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  • #16
    Re: Sandblasting tubing

    Here are a few more pics of my sandblasted fuse. I used the Stewart system for my priming and painting. I followed their directions, watched their DVD's for product use as well as safety equipment down to the brand name of respirator. I had no issues and was very pleased with Stewart systems products and it is very user friendly. My hangar is attached to my home and after all that painting I had no odor or unpleasant smells in the house and all clean up was done in 5 minutes with warm water. When I visit my buddy's hangar down the way, you can tell if he has opened a can of the "other" kind of covering products, it lingers for hours.

    Brian
    SLC-UT
    TF#1023
    Attached Files
    Last edited by Pilot78; 04-12-2012, 15:35.

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    • #17
      Re: Sandblasting tubing

      unless I were going to do more aircraft I would farm the sandblasting out. Lots of prep work and MONEY invested. Someone nearby can do it alot cheaper. Save the time and money for excellent covering and painting. JC

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      • #18
        Re: Sandblasting tubing

        I saw something really cool (pun intended) last night on the show... "American Restorations" on the History channel. They used DRY ICE PELLETS instead of sandblasting. It worked great to remove paint from some old steel playground equipment. The beauty of it is that everything evaporates and there's nothing to clean up except the removed paint, scale, and rust. I was curious about the cost so I googled it. I found this webpage. I put in my zip-code and found a local source... WOW... it is PRICEY!!! Over $600 per day to rent equipment, and I am guessing this doesn't include the dry ice pellets. Still - it has my interest. It seems it wouldn't be as abrasive as sand. Not sure though. I'd like to try it out. I hope as this catches on more, perhaps competition will drive the rental price down. I also found this other informative webpage.



        Last edited by barnstmr; 04-12-2012, 19:02.
        Terry Bowden, formerly TF # 351
        CERTIFIED AERONAUTICAL PRODUCTS, LLC
        Consultant D.E.R. Powerplant inst'l & Engines
        Vintage D.E.R. Structures, Electrical, & Mechanical Systems
        BC12D, s/n 7898, N95598
        weblog: Barnstmr's Random Aeronautics
        [email protected]

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        • #19
          Re: Sandblasting tubing

          I saw that too Terry, and it jogged my memory. NASA was using that years ago...I talked to a guy that worked for them and was using it. Of course I can't remember his name..but I do remember he was into gliders.
          At any rate, it really looks like a great system. Love that stuff that evaporates and just leaves dust to sweep up!
          I'm so far behind, I think I'm ahead

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          • #20
            Re: Sandblasting tubing

            I was on the team that developed the technique but it was while I was at the NADEP (Naval Aviation Depot), not while I was at NASA. We used it on the F-14 first and it worked great. We actually made our dry ice straight from the atmosphere, ground it and blasted the Poly-U paint in a sealed paint hangar. You would pass out from O2 deprivation in under a minute in the room without an air supply and it was a dangerous procedure from that aspect. Breathing heavy CO2 causes incredible choking response, but it could be hard to get to a door.
            The EPA killed the process because they said we were dumping too much CO2 into the atmosphere. We tried to point out that the CO2 was being drawn FROM the air (mostly from the air in the building, since the concentration was highest there) and re-frozen and that there was NO CO2 being dumped over what was being taken from the air (net zero addition of CO2). In fact, there was a LOWER concentration of CO2 near the building. The idiots wouldn't allow it because they still called it a pollutant. We had to go back to chemical strippers with 55 Gal drums of toxic waste to the Haz Mat disposal area instead of a couple of 5 gal buckets of inert paint chips dumped into a trash basket.
            Perfect example of regulation over intelligence.
            I have gotten to work on some really neat projects in the last 40 years.
            Hank

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            • #21
              Re: Sandblasting tubing

              I was hoping you'd have some input Hank. I'll have to go back through my notes (if and when I find them) to see what the guy's name was that I was talking to.
              I agree about the regulation over intelligence! There seems to be alot of that anymore!!!
              I'm so far behind, I think I'm ahead

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              • #22
                Re: Sandblasting tubing

                I'm pretty sure you were talking to me. ;-)
                Hank

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                • #23
                  Re: Sandblasting tubing

                  If any of you decide to blast yourself, crushed glass is the latest rage instead of sand. Check this out, this is where we buy our blast media from.



                  It comes in the same grit or screen sizes as sand, works just as good and is free from silica dust.

                  Somehow it seems strange to have old beer bottles being thrown at your plane, but it should strip it well.
                  John 3728T

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                  • #24
                    Re: Sandblasting tubing

                    This looks really great, but the idea of broken glass in my underwear elastic has me squirming even now. I would want a REALLY well sealed suit!
                    Hank

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                    • #25
                      Re: Sandblasting tubing

                      Hank, can you eluciate re Harbor Freight airbrush. Is that a can of air that you hook up to a spray device or is it a self contained unit?

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                      • #26
                        Re: Sandblasting tubing

                        Try

                        It is a hobby unit for models and goes on sale for around $6 several times a year. I usually keep at least 3 or 4 of them.
                        Hank

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                        • #27
                          Re: Sandblasting tubing

                          Thanks much for info. Lee

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                          • #28
                            Re: Sandblasting tubing

                            I always use a new one if I am painting white (you can never realy clean EVERYTHING out of a sprayer, so even on my good Binks I have one I only use for white). These little toys are actually so simple they are easy to clean. Try and find a small wire that is a smooth fit through the paint release hole. That's where 90% of the problems happen (that and the breather hole in the cap getting plugged).
                            For painting fuselage tube they are great because the fan is only an inch wide at the distance you would spray a tube. After all they are designed for kids to paint plastic car and airplane models. Check the package and if you are lucky enough to find some that have the glass bottles buy all you think you will need. Some of our solvents will soften the plastic paint jars. I NEVER throw away the glass jars. They are also the easy ones to clean.
                            Hank

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