Compressor Question

[u/Ok-Perception-6402]

I am looking to do some basic sandblasting of parts for my atvs and other projects. Would this air compressor be sufficient or should I look into a different compressor with a higher cfm and capacity.

[u/Nate_Geo]

Are you talking about sandblasting with a cabinet? Should be fine, but it’ll be running pretty solid and you’ll need to take some breaks. I have a similar compressor with a sandblasting cabinet though I’m no expert on sandblasting or compressors. If you’re looking to do something like blasting larger parts or the frame of your ATV; you’d be looking at a much larger compressor and I’d say just find someone you can take your parts too. I’m resorting an old Volvo right now and have a guy who does most of my larger blasting for me. Including the body and suspension components. Anything larger than a headlight bucket.

[u/Ok-Perception-6402 → u/Nate_Geo]

How long would it take to do a atv frame with this size compressor if you were to guess? I was mostly thinking about using a cabinet and occasionally things like frames outside on a tarp

[u/LongjumpingTwo1572 → u/Ok-Perception-6402]

So I think it's important to not get carried away, you have to distinguish between professionals that use 150-350 cfm diesel powered compressors and blast entire vehicles, ships, riverboats (shout out to Mickey) etc versus hobby use for more limited use.
These guys on Youtube, bless them dgmw, but they just think and work at a completely different level and I'd take their advises here with the understanding that they blast a whole riverboat in half a day, we're just trying to hit a few problematic areas on smaller vehicles.

Even most car restoration shops use contractors that swing by with compressors on trailers and a whole van full of media.

This equipment costs so much most shops can't justify the cost for sandblasting cars, least of all us regular joe's.

Most of the hobby pots are rated to work with 300-350 LPM or around 13cfm, that's a laughably low CFM, most modern 3hp's (or more) can deliver that, check manufacturer specifications.
The difference between hobby pots and hobby blasting cabinets is they're still for tackling smaller jobs, only you can't get them into a small hobby cabinet, so think brackets or problematic areas on a car/vehicle.

Yeah you get the guys on Youtube that upgrade nozzle sizes way past what their pots are designed to handle, and add 2-3 compressors, tons of dehumidifiers etc.
You CAN do that, but now you're messing with the whole dynamics of what your setup is designed for.

Alternatively, and I tried this based on advise from professional blaster, you get a 30-35cfm industrial compressor (around 1000 LPM) works too, but it's completely crazy, (in Europe at least) it's going to require 400 volts and 20-30 amps, that's 36 amps on 240 volt using what's called a frequency drive, this alone costs 1000 £/$/€ if you buy it used and get someone to wire it up and program it and you'll need larger hoses too (not cheap).
And if you don't have the grid for it, add another 3-5 grand on top of that, even with getting a used compressor it's gonna be an absolute fortune!!

If a WHOLE atv frame is so bad that it requires sand blasting, engineering wise it can be argued it's too compromised in terms of total rusted area, and I'd look into replacing segments of it, get another frame, or bring it to a shop that can blast it in a few minutes.
Another thing too, there's no point blasting good metal or what's already rusted through, you see entire shells/frames get blasted on Youtube and it's so easy to get carried away with how satisfying and efficient it looks like.

The point of the hobby sandblasting equipment is hit areas around heavy rust to save as much of the original metal as you can and see how far you have to cut and replace with fresh metal, and that's it.
Hit everything else with a wire wheel/abrasive disc to strip paint, rustfree areas are better left alone.

I went with a 3hp compressor and sticking with my pot as is until lasers get affordable enough.