow around and get everywhere. Blast medium is not especially expensive. It is not practical to recycle it in a diy environment but that really isn't much of an issue, especially since you don't really want to be blasting the crud, rust and especially paint (especially if there is the slightest chance that the paint is lead-based) you've already blasted off. What blasting gives you is a vastly superior surface for painting, and a cleaning rate that should be at least ten times faster than needle-gunning (tests at a heritage railway I am involved with have shown that an area which takes at least 1/2 hour to needlegun can be wet-blasted in about 2 to 3 minutes). The main downside is that availability and cost of equipment. Wet blasting plants are expensive (I paid £1500 for mine second-hand) but can be hired (google Quill Falcon Kwikblast, for example), and you will need a pressure-fed ful helmet and visor. You will need a water supply (ordinary tap/hose is adequate) but a large compressor, such as a three- or four-tool road tow diesel compressor. If you can organise to do several jobs at the same place and time, it could be very cost-effective. For a durable and long lasting paint finish on steel (which will exceed North Sea oil industry durability standards) wet blast, followed by a phosphoric acid wash, then prime, undercoat and paint in the usual way. Do it right, do it once! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big ray Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Ah but Ray this is one of the advantages of the noble CVRT, it's made of ally y'see..! Wont stop all the brackets etc going rusty though...! There you see, still learning, even at my age. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbo Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 You should also have a look at this thread. http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?34764-re-painting-military-vehicles-(steel-and-aluminium) It has a very extensive discussion on the relative merits of different types of blasting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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