"Getting Blasted" at the Shop

So we've been doing media blasting for some time now at der shop and have been fortunate enough to be able to enhance the setup with some major equipment upgrades. Luckily this also ensures compliance with state, fed & local emissions requirements...this after receiving a letter from the friendly EPA requiring all media blasting and coating shops (i.e. body shops) to have permits under strict enforcement starting in 2010. A large chunk of cash and a few months later, we're up and blasting again. Lots of unforseen headaches including a m***ive electrical upgrade starting at the pole outside, finding an HVAC contractor willing to do a commercial install, permits through the city, etc. The irony of the whole thing: the easiest step was getting the EPA permit for free with just a quick phone call.

So...

BEFORE - This is the outside of the old blastroom, a simple wood structure. Without proper ventillation visibility was next to zero within a minute of blasting.


Room demolition


We drove down to Austin and picked up a used paint booth minus the exhaust fan. This gives us enough room to fit a full size car on a rotisserie with room to move around it. Also the light banks improve visibility dramatically. A much more affordable alternative to a store-bought blast room with the same functionality.


The room went together in a couple days.


The booth is a cross-draft design which is perfect for blasting. It allows fresh air to enter one side and dust heavy air to exit through the ventilation system. The good media falls to the ground for collection.


The whole reason for the electrical upgrade is this green monster. Before we were using a pull-behind diesel compressor which had to be run outside. This will let us run in any weather and give us enough air to eventually run a plastic blasting setup as well. After she arrived, we discovered to our horror that the shop was setup running a mere 125 amps. My HOUSE has 75 amps more than that. It takes 200 just to turn this thing on. Also the existing line was only 208 voltage and had to be upgraded to 230.


Monster #2 - an 8,000 CFM reverse-pulse cartridge dust collector. At sixteen feet tall, we had to rent a 20' fork lift to raise it.


Each round cap holds two filter cartridges for a total of sixteen.


On the backside, there are air solenoids hooked up to a brain board that senses dust levels and cleans the filters when needed. All the dust is shaken loose and dropped into a 55-gallon drum for collection.


It has a 25 HP motor sitting on top.


We welded sheet metal baffles over the door filters so nobody outside the booth could accidentally get a mouthfull of media...


The whole shebang, before HVAC to complete the setup.

I have a few more pics I will post soon including some projects putting this thing to work. Be happy to answer any questions on blasting as well.

 

Wow, looks really professional.

 

Wow! Looks expensive

Keep the quality of your work high to match your investment, or it's all for nothing!

 

absolutely...that was the entire goal. Everything coming out of the shop has our name on it. It's our shop policy to have every complete paint job stripped down to bare steel. That way we can warranty our work...doing our own blasting keeps the quality were it needs to be. We use very very fine media (alum oxide, garnet, star blast, etc) not coal slag, couple that with low pressure and you get warp free panels...

 

I will send my stuff your way to help offset your expenses. I feel for you. That was a big chunk of money to throw out there. Like they say, it takes money to make money!

 

Looks great man, I'll come check it out one of these days.

My F1 cab you did last year is looking good and getting body work done on it, paint should be somewhere later this year.

 

Thanks guys, we are trying to become the choice in DFW for blasting. We're not a industrial blast shop. Although, you bring us a lawn chair, we'll blast the lawn chair.

Hope things are going well for you Rob. Feel free to stop by anytime you wish...

 

Wow looks way good, i should have you do some blasting on my 54 cab

 

Very impressive, thanks for the info. and pictures, I'm in Md. a little far for me to go. Although, I thought of doing this in late eighties and the equipment then was about 15,000, reconsidering as I'm close to retiring at 55, I'm sure there is work out here that would substantiate the set up. What would be the best way to charge, reasonable hourly rate and stay busy with volume or quote the job? Thanks again and good luck with the business, It looks like you will have a blast doing it!

 

I ran a bagging operation in Wurtland,KY that bagged Aluminum Oxide and Silcon Carbide. We used a filtration system identical to yours on our bagging line. The filter cleaners were awesome. That will be money well spent and you will definetly improve quality I'm sure.

 

thats great ...the environment thanks you

 

Mr Madness, trust me that it did cost...but you can get some pretty good used equipment and refurbish it on the cheap. Run it into the ground untill you can get better equipment, just have to do it right with the law. Starting Jan 2010 you must explain your process with the EPA and describe your waste removal...If we didn't have to do the elec upgrade we could have saved 15,000!

 

I would really like to see the how the dust collection system works, I tried to build something like that for blasting in my garage (I am currently using furnace filters to capture the dust and it works ok but leaves much to be desired). How do you "properly" dispose of the waste?

 

Looks like it's about time for me to follow up on my statement I'd bring you my wagon. My daughter is finally starting to sleep through the night so I might be able to finally finish the teardown and have the talk with the Mrs. about spending $$ .

Regardless of my plight or when I get my car to you, your new setup exemplifies the professionalism I've always sensed. It's inspiration to get me going and get my wagon in your new booth!

 

WOW, That is commitment to one's business! I couldn't fit the green monster in my shop and the whole set-up wouldn't fit on the property. Nice to have a big place I guess. The TX guys should feel lucky to have a good guy to get stuff blasted by.

 

Wish you weren't so far away
set-up looks great

 

What's up Scott...I know how kids can chew up the time Once you get the stabbin wagon torn down we can get to ghost busten

Thanks for the kind words...I'll post some more pics of the media reclaimer and stuff soon...

 

You ever use Sodium bicarbonate as a media for blasting?

 

Uh-oh here we go...No I don't and I stay far and away from soda do to it's caustic nature. Soda won't remove rust, and must be completely neutralized before painting. I've seen the problems it creates first hand...I've posted about it before. We will be installing a plastic blasting system hopefully in the near future...

 

I realize its limitations on rust removal and the need to neutralize it before any coating is applied. I don't really see that as a drawback, but to each his own.
There are some local places using this in my area and was wondering if it is under the scrutiny of the EPA as well. Just wondering what these guys might be having to go through now and in the future with EPA. Any ideas, you seem on top of this.

 

Fair enough, we'll stay away from the pros and cons. Soda shops are going to tell you that its washable and no mess, "just put it down the drain". Only problem with that is that along with the soda is also paint, and lead, and maybe ****nic...who knows. Also putting that much dust in the air (and I know that you can mix it with water) is considered a nuisance dust. When you blast at a site (mobile) you need to pull a permit per job. May seem ****, but up to 10,000 bucks per offense....I can scan the letters being sent out by the EPA and maybe some other shops can chime in about it, but things are getting pretty serious...your mileage may vary

 

Oh I agree with the soda and paint left behind as waste. That stuff needs to be treated right in disposal. One local shop did it out in the open and was called into question for nuisance dust. They built a 3 sided booth with some filtration to cut down on the dust and somehow got a permit to do this legally from the state. Not sure what they do on mobile blasting, I know they used to just blast as the owners shop (home shop) out in the open (I think they still do this)
Looks like they may have some rough times a head with federal compliance.
I did see a dry ice blasting system that I thought was pretty slick, no dust, just paint left behind as the dry ice disappears. But I guess that will add to global warming.
A friend does water blasting on a commercial scale for factories. Super high pressure though!

 

Wow. Glad to see your shop is growing so well! I hope I have a reason to call upon your blasting service for my Fleetline sooner than later!

 

Well Tyler I guess now would be a good time to bring the Nomad over to see what I really got myself in to. And might I say Tyler congrats to you, you started slow but can see you will be busy this year.

 

Thanks Robert. I hope the wife sticks around through your car sickness.
Bring it by when you can.

 

I went to check it out last week, place and the setup looks great, now just need a little more space to store all those projects.

 

Yes Rob, space is of concern, so we are getting the shop that shares the wall with us. It'll add 4,000 more sqft. I might be hiring soon.

 

I don't know about lucky. I've had many ups and downs, but I've hung in there. A31mofo knows how it's been. I thank the big man upstairs as often as I can and I consider the shop to be his as everything we own is just gifts.

 

You said it brother!

 

I don't mean to be nosy, but what could a newcomer to the business expect to invest in a system like this? I'm all the way up here in Ohio, and I don't know of any companies that operate on your scale. I've been pretty interested in starting a business like this for my own projects, as well as doing it full time. Shoot me a pm or something. Very awesome setup by the way!