Best sandblaster 2018 – [Buyer’s Guide]

Best sandblaster of 2018

There’s a product for every kind of user on the list of affordable options below. Based on customer reviews and my own experience with the cowboy method I’ve found the best 3 sandblaster on the market. Customers need to be careful on how they spend their money on these products. We’ve narrowed down our options based on the customer feedback (read positive reviews), functionality, material and size. In other words, we’ve put all fundamentals into consideration to come up with a comprehensive list that suits various needs.

Test Results and Ratings

Rank	№1	№2	№3
Product
Total	4.8	4.5	4.3
Ease of use	5 points	5 points	4 points
Size	4 points	5 points	4 points
Performance	5 points	4 points	4 points
Value	5 points	4 points	5 points
Awards

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№1 – PointZero Airbrush Mini Sandblaster Air Eraser Glass Etcher

Pros

Air eraser & mini-sandblaster

Precision-crafted body provides a balanced feel in the hand

Includes 7 exclusive downloadable e-Book airbrushing guides.

Cons

Literally no flaws

Why did this sandblaster win the first place?

I really enjoy the design. It is compact, comfortable and reliable. And it looks amazing! I don’t know anything about other models from this brand, but I am fully satisfied with this product. The material is stylish, but it smells for the first couple of days. I am very happy with the purchase. It is definitely worth its money. The product is top-notch!

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№2 – Goplus 20 Gallon Portable Air Sandblaster Sand Blaster Air Media Abrasive Blasting Tank

Pros

【Pressure Design】Pressure design is 30% more sand blasting strength than siphonic sandblaster.

【Ideal for Local Surface Treatment】This sandblaster is perfect for local surface treatment of immovable and large workpieces.

【Press-in Blasting】Features press-in sand blasting, this machine is applicable to the requirement of high density surface treatment.

Cons

Expensive.

Borderline outdated technology.

Why did this sandblaster come in second place?

Managers explained me all the details about the product range, price, and delivery. I recommend you to consider buying this model, it definitely worth its money. The material is pretty strong and easy to wash if needed. This is a pretty decent product that perfectly fitted the interior of our office.

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№3 – Jewboer 23.6″ Rubber Sandblasting Sandblaster Gloves for Sandblast Cabinets

Pros

1 Pair of safety work gloves for sandblasting cabinets

Gloves fit most sand blasting cabinets

24-inch Length.,8-inch diameter opening

Cons

The price is clearly unaffordable for the most buyers..

Length might be an issue with some customers.

Why did this sandblaster take third place?

I liked the design. We’ve been using it for 2 months and it still looks like brand new. A very convenient model. It is affordable and made of high-quality materials. It is inconvenient to use due to the size. I am going to get something different next time. It doesn’t squeaks nor bents. Looks great in my apartment.

sandblaster Buyer’s Guide

Siphon Sandblasters

These machines are quite related to the gravity fed ones with only one thing differentiating the two. In this kind of machine, the container that has the sand is below the nozzle and not on top of it like the gravity fed one. When the air is blasted in the same way as the gravity fed one, the sand gets sucked into the nozzle and blasted out of the gun.

Pressure Sandblaster

These sandblasters utilize sand containers that are highly pressurized. The guns are connected to these containers, and then the sand gets blasted out when the trigger is pressed. This particular type of sandblaster is straightforward to use but has the disadvantage of being very costly. The containers having the sand cannot be refilled, and one is required to purchase new ones when the ones being used get depleted off the sand.

Size Of The Sandblasters

These machines come in a variety of sizes. These dimensions largely determine where the blaster can be used and thus helps you decide on the one you think will serve you well. Below are the different types of sandblasters based on their size.

Mini Sandblasters

These are the smallest from all the other types. They are mobile and are designed for precision tasks. They are ideally suited for small spaces, and one important application is the removal of rust and paint from old cars that need repainting. They are also used to etch specific styles on glass.

Large Sized Sandblasters

These machines are not very portable and need to be attached to a surface so that they can be steady. For tasks where they need to be moved around, they can be attached to small carts that have wheels to allow for movement. The most common application for these sandblasters is the removal of paint from houses.

Industrial Sandblasters

These kinds of blasters are huge in size and need to be placed on big trucks. They are mostly used for involving outdoor tasks like removing paint from huge buildings. Huge construction companies mainly utilize them. They are very expensive and considered as heavy duty machines.

Siphon sandblaster

Mini Sandblasts

Mini sandblasts are portable and light. They are also capable of handling detail work. In other words, they are excellent for removing rust, old paints in preparation for refreshing work.

Large sandblaster

Large sandblaster will need mounting for them to stable. Like the mini sandblasters, they are portable but a heavy. They come with wheels for easier movement.

Hopper is designed to hold the sand. A large hopper holds more sand and other abrasives. And this gets the job done much faster and quicker. If you choose a sandblaster with a large hopper you won’t need to refill the tank most of the time.

Assemble the power head components

You have to unpack the box and look for these components. These components are power head, the nozzle and the siphon air jet. The first step is to insert the nozzle onto the power head and make sure that it is not lose using an alloy key. Second, you can insert the siphon air jet onto the power head.

Turn on the sandblaster

Once you’re through with initial preparation, you can now turn on the sandblaster. Pick up the gun and aim at the area that you want to sandblast. When you are done with the whole process, turn off the machine and start dissembling the parts.

One of the biggest determinants of how fast you will be able to blast is the size of the blast nozzle.  The larger the opening of the nozzle, the more media that will be released at a given time. The benefit to a larger nozzle is higher production, but you have to make sure that you have an appropriate amount of compressed air to feed the blast nozzle or it will end up with an inconsistent blast stream which can slow down production.  You can review the amount of compressed air that is needed for a given nozzle size by looking at this chart here. For maximum production select a blast nozzle that is as large as your compressor can support, it is important to remember that your blast nozzle will wear and so whatever nozzle you select will typically need an additional 30% of air to accommodate nozzle wear. To get idea of blast nozzle size and potential blast speed you can review this guide on sandblast speed.

Factor -Short versus Long last nozzles

Sandblast nozzles typically come in two designs.  One will be a short style nozzle and the other a long nozzle. Long nozzles allow for a greater distance for the blast media to be accelerated, which will help to achieve higher media velocity (especially if using a venturi style nozzle). This results in higher blast media force which can help with production depending on what your blasting. However, long blast media nozzles, are typically not as easy to use when you need to be able to move the nozzle into tight areas around an object with minimal clearance. Short media nozzles will produce less force but will have a wider blast pattern, which with a less aggressive profile needed you may potentially benefit from using a short nozzle or when blasting in areas with the need for additional maneuverability.

Factor 5-The blast nozzles casing material

In addition to the nozzles material itself, there will be a material that the surrounding portion of the nozzle that the operator holds on is made of.  Different types of surrounding material will have different benefits.  Common casing material options include rubber or aluminum (metal)  Rubber better protects the liner in the case of the nozzle being dropped.  Metal liners are less forgiving to drops and accidents but are preferred by some operators.

Blast cabinets for Heavy use

Remember these recommendations are just suggestions and ultimately by considering the dust collection system, the media feed type, and whether dust collection and reclaim are included you can make a choice as to which sandblast cabinet is best for you.

Factor 4-The Manufacturer of the Blast Pot

There are a variety of quality manufacturers blast pots out in the market today. You will want to do research to determine the quality of the manufacture of your potential blast pot. Different manufacturers manufacturer blast pots with different longevity of use in mind. For example, Clemco-manufactured blast pots have been in service for 20 to 40 years with needing only occasional parts replaced, While other manufacturers may make a slightly lower cost blast pot they may not hold up higher volume use or long-term use. You also want to check whether the manufacturer of your blast pot has a thorough support network so you will be able to get replacement parts both now and in the future.

Requirements

Blasting Media should be matched to the material you will be working on. Sand is good for steel and cast iron but plastic media will provided better results on soft metals and fiberglass.

Protective Clothing is a must not specifically because the high pressure sand coming out will come in contact with you but a protective hood or very good tight sealing goggles are necessary to protect your eyes and long sleeves and a taped or closed neck line will definitely be a needed if you are not working in an enclosure. You will basically be working in a miniature sand storm.

Blasting Media

Plastic Media is often used on Plastics and Fiberglass and sometimes soft Aluminum.

Glass Bead is used to prep engine parts without causing damage.

Walnut Shells are a favorite of Classic Car Restorers because it performs the paint and rust removal without eating into the metal.

Aluminum Oxide was long used for coating Sandpaper and is now available by the bucket for blasting.Play or Bagged Sand This is one of the most common products used for sandblasting but it does require some preparation and screening.

This  Unitec Speed Blaster features an extra long life alumina ceramic nozzle. Additional features include: adjustable material flow valve, visible sand supply, and safety vented tank. This hand held sandblaster is gravity feed, portable, hand-held and compact.

Occasionally, the manufacture of a metal component will require its surface to be profiled so that the finished coating will adhere. Sandblasting is the ideal way to create this profile in a quick and effective manner.

The process also allows for the quick removal of surface contaminants. This could include dirt and grit that has managed to adhere to the surface over time, paint, and other coatings, or stains that have occurred due to weathering.

Many of the mediums that can be utilized for sandblasting are environmentally friendly, ensuring that you aren’t adding to the pollution already produced. One of the more popular of these mediums is bi-carbonate of soda.

Whilst sandblasting is widely used in a variety of industries (thanks to its alleged speed and precision in smoothing, cleaning or even removing surface finishes), there has been some speculation over its effectiveness in recent years.

If care is not taken when sandblasting, the substrate of the object can be damaged. This is because the process involves the removal of surface contaminants by wearing them away. Inexperienced users should definitely use a softer medium.

Aluminum Oxide

Silicone Carbide

Silicone carbide is an even harder media than Alox.  It will attack almost anything.  It is also at least twice the cost and a lot harder to find.  I had a small amount as a sample but decided that the benefits did not out weigh the extra cost, so I never did any serous testing with it.

Other Grit

There are other medias that I have no experience with.  Just to make you aware of their availability I will list them.

All of these have their applications.  Some would be cleaning paint off of metal without affecting the metal.  Another would be removing rust without affecting the blast metal.  Naturally, the softer the base metal the softer the grit need to be.

Pressure Blasting

This is the system that you are most likely to run across and use in our hobby.  There are pots for use with a siphon blasting gun for exterior use but they are SLOW to try to do a whole car with.  Most cabinets are of the siphon variety.  Both of my setup are of this type.

Blasting Cabinets

Cabinets are available in nearly any size from shoebox size to ones big enough to put an entire fender in.  When it come to size you cannot have a cabinet that is too big as there is always something larger than your cabinet that you need to blast!  Cabinets can be homemade, as my first one was, or factory made.  In hindsight, I would never attempt to make another one myself because there are too many nice cabinets available to justify spending your time trying to design something that you will be unhappy with later.  That said, I will tell you what makes a good cabinet, in my opinion.

Second, your box will have to have a funnel shaped bottom to be able to feed your blaster.  Just a little slope won’t do.  Sides need to be at least 4degrees.  The only time that grit will flow like water is when you have a hole and you are trying to keep the grit inside-then it will go all over the floor.  Your funnel needs to have an opening in the bottom so that you can drain the grit out when you want to change it out.  This opening also needs to be high enough above the ground so that you can get a pail or box under it to catch the grit.

There is a company called TP Tools & Equipment that specializes in blasting equipment.  They sell everything that you will need, order a catalog.  You may not thank me if you do it now but if you mess around trying to cut corners and do it later you will say  why didn’t I do this sooner.  Their catalog is worth it even if you had to pay for it, which you don’t.

Steel Shot   20-90 psi

If you are unsure about what psi to use, just start out at a low blasting pressure soda blasting creates never ending problems. If not removed by some means, moisture will cause the blast media to become damp or wet and it will not flow out of the  blaster  evenly, if at all. The result is unwanted downtime.

The relative humidity in the atmosphere is the source of moisture in compressed air. That means that if you live in a high humidity area, or are blasting  on a high humidity day, you may very well experience a moisture related issue. The higher the humidity, the more moisture issues you are likely to encounter.

There is no way to remove moisture once it enters your  blaster. You must remove it before it enters the  blaster. There are a number of different types of devices available to remove the moisture and reduce the chance of clogging. A lot depends on the size and type of air compressor you have. Whatever type of moisture control device you choose, it must be able to handle the cfm output of your compressor. For example, a moisture control device rated for cfm will not be adequate for use on a 20 cfm air compressor.

Compressed Air Supply Line

An external claw type connector, commonly called a “Chicago Style”, does not restrict the air flow through a connection point.

In general, if you are going to run anything over 30 feet of air supply line, you should use at least ¾” I.D. hose. If you are uncertain about the size and length of the supply line, or type of connector to use, check with your , operator safety is the utmost concern. When   in an enclosed cabinet, the operator is isolated from the actual blasting environment, which is contained inside of the cabinet. Even this type of  requires attention to safety. Most good   utilize a safety switch, which cuts off the supply of compressed air to the   gun nozzle, when the loading door or top is open. This prevents the operator from accidentally activating the   stream when loading or unloading the cabinet. Heavy duty gauntlet style gloves of rubber or neoprene are designed to withstand the harsh environment within a blast cabinet, protecting the operator’s hands and forearms., the operator is exposed to the   generates some sort of dust and debris. It is essential to protect yourself from breathing in this  used. Some sort of respirator is necessary. There are many kinds available from simple respirators to fresh air systems. Make sure you use one! do not use silica sand under any circumstances! Exposure to the silica sand dust can cause a lung condition called silicosis, which is very serious. Don’t take any chances with your health! sandblasting, you can be certain that some of the media and debris will bounce back towards the operator. Therefore, you must protect your eyes! Always wear some sort of eye protection like a blast hood, face shield, or fully enclosed google, at the very least. Serious eye injury can occur, if you don’t protect your eyes.

If you keep the simple basics in mind, you are well on your way to successfully completing your projects. The actual act of blasting is fairly simple. After hooking up your system, do a safety check to make sure everything is in good working condition. Always replace any items that are worn out or damaged.

Now that you have made sure everything is properly connected and in good working condition, load your media, turn on your air compressor and set the pressure on the compressor itself to around 120 psi. Set the adjustable pressure regulator on the   hose failure.

When using a siphon style sandblasting cabinet, you should load it with 20-2pounds of media. The pickup site in the siphon tube is located at the bottom of the cabinet. If you overload the cabinet, the weight and mass of the media will compact in the bottom of the cabinet and will not allow the media to flow freely.

As the media is reused constantly, it will degrade and the efficiency of the media, and the sandblasting process, will decrease. It is easier and more efficient to change out the media when using lesser amounts. If your abrasive blasting media gets wet or moist, it is less wasteful to discard this lesser amount.

Also, debris, cleaned from the object you are blasting, will fall through the work grate. This will mix with your media and large pieces can clog the pickup tube or gun. The use of a fine carbon screen, over the working deck, can catch large pieces of debris and keep your media cleaner. A fine carbon screen or small parts basket can also keep small pieces, such as screws or fasteners, from falling into the media, getting lost or clogging the pickup tube.

There are two types of direct pressure sandblasting cabinets : side mounted pressure vessel or bottom mounted pressure vessel. The side mounted version has a tank that is loaded with media. These tanks typically hold around 80-100 pounds of  blasting media. Since there is no recycling of the material, the tank must be reloaded as the media is used up. Spent media will fall into the bottom of the cabinet, where it can be unloaded through some sort of spring loaded trap door. The media can be poured through a screen and reused until it breaks down too much.

Direct pressure cabinets with a bottom mounted pressure vessel will reuse the same media continuously. The top of the pressure vessel (tank) is open allowing   to fill the tank. When the operator engages the foot pedal, the top of the tank closes and the tank is pressurized. When the operator releases the foot pedal, the tank de-pressurizes and the  cabinet sandblaster, the operator will have to experiment to find the proper distance from the nozzle to the surface being. There is no hard and fast rule for the proper distance. Every job will be different. You will quickly see if you are too far away or too close for the best blasting efficiency.

All jobs will be different, but in general, smooth easy strokes, with a degree of overlap, work well. Some people prefer a slight side-to-side arcing motion, like you would use washing off your driveway with a garden hose. Don’t be afraid to try different techniques, you will quickly see what works and what doesn’t for your job.

Final Word

First of all thanks for reading my article to the end! I hope you find my reviews listed here useful and that it allows you to make a proper comparison of what is best to fit your needs and budget. Don’t be afraid to try more than one product if your first pick doesn’t do the trick.

Most important, have fun and choose your sandblaster wisely! Good luck!

So, TOP3 of sandblaster

• №1 — PointZero Airbrush Mini Sandblaster Air Eraser Glass Etcher
• №2 — Goplus 20 Gallon Portable Air Sandblaster Sand Blaster Air Media Abrasive Blasting Tank
• №3 — Jewboer 23.6″ Rubber Sandblasting Sandblaster Gloves for Sandblast Cabinets

Questions? Leave a comment below!

Chatting about sandblaster is my passion! Leave me a question in the comments, I answer each and every one and would love to get to know you better!