Air Abrasives

[trialsin808]

Hello, can anyone tell me what the difference in performance is between a non pressurised and a pressurised micro air abrasive unit please?

Also, some of the more expensive micro blasters can run at 185 psi so how powerful a compressor would be needed? I mean most workshop tanks wont hold this pressure for long surely?

[Ludwigia]

I can't answer your question directly, except to say that it is quite possible to find a compressor with the performance you're talking about. I'd suggest you scroll through our new forum " Fossil Preparation; Tools And Techniques "

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/forum/170-fossil-preparation/

Happy hunting!

[jpc]

non-pressurized air abrasive?? sounds like it wouldn't work. An air abrasive machine runs on compressed air... compressed air ispressurized... hence....

I think 185 would be too high for most fossil uses... although I can think of a few instances where I would have liked to at least try that much pressure. I rarely use more than 100psi

[Ludwigia]

I was also thinking what jpc has written. My compressor can produce up to 145psi, but I've never gone beyond 110, and only then on very hard matrix over relatively impervious fossil material. I don't normally go above 80 although a lot of softer stuff can be easily cleaned up at around 40 or lower.

[trialsin808]

Thanks for the replies everyone, the blasters I have seen are in a few different forms, one looks industrial & is in a case (quite expensive) the others are pot > hose > pencil type blaster. Are there any major advantages to running say a Swam blaster over the Paasch or UKGE air abrasive?

[Malcolmt]

The higher end COMCO, S.S.White and SwamBlasters are in a different league than the small handheld units. They have the ability to easily regulate the pressure and powder flow and are far less likely to clog. They are also meant to run for hour after hour continuously. A Paasche you can run for maybe 2 to 5 minutes depending on the pressure and powder flow. It has a very small abrasive canister. All work by compressed air of some form or another. I have never blasted anything at more than about 95 PSI even though my compressor and tank will go to 200PSI. Most of the work I do is in the 20 to 30 PSI range. Very delicate work can be as low as 2 or 3 PSI with a high end machine and a very fine abrasive (sub 10 micron). Such low pressures are not possible with say a Paasche. I believe that I once read that a Paasche is not rated for more than about 55 PSI. Certainly as it ages I would not want it turning into a bomb by trying to run it at high pressure.