My Media Blasting Equipment

My Media Blasting Equipment

I have been asked lately by several in the industry to help them understand what "media blasting", equipment I use and why. This blog is on just the equipment I'm using, there are links to other entries in the blog that contain more information on "media or hydro blasting", please view them also to get a better overview on this type of blasting. I have been telling each contractor that contacted me much the same thing. Replying by phone and by email so I thought if I could put down here in the blog would be a good reference. What tools or attachments I use is the most asked question this is what I have been telling them it might just be a plus for all though wondering about this process. Helping each other in the industry makes things easier for all of us. Each of us has more or less knowledge on certain aspects of different aspects of power washing or in this case using a power washer as a tool to achieve a different goal, "media blasting". Again I am not a self appointed internet expert on blasting I'm sure there are others out there that know more, done more, achieved more and generally are smarter them me on this subject. Don't believe me just ask them, they will tell you. In any case for those of you who asked and are interested enough in what I have to say here it is.

This photo and description is from:  http://www.pacht.com/waterjetting/waterjetting.htm: (please check them out for other info on water blasting and cutting), it shows a basic rendering of what is going on with a pressure washer and a vacuum feed nozzle or head of a media blaster most of us will use. The media is being drawn into the water-stream then propelled out with the force needed to remove from the surface of the substrate we are blasting.

Wet Sand Blast, Vacuum Feed:
The sand can be made of various hard materials: Garnet, Silica, various oxides, etc. It is filtered and refined to a specific size, all depended upon the application.  
The sand is carried by the high velocity water that is generated in the nozzle. The high velocity water jet in the abrasive nozzle accelerates the sand. In this system the water jet inside the abrasive nozzle creates a vacuum that pulls the sand from the container to the nozzle.

Clicking on the links below should open a new tab taking you only to the information and place you want to be.

Cleaned by Pete hydro blasting set-up General pump BE older version.

Landa media blasting set-up Cleaned by Pete Springfield MO.

One of the power washers Cleaned by Pete use for the media or wet sand blasting in Southwest Missouri.

I have been "wet blasting" for years and mostly have worked in the field of machine and transportation. Wet blasting cars, bikes, new assemblies, motors and the like. Have also used this "wet blasting" on concrete, cast iron parts, gates, and graffiti to name a few other areas. Wet blasting has its good points and its drawback as does "dry blasting" or traditional compressed air blasting. If you want to read more on that here are the links: www.cleanedbypete.com look under the page media blasting. Also more info here on the blog at: http://cleanedbypete.blogspot.com/2013/04/attachments-media-blaster.html  or http://cleanedbypete.blogspot.com/2014/12/hydro-blasting-what-is-it.html . For more on different media: http://cleanedbypete.blogspot.com/2013/05/sand-or-coal-slag-for-media-blasting.html or http://cleanedbypete.blogspot.com/2013/04/media-what-is-difference-sand-soda-coal.html .

Medium grade of coal slag use to remove paint from this tractor grill, Cleaned by Pete Fairgrove Missouri, "wet media blasting".

Some of my conversations about wet media or hydro blasting went like this;

Sir, 

First off soda will not remove rust. I would use coal slag more info below from my blog. You will have to get a blaster matched to one of your washers to make it work the best. There is no need to have hot water for media blasting, coal slag is cheaper then screened sand and cuts faster and better. You can buy it in different grades get course or the course you can find. Tractor Supply handles it as does Orscheln farm store. It comes in 40 lbs bags it flows well and you don't have to worry about a larger rock as found in sand. I would use your 4 @ 4000 for blasting you have the needed power with less water. Several of the dealers handle the better ones Landa and Shark are the most expensive depending on what you want look at the one at powerwash.com it can do the job you want with out too much out lay "below". A tip when using keep the hose feed on top of the wand I tape it on in place and always keep the wand pointed down so water will not get into the feed when letting off the trigger. Wet sand, soda or slag plugs things up also if you get to close you can cause water to backflow plugging it up also then you have to dry things out and start again. Read the links and ask any question I'll try to help you out. 

Pete
 http://www.powerwash.com/industrial-sand-blaster-kit-with-wand-pipe.html


Sir,
While I use power washers rated at 4 gallons at 4000 psi and a 4 gallon at 3200 for blasting I'm sure you could use a higher flow washer. The problem with higher flow washers is water usage 4 gallons has been sufficient for all the jobs I have undertaken thus far. Since I do mobile blasting at customers homes and locations water flow may be and issue (a well or out laying area many not keep up with much more them 4 gallons per minute). Yes all my "media blaster" units or washers are on wheels. Getting to some areas is just hard here in the Ozarks.
Pete


Dan,
I have two power washing units that I use for blasting and their output is a close range I do use each of the wands or set-ups with both washers but they are matched to a machine. Most upper level systems or nozzles will be sized or ordered to fit your machine you intend to use it on. The one you asked about is a Landa brand wand, head, nozzle, lance and pick up tube they run around $650.00 to $750.00 dollars depending on the markup at a Landa dealer. I have seen the Shark brand available also it appears to be the same setup. The blasting nozzle is replaceable if needed. You asked about the other one it is a older model General Pump or BE that has been superseded by another one. I like this nozzle when using soda it seems to work well but also use the coal slag with it.
Pete
*******
Dan, 
here is the the link to the closest thing to the old General I believe this would work for you. I know other dealer sell them too. Look to find one to fit your washer. The Landa / Shark kit use to be found on Amazon too. The Landa comes with a thumb control valve to increase and decrease the media flow on the side handle very easy to use.
Pete
http://www.powerwash.com/industrial-sand-blaster-kit-with-wand-pipe.html
http://www.amazon.com/Shark-89044720-Pressure-Sandblaster-Carbide/dp/B005QZ4FOQ
*********
Yes it is different the newer one have a media flow valve on them and I don't know how well it works. I have made a flow valve at the pick-up tube in the system I use. A bit of a hassle till you get the flow you want have to walk back to the bucket a couple of time the flow at the nozzle may save a few steps and some time I really don't know. I use about 25 to 30 feet of feed hose,
Pete

*****,
I have the two different units for different machines each is matched to the output of the pump. For the price if you were not going to serious about media blasting the General or BE style would be OK, Long term, easy to media flow adjustment and parts that will not be superseded I would say the Landa is the way to go. It is a bit heaver and I have had problems getting it in crevices where blasting is needed. The smaller head / nozzle of the General one was much easier to get into places, though the new style is bulkier too. I saw this one It is a little lighter I don't know who makes it but it may be OK to begin with due to the price. Again I do not know much about it since I'm not looking to replace anything yet so I can not recommend it but the overall design is very similar to my old one and has replaceable nozzles.
Pete
http://www.arkansas-ope.com/Wet_Sandblasting.html



Sir,
The silver tube looking thing as you called standing by the washer is my hopper it holds about 100 pounds of media. It is a gravity feed hopper (homemade by me) but soda does not like to flow to well in it maybe to skinny. I have to whack it a rubber mallet to keep the soda flowing down sand and slag work well since it weighs more. I use mostly a 5 gallon bucket with media in it now and throw a blue tarp over it when working to keep the water out. One tip I learned the hard way is to never let off the trigger unless you are point the tip down. I have had water back flow a bit and plug up the media flow. Stop and dry it out wet media does not flow and slows the job down. You can see I have buckets in the picture, I find them easier to use and keep the media in. It may look a bit more "unprofessional" but it works better for me.

Cleaned by Pete media blasting Battlefield MO.

These are a few of the questions I have answered I only posted my answers since I did not get permission to post the questions from the people who asked them. Posting other texts, emails and communications is just bad taste in my opinion. you can under stand what was being talked about and that is all that is needed in this case. I have not told you how to do it that is up to you each unit will react somewhat different you will have to develop your own technique and style of doing this, type of work. I was asked by one of the power washing groups if I would help by teaching a class on "media blasting" it looks like a growing field and I just may do it at one of the conventions if there is interest in it. I hope you find this blog entry answering some of your questions about this add-on service to your business. I'm still available for questions.

Hydro blasting Battlefield MO Cleaned by Pete.

I have given you some links to more info that I have written about blasting please give them a read and a view. I have listed some local resources for media also in hope to help. As I tell others you can do more with a power washer than you would think. I have also included some pictures of actual work done by Cleaned by Pete. Showing you I actually do this and what my results are. Expand your opportunity but don't just buy the cheapest blaster you see, unless you just want to try it, it's cheaper for a reason. Buying a better one and practice with and how to use it is a good path to take. Would I buy the Landa outfit first at the cost I would have to really think about it. Was the Landa blaster worth the cost I still have to say yes to me it was. I remember my first time I tried wet blasting! Yes it was a mess the learning curve almost sent it to the trash, but what took me hours then, is much faster now. I'm a old fat man and move at a steady pace the Mustang above took me 3 hours on site setup, blasting and breakdown just to give you an idea of time. There are more pictures at my google+ page if you would like to see them, and please visit Cleaned by Pete at our web site www.cleanedbypete.com and on facebook also. Please to like us on facebook and follow us on google+.

Wet Sand blasting Nixa MO, Cleaned by Pete.

In wrapping up I will list my blasting equipment so you can see what I use:

set up #1

15 hp Lifan motor driving an AR nickel head 4000 psi @ 4 gpm direct drive pump.

Landa sand blasting kit nozzled to the unit (I bought this to use on my Landa hot water skid which is 3500 at 4.7 so the nozzling is close enough to use it on both).

25 to 30 feet of suction hose to draw media.

several 5 gallon buckets to hold the media for  uses in blasting.

tarp to cover the media buckets

and about 50 to 75 foot of high pressure hose.

set up #2 

15 hp Duro Max motor gear drive a Hypo pump 3200 psi at 4 gpm  on the four wheel kart.

General or BE (older style) blasting head on just a regular gun and lance.

home made flow control valve on the sand probe to regulate the flow of media

and ever thing else listed above is the same.

It is not the equipment that does the job, it is a means to do the job. What does the job is the person running the equipment, who has the knowledge, practice and the time, plus a willingness to learn this trade and then to do it. One has to practice with it and understand the difference in the medias and what the substrates are to be effective in wet blasting. There are not a lot of mobile "blasting" services out there so it may be a good add-on service for you or your business.

Media blasting pump and Landa wet blasting set-up Cleaned by Pete Southwest Missouri.

The media control valve lets in more air or less air to the suction line causing a smaller or larger low pressure zone allowing more or less media to flow. To much media in the line means it does not pick up speed to impact the surface. It all comes out at once in a big gulp not a smooth stream you know you have this when the wand wants to putt putt  to little flow no cutting going on. The idea is just enough to propel each grain of media at speed hit the surface cut chip, or roll then bounce back in the water stream once again. To much media is like a heavy splat then just falls off in the runoff stream. This comes with using your setup I can show you but trying to explain in words is hard if you are trying and not having the results you wish remember sometimes a little is better than alot. Also the media needs to fit the substrate surface and what is being removed. That is the reason for all the grades and different medias out there. Don't give up on your first couple of tries it something new and will take some new techniques to do effectively.

Soda blasting Springfield MO, Cleaned by Pete.

Cleaned by Pete soda blasting a Honda Motor for a "cafe racer project.

Soda blasting BMW wheel centers for a restoration Cleaned by Pete.

Cleaned by Pete 

just a power washer trying to help others out

417.459.7869

serving the greater Springfield MO area

A few other links you may wish to visit about wet media blasting:

 http://www.ultimatewasher.com/water-sandblasting.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfA-IkaMRGE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zym-YMHYZzQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9AabQbhG84

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxQwr6UcVBI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl-muDjaKyo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Pj1jn_heVM

This entry will be ever growing as I add questions and information to it.

Hydro Blasting what is it?

Hydro Blasting what is it?

You can call it what you wish some refer to as sand-blasting or a all encompassing term of "Media blasting". Most of the power washing suppliers will refer to it as "wet sandblasting". With so many terms it is hard to bill and sell this service to customers. They simply do not know where to look or what the term means. I do a lot of auto and bike restorations a small market for us but it's growing quickly with that in mind I thought an article on blasting was in order. If you follow me here you know I have been in business for a while and have grown our company branding but we can always use help in getting recognition and promotion on this service.

Using attachments such as these with a pressure washer of 3500 to 4000 psi at 4 gallons a minute and specialized blasting media, Cleaned by Pete "Hydro Blasts" autos, bike, along with other items. Wet sand-blasting  or media blasting is a growing field in the power washing industry.

The power washing or pressure washing industry can not even settle on one general name or category for what we do as professionals washers. Even that term "professional washers" is a misnomer I do more than just wash. Blasting paint and rust removal happens to be one of those services. I feel it is one of the best add on services you can have once you know and understand it. It is far more than mixing media and squirting it out in a water stream. You need not have one of the large units that are specially designed for hydro blasting if you are like me and do smaller jobs the car pictured below took about 3 hours total time to do, and I did it with my 4000 psi @ 4 gpm machine just right for doing this type of blasting and rust removal.

I am try to raise up the level of what we as power washers do. Over the weekend I was working on a car that needed some attention. Knowing what to do, how to do it, and what to use is more important to me than just the job. What I'm saying is that it is more or an art an not damaging any thing is a must. Using water has advantages and disadvantages. You need not worry about tenting, respiration hoods or clouds of what maybe considered more toxic by the "EPA" water coated media falls back down and any stripped materials do also. This is the biggest plus or advantage. Hydro blasting also uses less media it can reuse any media that becomes trapped in the water stream. With air it hits and bounces off or becomes airborne thus the need for hoods and tenting. Water keeps sheet metal panels from warping under heat caused by the air method of blasting. With the same equipment we can use several different types of media.

I think we as an industry should consider coming together and referring to this type of work as "Hydro Blasting" and promote it under one such banner. I can do more with a power washer or pressure washer than you think this is just one service. It can be one of the larger growing services with the right knowledge of what it can do. We can start to ban together and doing so customers and promotions of it can help out our bottom line. If we can show that with water and the right media, hydro blasting will work for more that you can guess. 

Cleaned by Pete does hydro blasting or media blasting on several different surfaces or substrates. We do mainly auto and bike restorations a untapped field of blasting. Mobile blasting for those who are restoring their dreams from the past. Working on finer cars and bikes is what we like to do. This same service can be used for stripping paint from parking lots, graffiti removal and other service. Soda blasting in the food service area for cleaning is another field you can use soda to clean equipment inside and since soda is nonabrasive it can be used around moving equipment as conveyers and production machinery need to be cleaned or stripped. Bring this service to the for front can be a new large field for this industry. Soda is also great for removing hard water marks from tiles around pools and fountains it also can help to remove efflorescence from brick and other surfaces.

Hydro blasting '67 Mustang, Cleaned by Pete 417.459.7869 media blasting, wet sandblasting, soda blasting.

Hydro blasting tractor sheet metal, Cleaned by Pete 417.459.7869 media blasting, wet sandblasting, soda blasting.

Hydro blasting soda blasting aluminium custom wheels Cleaned by Pete 417.459.7869 media blasting, wet sandblasting, soda blasting.

Hydro blasting with soda Thunder Bird rear end, Cleaned by Pete 417.459.7869 media blasting, wet sandblasting, soda blasting.

Hydro blasting removing factory clear coat and paint from a BMW wheel center Cleaned by Pete 417.459.7869 media blasting, wet sandblasting, soda blasting.

Hydro blasting motor cycle frames and parts Cleaned by Pete 417.459.7869 media blasting, wet sandblasting, soda blasting.

Hydro blasting with soda removing the factor clear coat and finish from a Honda 550cc motor Cleaned by Pete 417.459.7869 media blasting, wet sandblasting, soda blasting.

Hydro blasting is it for you? Hydro blasting we need to educate prospective customers and prospective technicians in this field. I was working on a '67 Shelby Mustang this weekend didn't look like much but the car if done right should be in the 40 to 50 grand area when finished according to the customer. He had be working on it for about 3 month trying to blast it himself. He heard of my "hydro blasting" service from a mutual friend, said he has been restoring cars for years and never knew any thing about this type or form of blasting. He was simply amazed at what I did in the 3 hours I was there. If we can get the word out on this service I know we can elevate it to a professional level. 

This is just something to think about, trying to change of the public view of what a power or pressure does. With so many "low ballers" "weekend worriers" and the perception of working for beer money. Specialized fields filling niche markets is one way of doing this. I pulled up with 3 washers and two blasting set-ups on our small S10 flatbed pick-up with all that would be need for the job. Customer was not quite sure that what I had could meet his expectations which he said I far exceeded. It was so nice since he could not trailer it to a blasting location to have the work done, and not seeing a large trailer with a huge compressor on it was amazing.

Hydro blasting tractor fender after paint removal Cleaned by Pete 417.459.7869 media blasting, wet sandblasting, soda blasting.

Hydro blasting the Mustang before an after photo. Cleaned by Pete 417.459.7869 media blasting, wet sandblasting, soda blasting.

Hydro blasting, media blasting or whatever we wish to call it. Cleaned by Pete 417.459.7869 #wet sandblasting, #soda blasting.

So what do we call this? How do we promote it? Where do we go from here? Knowledge is the key to success. I have learned to do most of this by years of hard work and some trial and errors. I grew up building bikes and cars and that is why I specialize in this field. Help us change the views of what we do and help promote a professional look to this industry.

Sand or Coal Slag for Media Blasting

Sand or Coal Slag for Media Blasting

One of Cleaned by Pete's media blasting set-ups, with our 16 hp motor and AR nickle plated pump putting our 4000 psi @ 4 gpm pressure washer built just for media blasting. This is the one you'll see us use if we're using coal slag or sand for blasting.

We have talked about soda for water blasting and how it works, sand and coal slag do somewhat the same thing but in a different way. First thing to remember is soda is a non-abrasive substance which means it will not harm the under lying surface. On the other hand sand and coal slag is very abrasive and can harm the surface under what is being removed. Sand and coal slag (which for time I will refer to as just "slag" for the rest of the blog) come in different grades and the higher the grade the larger the partial the more aggressive it is. If your machine can move and draw the larger particles it will work fine in the water stream.

Things to remember are too much draw of media, the less aggressive it will be. If you are trying to move to much media when it hits the water stream it will slow down and will have less impact on what you are removing. You can trow a small stone with more force than you can trow a large rock with more force. It take some adjustment to get a good stream of media flowing at the right speed or draw, but once you do things will go quite fast.

I will say this here having a good screened source for sand or slag will save you time. You make money by the hour or job if you are taking longer your loosing money. If you bought some sand that was cheap there is a reason, it is not been screened to size that means it can have larger rocks or pebbles in it which can plug up the flow hose or your nozzle.

Some do not under-stand there is a cost factor with better products. Find a source and try it out, check out a couple of bags to make sure it is uniform before starting out on a customers time. Names like play-ground sand, tube sand, play sand, general use sand or "for use in concrete" are tips that the sand is not been screened for larger partials. Look for at least; mortar sand, sandblasting media, or a given size of screening if you want your job to move along smoothly. Paying a bit more for a better will work out better in the long run. Look for the graded or sized sand not just sand unless you want to screen it you would be surprised how much over sized waist there is in  a bag of ungraded sand. You're pay for it by the pound why not get only what you can use?

Sand or slag "chips" away at the surface being removed when it impacts the item sharp edges cut at what is being removed. The larger more aggressive grades will also cut or chip away at the under laying surface too. Once it has chipped it usually fractures into smaller parts reenters the water stream and impacts the surface once again but with less force this process is repeated till the particulars loses enough size or speed and is "washed out". Using too aggressive or grade may have to much impact on the under laying surface leaving it rough or gouged. Picking the right grade will come with time and experience. You need to  start with the finer grades and work your way up a finer grade will still remove the unwanted layer it may take longer but it will be safer till you have figured out your style or technique.

So what can I use we have used river sand, mortar sand and in both cases wound up have to sift it or screen it to remove the larger particulars. We have moved to just buying sand that is bagged and sold for sandblasting treating it as a consumable using it once and then disposing of it.



Coal slag is what is left over after the coal is consumed the part that did not burn up. The oil is consumed and the shell or chaff that is left is ground up and screened for size. This stuff is sharp and really cuts. I like it better than sand, there is also the arguments weather it is as bad as sand if you breath it while using it? Since we are using it as a wet media this point is mute. The water stream keeps any dust from forming. Since coal slag is a waste product I like to think it has this second life so we are getting twice the bang out of it. From my usage I feel you get a better bang form slag it is lighter and seems to flow better. I also feel it is more productive and cost less here, where I work, live and purchase it. We have three different retailers with several locations that sell coal slag in the bag ready to use. Coal slag is of course black and I have heard some call it, black sand, but it is not sand. Sand which is a silicate, coal slag is a carbon. Two different substances but both working in the same way.

Remember these two mediums are "cutter" or "chippers" and are abrasive. Cleaned by Pete use them in and with their wet media blasting service and can tell you what is right for your job call us at 417-459-7869 for your cleaning needs. Picture of this service can be found by click the web link below:
www.cleanedbypete.com
in the media blasting section or in the photo gallery.