Vaniman Pro Blast help

[Dimitris]

Hello all.

I recently purchased a Vaniman Master Mobile ProBlast unit, supplied with a a Violet (1.5mm) tip and a 110-250μm media tank.

My compressor is a 1.5HP 50L Hyundai HL5010LS, for which I can testify that it is slightly anemic, but I paid 150$ for a silent compressor so...
My blasting cabinet is a ready, sandblasting one, made by a Polish company. Nothing special, just a nice airtight blasting box. Ventilation is still pending.

Lastly, my whole set up has two water traps, one supplied with the compressor and an additional one, which is connected in-line.

 

The abrasive material I have is Iron Powder 150μm and Aluminium Oxide with size between 100-150μm.

 

My problems:

1. I tried to operate iron oxide under various pressures between 1.5-5bar but the material seems to be not efficient against soft matrix like marls and clays.

2. The most efficient moment of the abbrasive material is when the media tank is at 20% and very little amount of iron flows; otherwise, I think it uses too much material. Is it possible to use a green tip (0.9mm) to restrict a little the output flow, using the same tank and the same 150μm abbrasive?

3. The Al2O3 is super aggresive as expected and creates huge clouds making it impossible to see. It is ideal if you want to bulk remove matrix. Other than that, it can ruin everything.

 

What I am looking for:

1. I want to restrict somehow the flow of abbrasive but accelerate the speed of the material

2. I need advice about the tips and the media tanks

3. Can I work with Al2O3 at very low pressure?

 

My usual fossils are:

1. Urchins with soft marlish matrix that can be cleaned with chemical process as well.

2. Other Paleogene and younger fossils, within acidic volcanic tuffs (soft to medium)

3. Some tricky to clean urchins within sandstone. The matrix is harder than the fossil (calcite)

4. Ammonites from the Greek Ammonitico Rosso (Lower Jurassic)

 

Any advice will be more than welcome.

 

 

 

[hadrosauridae]

1) dont use a blaster if you dont have your vacuum dust system in place.  

2) yes, using the green tip will greatly improve your system by restricting the air flow and therefore reducing your media.  Just make sure that your media size is well below the pen orifice otherwise you will get blocks.

3) the vaniman moves media by "boiling" it up into the airflow and into the tube, the heavier the media, the more airflow you need.  You may have to adjust your pressure up to get flow where you want.  Always start with the lowest pressure and adjust upward until you get the cutting action you need.

4) water traps arent enough, you still should have a drier such as a silica gel tank.  any moisture in the airflow can cause clumping in your media and blocks in your lines.

5) Vanimans are finicky about tank levels.  They definitely like to be either mostly full or mostly empty for good media movement rates.

 

Despite the learning curve to using them, the Vaniman problast is still the best entry-level blaster for preppers.  Even after getting a professional micro-blaster, I still keep my Vaniman for when I need iron powder.

[jpc]

I agree with  what hadrisauridae says above.  Especially No 1.

6)  Aluminum oxide will ruin most fossils.  There are a people on here who do use it, but in general, I avoid it.  Use an airscribe (if you have one) or hammer and chisel to remove large amounts of matrix. 

[Ptychodus04]

I agree with @hadrosauridae and @jpc

[Dimitris]

On 2/11/2024 at 5:28 PM, hadrosauridae said:

1) dont use a blaster if you dont have your vacuum dust system in place.  

Will install a cyclone soon.

On 2/11/2024 at 5:28 PM, hadrosauridae said:

2) yes, using the green tip will greatly improve your system by restricting the air flow and therefore reducing your media.  Just make sure that your media size is well below the pen orifice otherwise you will get blocks.

Will also prioritize a new nozzle along with new abrasive material. I read that the plain rule of thumb is 10:1 nozzle/abrasive size.

 

On 2/11/2024 at 5:28 PM, hadrosauridae said:

3) the vaniman moves media by "boiling" it up into the airflow and into the tube, the heavier the media, the more airflow you need.  You may have to adjust your pressure up to get flow where you want.  Always start with the lowest pressure and adjust upward until you get the cutting action you need.

Ok

 

On 2/11/2024 at 5:28 PM, hadrosauridae said:

4) water traps arent enough, you still should have a drier such as a silica gel tank.  any moisture in the airflow can cause clumping in your media and blocks in your lines.

 

Until now, I do not observe clogging. I have a not consistent flow sometimes but nothing near clogging.

 

On 2/11/2024 at 5:28 PM, hadrosauridae said:

5) Vanimans are finicky about tank levels.  They definitely like to be either mostly full or mostly empty for good media movement rates.

Although I am near zero experienced, I feel it. Iron powder wise, almost full gives me a more solid, constant flow of material while almost empty sends more accelerated particles. 

 

On 2/11/2024 at 5:28 PM, hadrosauridae said:

Despite the learning curve to using them, the Vaniman problast is still the best entry-level blaster for preppers.  Even after getting a professional micro-blaster, I still keep my Vaniman for when I need iron powder.

 

 

 

On 2/11/2024 at 8:17 PM, jpc said:

I agree with  what hadrisauridae says above.  Especially No 1.

Why especially 1st? Is it about visibility or something else?

On 2/11/2024 at 8:17 PM, jpc said:

6)  Aluminum oxide will ruin most fossils.  There are a people on here who do use it, but in general, I avoid it.  Use an airscribe (if you have one) or hammer and chisel to remove large amounts of matrix. 

 

I also do use airscribe as well as hammer/chisel, depends the case. Drexel, rotary and 290 are still within my choices.

 

Thanks both of you!

Another question, would a set of magnets help a bit with visibility, when it comes to blasting with iron powder?

[hadrosauridae]

1 hour ago, Dimitris said:

 

 

Why especially 1st? Is it about visibility or something else?

 

I also do use airscribe as well as hammer/chisel, depends the case. Drexel, rotary and 290 are still within my choices.

 

Thanks both of you!

Another question, would a set of magnets help a bit with visibility, when it comes to blasting with iron powder?

 

The reason that a vacuum dust handler is most important is health.  The blaster is pushing microscopic powder into the box under pressure.  That powder, along with whatever rock matrix is being blasted away as its own powder will come out into the room you are working in, and result in you breathing it in.  Silicosis is a lung disease that is caused by repeatedly breathing rock dust, especially those containing silica.  If you are seeing a fine layer of dust showing up on the outside of the blast box, and other places in the room, its because you have dust escaping.   Also, this same problem is caused by scribes and rotary tools on rocks.  

Magnets will not help keep the dust from filling the box, only air exchange will.

[Dimitris]

On 2/16/2024 at 10:31 PM, hadrosauridae said:

 

The reason that a vacuum dust handler is most important is health.  The blaster is pushing microscopic powder into the box under pressure.  That powder, along with whatever rock matrix is being blasted away as its own powder will come out into the room you are working in, and result in you breathing it in.  Silicosis is a lung disease that is caused by repeatedly breathing rock dust, especially those containing silica.  If you are seeing a fine layer of dust showing up on the outside of the blast box, and other places in the room, its because you have dust escaping.   Also, this same problem is caused by scribes and rotary tools on rocks.  

Magnets will not help keep the dust from filling the box, only air exchange will.

 

Sorry, I just omitted to comment on the help topic since I consider it foundamental. I was a smoker since 14 years old, now I am 34 and I have quit smoking the last 7 months; definately, I will not let my progress being ruined like that.

I do not have yet ventilation but I am planning a cyclone like this one:

 

Currently, I am working with a fine particles mask so I am not inhaling all these tiny rocks and dust.