I Turned My Pressure Washer Into a Sandblaster

I bought an attachment to turn my pressure washer into a sandblaster. This is my initial impression of it.

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[johnevon]

This is the best honest video I have ever viewed. Great job letting us learn from your actual experiences and insight. Really, great job. Thank you!

[ormorecharacterstimes]

I just tried mine out, got one just like this one but mine didn't come with an attachment adapter so I had to remove my tip to make it work. My pressure washer is 2300lb pressure @ 2gpm. I bought 70 grit aluminum oxide media from Harbor freight. Let me tell you it worked like a charm, I immediately got that shiny bare metal you were looking for. The play sand you used is too smooth and rounded if you look at it through a microscope, the abrasive media under the same scope would be sharp jagged edges that's what makes the difference. If all you're looking for is to remove the bulk of the flaky paint or rust chips then sure go ahead and use the cheap sand it'll probably even make the tip last longer.

[vincebaldwin]

What I enjoyed and appreciated most about this video is the Honesty! A truthful review! 👍

[JUSTDONTRUN.]

For future testing.. I would consider hanging the bucket and maybe using some kind of attachment on the bottom of it or put a hole so you can run the hose through and the pick up can sit in the bucket so it’s being fed by gravity as well as vacuum. It’ll also help you keep from getting water in it. Put it on a pole.

[billforrest]

this came up in my video suggestions. Good video warts and all! The budget DIY kits will work but you need to take a much steadier approach with them. If you are using sand you'll need a helluva lot of it! Also you need to work along and down the item one width of the jet at a time in a very slow steady manner. Also if you want a more aggressive strip go for recycled crushed glass grit. medium fine is about as large as you can go on these and still work without them constantly clogging up (< 1mm grit). Also when you release the trigger always have the jet pointing down toward the ground that way the water doesn't siphon into the sand pick up tube. get a lid for your bucket and put a small hole in it for the tube, then tape an umbrella to the side of the tub! wet sand don't suck! If you use glass put a large tarp under your item, sweep it up and set it aside to dry out then use it again! I just subscribed to your channel it looks like the kind of content I appreciate, good luck, Bill

[steverone]

I’ve used playsand before for sandblasting, definitely pour it through Atleast a window screen or something finer to prevent clogs

[tractorman]

Hey Roger, you are not gonna believe this, but I bought one very similar to that one on Amazon for my pressure washer two weeks ago. I had pretty good luck with it until the overspray got a little too much into the sand bucket. But as long as the sand stayed dry it worked quite well for what it is. Next time I'm going to drop it through a hole in a lid to shed the overspray.
A more direct angle to the workpiece (90*) will help get to bare metal as well as a closer distance. I wasn't super satisfied with it, but for a small project and the low investment it was not too bad. I use Silica sand because one of the largest Silica sand mines in the US is here where I live. I buy it on pallets in 80# bags by the ton for my big sandblaster I use on large projects. I am editing a video of my large blaster currently. Good video and good review as well.

[banan]

Pretreat (keep wet) the rust aereas with citrus acid water for 20-30 min.. Then try keep a 90 degres angle against the surface and keep nossle close and slowly

[truesimplicity]

In order to obtain the proper venturi effect (for sucking up the sand) you'll need to have:

1) a minimum of 3+ gallons per minute of water flow... PSI not that important.

2) Your sand should always be sifted in a dirt sifter (pretty cheap) first. Avoid playground sand as it's consistency is not correct for this application. Ask your supplier for proper sand.

3) Use a tarp to collect your sand and reuse it over and over and over again. Spread it out after usage to dry it in the sun coolest it and keep it in a 5 gal bucket lid closed.

4) Keep sand bucket behind you, as far as your tubing allows, mind the wind direction and adjust the workpiece accordingly.

5) Orient your tip inlet above the the nozzle (don't let the angled tubing hang down) this avoid water clogs.

Advise coming from much personal experience... follow those steps for wet sandblasting and you'll get to bare metal all the time economically..

[simon]

I have the same sand-blaster and get great results with regular beach sand.
Some tips:
Put your sand bucket on a stool so it doesn't have to be sucked up against gravity.
Take it slow. It's not like pressure washing.
Bump the tip on the work now and then if the sand stops flowing.
Keep the sand feed tube on top, so that water doesn't drip into it. Wet sand won't flow
Do the job on a concrete surface. Leave the wet sand to dry. Sweep it up, sieve it and reuse it.

[Jerry-kopi]

I'm not sure, but it looked like you had another straight extension after the handle. If so, remove that and make it shorter. You will get an increase in pressure. Straighten out the hose form the bucket too and that ill decrease effort to pull sand through hose. I would also drill a hole in bottom side of the bucket and push hose in to ensure you are pulling in sand as easy as possible. You could even hang it higher to make that even easier.

[nreal]

Great video, I plan to purchase this tool today. Also, my dad taught me to preserve metal with boiled linseed oil, an old farmer hack. I coat all my bare metal with it: shovels, steel fence, and most tool metal. Just reapply as needed for maintenance and it does the preservation job and prevents rust.

[OurGreeneAcres]

Good job on the video Roger looks like a pretty neat tool. I guess the results were pretty good for a cheaper alternative to the real thing. I just hate the thought of sand blasting brings back memories of a job I had as a teenager working on my uncles farm. Hot sweaty and sand in all the wrong places. Take care brother

[flick]

Just hit the spots where it works like the bottom. The tight rust is actually protecting the metal - that is why bluing is used on firearms. Go ahead and pressure wash it and let it dry. Now, paint it with aluminum paint. I like to brush it on because you can see it creep int all the nooks and crannies. If you want it to look purdy, wait a day or so and paint it whatever color you like. Use oil based paint.
I have used aluminum paint on mower decks, truck beds and farm equipment for years. Even without top coats, it will protect better than anything else I have tried plus, if any rust should start again, you can see it immediately. My neighbor watched my experiments back in the 80's and he used it to prime his wood frame windows before painting. That was almost 40 years ago and he still hasn't had to repaint.

[Gearheadworkhops]

It is best to use a hose with a PTFE or teflon liner. Regular web hoses made of vinyl are sticky to the media and will heat it up as it swirls around and cause clogs. Garnet is a good media along with Aluminum oxide. Ideally it is better to pressure feed the media rather than rely on suction. Harbor Freight sells pressure pots for blasting that can be used at lower pressures to feed this. The ratio of media to water is critical if you want to get it down faster.

[muzzymuzz]

Nicely done . mishaps and all .Well done in showing us you tubers the alternative way of trying to save money. .

[jeremynelson]

This is one cool ass tool. I already have one on the way and I will be using it. Good video and review man thank you.

[tybeeislandgoat]

Good honest video. Unbiased and charming. Wish more were as candid as these.

[Stelios.Posantzis]

Good review. Saving lots of people money, time and heartache! There's no substitute for pressure!

[lukeb]

I reckon it looks decent. I'd be happy with that followed with some rust converter. Great video, Thank you!