recomended tools etc

[rugrunner]

I should have been able to figure out PITA...

Luckily I am a tool junkie. Unluckily the tools are all for flooring or wood work.

I do have a few compressors, a basic socket set, and assorted wrenches, drivers etc.

Is sandblasting equipment expensive? What is the deal with a cabinet.

It seems that would be a very helpful thing to have around.

As always, Thanks!

Bill

[mznb1u]

Sand Blasting and/or soda blasting equipment is not too expensive.  Check Eastwood or Harbor Freight.  The blasting cabinet is nice to have for cleaning up parts without making a mess that has to be cleaned up.  If you do a lot of resto work it will be cheaper than paying someone else in the long run.

  Tim

http://www.the3day.org/goto/Tim.McDonnell

[tkaz]

I picked up a sandblast cabinet from Harbor Freight a while back, and its been great.  If you keep an eye on the price, and sign up for their email coupons, you can get a deal on it.  I paid about $150 for it.  You hook it up to a shop vac to keep the dust down.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93608

Other tools/liquids I use:

Favorite:
Cordless impact gun (not so necessary for soda machines though)
Dual-action sander
Goo-gone gel (spray on, leave it, it'll take anything off)
PB Blaster is the best penetrating oil out there
Propane torch with a quick start trigger
Multimeter

[rugrunner]

More great info! Thanks.

Looked at harbor freight, is one of the smaller blasters or the big hopper style better?

If you have a blasting cabinet can you reuse the "sand"?

Any good books on sandblasting or body work for a novice to read?

Thanks, Bill

[Pat Pixley]

I love my Blast cabinet make it great for getting parts cleaned up for chrome plating or painting, .

[mznb1u]

I don't care what Pat Pixley says, another item to add to the list is a large roll of wood-grain contact paper to replace what you removed with the heat gun! 

  Tim

[SIGNGUY]

More great info! Thanks.

Looked at harbor freight, is one of the smaller blasters or the big hopper style better?

If you have a blasting cabinet can you reuse the "sand"?

bigger is always better, but of course space and budget come to mind.. for simple stuff/parts/etc.. the one pictured would be find, I bought mine from TP Tools, nice rig. gotta have a LARGE compressor to handle it though as ALOT of air goes through them. As far as sand or other medium, you can use sand, glass bead, plastic bead, there are many different mediums you can use to get the job done, and yes it recycles , it sits in the hopper below, a siphon tube pulls it up and through the gun then settles back down again.. depending on use and what your blasting it will eventually loose effectiveness and you will tell the difference one what your blasting that it is time to change the medium.

[sodaworks]

Here's mine. This and my paint booth are two of the best investments I made for my resto shop. The media blaster was purchased from TP tool. I use a dust collector on mine, works much better than a shop vac. and without the high pitched noise of a vac.

[mznb1u]

I've got a rare coke embossed blast cabinet that I will let you have for $1,500!  I have seen them go for $3,000 on E-Bay! 

  Tim 

www.the3day.org/goto/Tim.McDonnell

[collecture]

That looks like a decal to me! Can you provide a close-up of the embossing? I am very interested!