jeffasher1988 said:
if i have a compressor what else to i need to do it myself?
Well you need a sandblaster which is usually a complete component that has the hopper, air connections and outlet hose with an air operated on/off attached at the end with the nozzle. A hood with supplied air (you cannot sandblast without one unless its a cabinet blaster, the dust and sand will get into your lungs etc, so a dust mask of face respirator is just not going to cut it.
The problem is you need a hell of alot of air, so the average 5 gallon 120 volt compressor won't work, you need alot of air, the sandblasting unit I used was about the size of a 100 pound propane tank, that would hold 300-400 pounds of sand which is reliativly small for a sandblaster that you would used for a vehicle and it needed a giant towed diesel compressor. Suffice to say that unless you have one of those whatever compressor you have in your garage will not be enough. I would do what the above post said, find someone equipped and make a deal or pay for it.
For what its worth, from my experience sandblasting boats for a couple years, it doesnt take that long, I would say an hour of prep, 2-3 hours blasting, an hour of cleanup. so 4-5 hours @ 75.00 and hour $300-375. which is a small price to pay really comprated to buying sandpaper, paint stripper and spending hours on hours doing it yourself and it wont be anywhere near as clean as sandblasting. Its going to be cheaper to get it done than to get the stuff to do it yourself. And it will be much cleaner since if the blaster doesnt have enough air, it wont clean properly.
One thing I recommend, is that when they are done blasting, have them spray it with primer, prefereably weld through primer. As soon as its blasted it will start rusting so its best if they spray on some primer right away. Many shops will require they do this anyways, its a more professional way of delivering a sandblasted product. Plus when you bring it home the metal doesnt get dirty or greasy etc.