Gunsmithing No Media Flow in Sandblasting

[nashlaw]

I am not getting any flow of media(or VERY little) from my blasting guns. I have one gun with a reservoir under the handle and another with a pickup tube. The compressor is running at about 180 psi and blowing air like gangbusters through the gun, but not much media.

You guys have any ideas?

 

[coldboremiracle]

Re: No Media Flow in Sandblasting

Humidity??

 

[nashlaw]

Re: No Media Flow in Sandblasting

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: coldboremiracle</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Humidity?? </div></div>

I am trying to run AO and just opened the plastic bucket.

 

[colchester]

Re: No Media Flow in Sandblasting

Block the nozzle with your gloved hand and blow the air back down into the media to "fluff it up"

 

[Mark Housel]

Re: No Media Flow in Sandblasting

Definitely try blowing air back through the tube into the media, it might have picked up something that is blocking the tube.

My cabinet (An ancient Trinco) has a "thru tube" design rather than just a tube stuck into the media. There is a tube that extends up to the back corner of the cabinet from the U-Tube with the pickup holes.
This allows air to flow through the tube increasing the media flow and making for a more reliable system.

Unless something like debris blocks the holes in the U-Tube I never have a problem.

I got really pissed on day and installed this in the cabinet at school and I never had another problem with it feeding. It was a major POS/PITA before that.

 

[hero's machine]

Re: No Media Flow in Sandblasting

Get off the pressure to about 60psi and start coming up......after blocking the nozzle and stepping on the trigger. 180psi is going to kill your media and take a big bite out of your work.

 

[RMPSTRAT]

Re: No Media Flow in Sandblasting

might sound stupid but make sure there's nothing stuck in the pick-up tube. I had a piece of tape stop the flow of media

 

[Tactical Support]

Re: No Media Flow in Sandblasting

Could also have too much media in the blast cabinet.

 

[gunnergirl81]

Re: No Media Flow in Sandblasting

Check any bends in the pick up tube, make sure you don't have a hole worn through. Kills your suction. Blocking the nozzle and blowing back down the pick-up tube will also show any holes if they're there. You just gotta watch carefully.

 

[buds444]

Re: No Media Flow in Sandblasting

I had the same problem when I got my cabinet. I swapped a different sized nozzle and the thing ran like a champ. Something about nozzle size and media size. It's quick and easy so maybe itll work for yyou.

 

[nashlaw]

Re: No Media Flow in Sandblasting

Thanks for the replies. A trip to town and some fittings and a water trap and I am running like gangbusters.