How to Make a High-Pressure Sandblaster

A sandblaster is a valuable tool when working with painted, rusted or other coated surfaces that need cleaning before they’re refinished. They are also extremely helpful in reducing surface and thickness dimensions when fitting soft metal and some wood applications. These secondary applications require a sandblaster with a high-pressure air source. This requires a mixing chamber that will sustain heavy pressure and ultra-high-pressure air tanks. Combining these elements with an adjustable sandblasting head will produce an extremely powerful and versatile unit.

Used 5-gallon propane tank
3-inch male threaded pipe valve
3-inch female threaded pipe cap
Tape Measure
T-square
Power drill
1-inch steel pipe
Power hacksaw
1-inch male threaded steel pipe
140-amp stick welder
Right-angle female threaded 1-inch steel elbows
Twist-adjustable 1-inch pressure control valve
1-inch steel pipe T-connector
1-inch-to-1/2-inch steel pipe connector

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the nozzle on top of the propane tank and attach a 3-inch male threaded pipe valve for the sand fill-up port. Cap the pipe end by screwing on a 3-inch female threaded pipe cap.
- 2
  Measure and drill two holes in the tank, a 1-inch hole in the top, midway to the outside edge of the top and another 1-inch hole in the bottom center of the tank.
- 3
  Measure and use a power hacksaw to cut a 3-inch piece off the threaded end of a 1-inch male threaded steel pipe. Repeat this to produce an identical second piece.
- 4
  Weld the two 3-inch cut pieces of 1-inch steel pipe to the bottom hole and top hole in the tank.
- 5
  Screw a right-angle female threaded 1-inch steel elbow to the top piece of pipe extending from the tank. Make the elbow point at the nearest vertical edge of the tank.
- 6
  Screw a twist-adjustable pressure control valve onto the end of the bottom pipe. Screw a T-connector to the other end of the control valve, pointing one of the two open ends of the connector to the same side of the tank as the side pointed to by the top-pipe elbow.
- 7
  Screw a male threaded 1-inch pipe into one of the open ends of the bottom end T-connector, and make it extend to a point 2 inches beyond the outside vertical edge of the tank. Attach a 1-inch-to-1/2-inch reducer connection to the other open end on the T-connector.
- 8
  Measure and cut an additional piece of male threaded 1-inch steel pipe and make its length equal to the distance from the upper elbow to 2 inches past the outside vertical edge of the tank. Weld to its other end a slip-T connection with the T-valve pointing vertically down. Weld to the other (horizontal) valve a 1-inch-to-1/2-inch reduction male threaded piece of steel pipe.
- 9
  Weld a right-angle female slip elbow to the bottom 1-inch extension pipe, with the other end of the elbow pointing up. Measure, cut and insert a straight piece of 1-inch steel pipe in the other side of that elbow and extend it up vertically until you can insert it into the downward facing T-valve in the upper pipe assembly. When the vertical connector has been correctly cut to fit and inserted into the elbow and the T-valve, weld them in place.
- 10
  Fill the tank one-third full of sand and replace the cap. Connect the high-pressure air line to the open, 1/2-inch valve on top of the unit. Connect an adjustable sandblasting nozzle hose to the open, bottom 1-inch-to-1/2-inch reduction valve.

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