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Old 10-02-2017, 06:08 PM
berntd berntd is offline
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Default Sanblasting pressure pot. I always have trouble. Can someone help?

Hello

I have this cheapish pressure pot on wheels for blasting.

My problem: It blasts for a bit (like a few seconds) but then it is just air until I shake the pot. This repeats all the time. I am mostly blasting with one had while shaking the pot with the other hand to keep it going. Not ideal and it is getting on my nerves.


I use washed riversand from Bunning hardware.
I let this dry for about a year in the sun and when adding it to the pot, I run it through a mosquito metal grit.
The sand is bone dry and pours real well

I run 6 - 8 bar air pressure on the pot.

The pot has a valve at the bottom and I adjust this but then I suddenly get way too much stuff coming throuigh and then nothing again.

I only ever add a few handfulls of grit to the pot.
The nozzle is not getting clogged.

The compressor has a moisture trap AND the pot also has a moisture trap.

What am I going wrong?

Best Regards
Bernt
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Last edited by berntd; 10-02-2017 at 08:42 PM.
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Old 10-02-2017, 06:38 PM
steve.murphy steve.murphy is offline
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Hi Bernd,
Try strapping a electric sander to the side of the pot and leave it on when blasting . The vibrations might help the sand settling.
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Old 10-02-2017, 08:35 PM
berntd berntd is offline
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Thanks but should that even be necessary in the first place with this type of blaster? Mine has has always been like this.

BTW it looks the same as those Harbour freight and others that you see everywhere.
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Bernt
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Old 10-02-2017, 08:57 PM
CaptonZap CaptonZap is offline
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One of the problems with the low end pots is that the suction tube is not sized correctly, nor is an air tube used to aerate the sand before it goes into the pickup tube.
Try placing a 3/8ths tube along side of the pickup, with the bottom end situated so that the air coming down the 3/8ths tube is blowing on the sand being picked up at the entrance to the pickup tube.
What you are trying to do is keep the sand from clumping as it is drawn into the pickup tube.
A sort of analogy is the old time insect sprayers, where the air going over the pickup tube drew fluid up. In this case, the fluid, sand, is drawing air in to mix with the sand, keeping the sand grains separated with air.
Another possible problem is a change in inside diameter of the pickup path anywhere between the sand and the nozzle. If it decreases, (pipe and hose fitting joints ), the sand can pack up.
If you fix the problem, let us know how, if you don't mind.

CZ
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Old 10-02-2017, 09:03 PM
berntd berntd is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptonZap View Post
...Try placing a 3/8ths tube along side of the pickup, with the bottom end situated so that the air coming down the 3/8ths tube is blowing on the sand being picked up at the entrance to the pickup tube.




Hey Jerry, I am hoping someone else has already encountered this and will let me know what the problem is or if it is finger trouble from my side.

I have to admit that I do not fully understand what you suggested.
There is a hose going down tha back of the pot and that meets the left arm on a T under the pot. The T's leg goes into the pot underside and the other arm is the output. There is also a valve in the T's leg to control sand flow.

Looks like this but with anopther valve in the tube going to the mixing valve.


I only use this pot ever few months and every time I get annoyed but then it is parked again untill next time because of more pressing things.
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Last edited by berntd; 10-02-2017 at 09:29 PM.
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  #6  
Old 10-02-2017, 10:21 PM
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Steve Hamilton Steve Hamilton is offline
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Berndt
A few things to check
Blasting material needs to be very dry.
Air supply also needs to be free of moisture.
The blasting material has to be able to flow , if it clumps due to moisture or too fine like a powder it will not work.

Mine works good until the material level gets down to the bottom 1/4 then I need to shake it.
Setting the valves for air and material flow can be tricky. You need to have enough air pressure to the top of the pot to keep the material flowing. The valve on the vertical pipe controls that.
The valve on the bottom of the tank controls material flow, to much material flow makes a big restriction to the air stream.

How I set mine up
Fill to top with material
Turn material valve off
Turn on main air supply
Slowly turn material valve on just til you get a good material stream
Lastly adjust pot top pressure to keep material flowing.

Good luck
Steve
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Old 10-03-2017, 10:00 PM
CaptonZap CaptonZap is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by berntd View Post
Hey Jerry, I am hoping someone else has already encountered this and will let me know what the problem is or if it is finger trouble from my side.

I have to admit that I do not fully understand what you suggested.
There is a hose going down tha back of the pot and that meets the left arm on a T under the pot. The T's leg goes into the pot underside and the other arm is the output. There is also a valve in the T's leg to control sand flow.

Looks like this but with anopther valve in the tube going to the mixing valve.


I only use this pot ever few months and every time I get annoyed but then it is parked again untill next time because of more pressing things.

My mistake, I thought you had a siphon setup. I have a Haaba Fleight small box with the same issues that I had to tune up.
The crux is that you want 50% air and 50% sand, more or less. The trick is to get the sand into the air stream in just the right amount. Your mixing tee should have a valve that shuts the sand flow off when the air is shut off. That would stop the packing issue
Or, as some of the pros do, the sand comes out all the time, and they blow it over at the pile in the corner when they aren't blasting the work. That means the compressor runs constantly.

JR
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