cost of sandblasting

[199th MP]

i'd appreciate hearing from members who have had their trailer components sandblasted,, either by renting a machine or having it done, so that i can develop budget ideas and a schedule for re-doing my M416. if you did the work yourself, especially the tub, i'd like to know if you thought it was no big deal, or you decided afterwards that you would have been smarter having it done by a shop. thanks to all who chime in.

[Steve Webb]

If you are going to do this one time only then I would have someone do it. A lot of places will come on site and do the work which is messy. If you have are going to keep working on this hobby then get a good pressure tank and do it yourself. I bought a smaller gravity feed system which is barely adequate for small tasks and at the time I had no plans on 2 jeeps and a trailer in the mix. You will need a big compressor to deliver air volume. I have taken some jeep parts to a sandblaster and he charged me an hourly rate.

[skinnedknuckles]

I second Steve's thoughts on this. If its a one time deal send it out. Talk it over with a few guys that are into hot rods or classic cars to see where they suggest having it done. You want someone that is used to doing sheetmetal items otherwise you may have warping problems. If you plan on restoring more things get a pressure tank blaster, a good fresh air helmet, a BIG air compressor and be prepared for a messy, messy clean up area. I blast all of my frames, cabs, boxes and fenders down in my sand pit ( no clean up it just goes back to where it came from ) , using a 185 cfm Ingersol Rand screw type compressor with air dryer ( wind right now and can safely blast a flat door panel or hood from 3 feet away with out warpage- just keep the nozzle moving) ,with a 3M fresh air helmet. I have used black beauty blasting sand and silica sand. Main thing is SAFETY, you don't want to breathe ANY of this stuff in. Most blasters around here charge by the hour. And the hour rate varies, just remember cheaper is not always better.

[Ben Dover]

You also run the risk of damaging your eyeglasses if you do not use professional protective equipment. Best to hire it done as O.D Paint can have some stubborn spots. If your trailer has CARC paint on it, best to leave it to professionals.

[sasquach]

I do it myself by linking 2 better than avg. home shop compressors together(15cfm total approx) and with a Harbor freight sand blaster, I spread out a large tarp and work on it to contain most of the sand(#30 silica). It gets me bye but but thats about it, it is not a fun project and messy as well as very noisy and a work space without neighbors is needed.
With my marginal set up I use paint stripper first to get as much paint off and then sandblast just to remove rust.

[Marty, SoCal]

Don't forget the lead based enamal paint used in old military vehicles and silica dust from the sand have their own sets of hazards! The specialized breathing systems needed to prevent ingestion/injury are very expensive! Best to sublet that job out!

Another way to get it stripped is a chemical dip/strip. There's a place in Santa Ana that does it, but it's very expensive.
http://stripcleaninc.com/
It does get all of the rust out, even inside frame rails, etc. without any warping. They apply a coating to prevent rust after they are done.

[199th MP]

my thanks to all who informed me on this task---i think i would be ahead of the game by having it done, especially after the CARC paint comment.