Mobile Sand Blaster Built Out Of LP Tank

Mobile Sand Blaster Built Out Of LP Tank 30-2-9 "We do custom painting and sand blasting of tractors, forklifts, and other equipment. We made our own sand blaster using the frame off a 3-ton grain truck and a 120-gal. LP tank," says Jeff Hobert, Charles City, Iowa. The portable unit weighs 7,000 lbs., holds 1,920 lbs. of sand, and contains a screw-type 210 cfm compressor that's powered by a 1987 4-cyl. International industrial gas engine. The components mount on a 2-wheeled steel frame equipped with a gooseneck hitch that rides on a dolly. The dolly is attached to a drawbar-type hitch, allowing the unit to be pulled by either a pickup or tractor. Hobert cut the frame off an old International 3-ton grain truck to use as the main platform and used 4-in. channel iron and 3/8-in. thick steel plate to make the gooseneck hitch, which he welded to the truck frame. He used 2 1/2-in. channel iron to build a frame and welded brackets on to which he bolted leaf spring suspension. To build the sandblast "pressure pot", he used a 120-gal. LP tank that previously had been converted to hold diesel fuel. To force out the fumes inside the tank, he hooked it up to the exhaust on his car. After washing the tank out several times with soap and water, he cut it open. He welded a 2-in. threaded bung in the bottom of the tank to hold a sand valve. Then he welded a 2 1/2-in. threaded length of thick wall pipe to the top of the tank, which is used to fill the pot. He used an existing opening in one side of the tank to feed the air. He made a moisture separator for the compressor which consists of a pipe inside the housing that points downward, and a pit cock in the bottom for the draining and relieving of air pressure whenever he's done blasting. An electronic solenoid is used to open a one-way air valve which opens the sand valve at the bottom of the pot, allowing air to mix with the sand - all at the touch of a button that mounts behind the blasting tip. The sand blasting tip has a venturi design which helps accelerate the air and sand, providing a wider blasting pattern and also helps accelerate the media to 450 mph at 120 psi. A breathable air unit, mounted on the frame, connects directly to the air compressor and connects to the operator's air-fed helmet, via the air filtration system. "I use it to do everything from buildings to farm equipment and also to do a lot of restoration work on cars," says Hobert. "I spent about $7,000 to build it several years ago and it has already paid for itself many times over. To buy a comparable sand blaster you'd have to spend about $30,000. I'm proud of its performance and reliability over the years. It costs about $45 per hour to operate." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Jeff Hobert, 1936 Windfall Ave., Charles City, Iowa 50616 (ph 641 228-6703; sandblst@ netzero.net).

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