Blast and Paint Booth

[jrodjared]

Hey guys,

Progress on my restore has been slow because of money, weather, blah blah.. all of that. I DID however just complete a crucial step. Since I rent garage space and don't have a place to run a sandblaster, soda blaster or paint gun, I thought it would be cool to convert my M-Haul (old Uhaul truck) into a paint booth. Here are some rough pics:


The truck. Notice the extension cord and air hose going up by the passenger door.


Entry Point


The source

[jrodjared]

Here is where air and electric comes in.


Inside my new blast and paint booth. That's the 40lb Harbor Freight Soda Blaster, works really well. Makes a huge mess! I just sweep it up, put it in a bucket and reuse it :-)


Closer look at the lights. 4x 40 watt bulbs.

[W_A_Watson_II]

Smart thinking, I just hope you can all the sand back out of the M-Haul.

[jrodjared]

I ran air fittings along the wall so I can plug in wherever. I just used cheap 1/2" PVC pipe and PVC cement. There are three quick release points. I also have outlets.


My first test subject, a pulley wheel from my 318. It was COVERED in grime, grit and crap. As you can see it did a pretty nice job.


Here is a headlight from my M37. As you can see it made a side dish of the paint and dirt. The rust, not so much. I think you would need something a bit more abrasive, perhaps sand for that. Or a wire wheel.

Bottom line is this is going to be great for parts that are covered in dirt and grease. I'm also going to mount my sandblasting cabinet in here as well so I have both option. It gets crazy in there quickly when you start working, so eyes and ear protection are a must, along with a respirator. Cleanup is a breeze. Sweep up a pile and pour into bucket. Unplug from air and electric, then drive away :-)

[JStinson]

That's a really good idea. What kind of air pressure are you using to get those kind of results? Is soda better at removing rust and paint than sand or other abrasives?

[Frank Irons]

That is a cool idea! I wish I would of thought of that. I could have avoided a war with my neighbor over blasting in my backyard. Although he would have complained about the truck in my yard.

Frank

[Gordon Maney]

Great idea. Be sure to use a good respirator.

[jrodjared]

Good respirator, check. Ease of cleanup, sort of check. War with neighbors? Eh, people hate the M-Haul cause it smokes like you wouldn't believe and it's ugly. Frank, if you point the exhaust pipe towards your neighbor's yard, he won't be able to see you through the diesel smoke!

Because I am running through about 50ft of hose, I can only obtain 60psi max. Might have to work on that, the soda blaster is rated at 90psi, although it does rather well even with the reduced pressure.

In my experience, soda blasting is good for removing paint, dirt, grime, grease and light surface rust. It's a bit gentler than sandblasting and can be used on aluminum. Sand blasting is a bit more abrasive and will go through the rust, and then through the metal if you aren't careful. I have a small sand blast cabinet I am going to mount in the truck as well so I have both option.

I've been collecting the baking soda after each use and am going to try to recycle it. Not sure if I will get the same results, but it's worth a shot.

[carter davidson]

Jared, using PVC pipe for compressed air lines is not recommended, they can burst with out warning causing serious damage and personal injury. Much has been written about the problem and a quick search will yield a lot of information written about the subject. An example is this OSHA Safety Hazard Information Bulletin found here:

http://www.osha.gov/dts/hib/hib_data/hib19880520.html

Rather than risk injury you might want to change out the lines to something less likely to fail, shatter and cause injury.

Carter

[Jack605]

I will second the post on not using PVC, when it fails you will have pieces of plastic flying.

[jrodjared]

The pipe has printed on it "rated at 600psi". You still think it's a bad idea? I'm only getting 60psi through the line.

From Carter's link:
--- The Gas Transmission and Distribution Piping Systems Standard limits the operating pressure of plastic piping distribution systems to 100 pounds per inch (psi) and prohibits the installation of such systems above ground except where ". . . the above ground portion of the plastic service line is completely enclosed in a conduit or casing of sufficient strength to provide protection from external damage and deterioration."

[carter davidson]

Only know what I have read about PVC failing when used as a compressed air delivery system. Might be OK with that low perssure but I would not trust something that MIGHT explode, only takes one manufacturing flaw to provide the weak link but that is also true of any other kind of pipe used however black iron or copper will split and not fragment like PVC does when it lets go under pressure.

[carter davidson]

A couple of other thoughts, was the 600 psi rating with liquid of gas and was that psi a test rating or working limit? No manufacture I know of recommends PVC for compressed gas in above ground applications and most state it is not for compressed gasses.

Liquid under pressure behaves much differently than pressurized gas/air.
Copied from the OSHA bulletin:

"Compressed gasses can be best described as being analogous to a coiled spring. When a PVC pipe or fitting fails when under stress from compressed gas it literally explodes like a bomb, sending shards of plastic flying several feet in all directions. Liquids, on the other hand, being compressed by only 1/10th of 1% contain very little stored energy. When pressurized systems with liquids fail, the energy is dissipated very quickly, thereby creating a much lower potential for hazard. "

[CanCleaner]

Had to chime in. I know it shows im a noob here but I am a 14 year Journeyman repair plumber (not new construction). Ditch the PVC for air, please. I have first hand seen the after math of home garages in particular the walls littered with sch 40 PVC shrapnel. Even sch80 is not a good idea. I guarantee the first place to fail, will be the FIP, were your brass fitting is screwed in. 90% of all PVC sits out doors for a period of time exposed to the sun. UV breaks down PVC very rapidly. ( This is why plumbing codes say we must paint any exposed PVC )



On a side note, nice idea about the Uhaul! I built me a lil blaster for $40, in case someone wants to steel any ideas.



Sorry, wasn't trying to hijack you post.

[JStinson]

Picture 1: Holy crap.

Picture 2: That's one of the best ideas I've ever seen. Thanks for the idea!