Compressor capacity for blast cabinet?

[bigbob76]

What the heck are you going to do with a barreled receiver in a sandblast cabinet???

With my limited experience building AKs it seems better to press the barrel into the receiver/trunion before blasting and Parkerizing because I don't want to change the dimensions of the interference fit.

[Forestgnome]

With my limited experience building AKs it seems better to press the barrel into the receiver/trunion before blasting and Parkerizing because I don't want to change the dimensions of the interference fit.

That makes sense, but sand gets into every crevice. When a bit of sand lodges into a crevice you won't get it out until you take it apart. I havn't sandblasted any gun parts myself, but if I were to do it it'ld be piece by piece. You can mask what you don't want blasted. You can use abrasion-resistant tape. See http://www.mcmaster.com/ catalog page 3351. Maybe someone out there has some tips on this?

[TonyM]

That makes sense, but sand gets into every crevice. When a bit of sand lodges into a crevice you won't get it out until you take it apart. I havn't sandblasted any gun parts myself, but if I were to do it it'ld be piece by piece. You can mask what you don't want blasted. You can use abrasion-resistant tape. See http://www.mcmaster.com/ catalog page 3351. Maybe someone out there has some tips on this?

For AKs I do them after they are assembled. There's nowhere for the media to get stuck, and once you're done you need to clean them well anyway.. blasting the gun with brake cleaner will blow out any unrecovered aluminum oxide.

[westcoastr]

those bench top HF jobs typically require 90 psi and 6 cfm, although depending on nozzle, some get better results when dropping pressure in half. most compressors WAY overstate their HP and flow. my bud and I just fixed up his old compressor w/ new pump $200, motor $150. 5hp 220V = 125 psi and ~11cfm, and QUIET. which is a good size, albeit larger, for most home garage/car work. lots of air tools require 10-12 cfm but few need pressures over 120 psi so 2nd stage pump (i.e. 175 psi) not normally req.

you can plug barrels with wood dowel or lead sinkers, some use tape, and one guy used holt melt plastic for repairing tool handles.

btw: these guys are great for media, cheapest i could find anyways- 90 cent a lb for 120 alox, 50 lb minimum

http://www.surfacepreparation.com/locations.html