How to build a homemade sandblaster from an LP tank

How to build a homemade sandblaster from an LP tank. A lot of people have tried the Harbor Freight sandblaster with mixed results. I decided rather than go that route I'd build my own sandblaster from an old LP tank and see if I could design something to perform better without the clogging issues I often read about. After a few tweaks I ended up with a design that works well, doesn't clog, and best of all I built it myself.
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Sandblaster nozzle assembly
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3/16 Nozzle tip
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Sandblasting hood
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[@Jagdtyger2A]

Nice to see a DIY video with commentary explaining what is being done

[@bissiben]

Hi there, loved your video Flies are not attracted by the LP gas, but they smell the odorant substance contained in named mercaptan ( this substance is added on purpose to detect the gas if there is a leak ) Great work . . . Keep on

[@adamj8293]

That makes sense! Thanks!

[@dougmiller9719]

great mix of tools and skills

[@carlschmiedeke151]

Awesome build, & beautiful dogs

[@jameskyeyune335]

Quite educative and inspiring too!! Gona give it a shot.

[@sixstring7855]

I paid attention right up until I seen the boxers. Then it was about them. Lol. Beautiful dogs and oh yea, great build design!!!

[@daveunderwood6498]

When you got those leaks at the first, it wasn't so much your welding, it is what the fittings are made from. They call it malleable iron. What ever is in it, it doesn't weld worth a crap. I fell down that hole once before. Lol Great video.👍

[@charliewish4459]

That's right, need a threadolet. made for welding.

[@pranjalmeena2286]

It was pretty informative thanks for the video

[@dpheaslip]

I love your solution for holding the tank tightly to remove the fitting. I'd never thought of my trailer as a vise before!! :-)

[@adamj8293]

I scratched my head a while trying to figure out how to hold that thing. Sometimes the craziest ideas are the best ones.

[@AkPacerPilot]

Nice work!

[@yusopbasrun4359]

Nice video you done very well

[@robertomalatesta6604]

A+ for sound fx's

[@dimitrishulaiya4074]

You just created a perfect fly trap!

[@stephengmeiner3264]

Nice job!

[@budz.e4730]

You built it the hard way but worked very good

[@brianbloom1799]

I did the same thing 10 years ago, from 100 pound propane tanks, I hooked up to my 85 CFM compressor, I have to say, Worked as good as any large rental, sand blasted my truck frame, came out like new.But I had to build a blow off door, because of the CFM i was using.

[@kennkid9912]

You mean a pressure relief valve? The 100lb tanks are rated at over 1500 ,I heard. Making one now, to sandblast stone letters. I am Renting a compressor on a trailer.

[@brianbloom1799]

@@kennkid9912 Yes I had to at 85 cfm,s It looked's like a big c clamp, with a 3 inch by 6 inch 1/4 thick spring, with a piece of rubber in front Just in case it did not release the pressure, and not Kill me,there on commercial blasters

[@bryanford1139]

1:50 glad to see u didn't start cuttin' on it right out the gate :)

[@1pierover]

Bravo, complimenti .

[@HomeSource]

It works great!

[@dustybauder5149]

I am building 2 -1 for sand and 1 for soda blasting thanks for the idea.DDLB

[@thedeerhunter4407]

great video but i don't get why there are two valves on the side of the tank.maybe i missed your explanation but are they to feed extra air into the tank?

[@bsrcat1]

I'm going to be jiminie the cricket here... Safety issues when welding a pressure vessel. Don't check your leaks by adding pressurized air. Fill it with water and then add your air. The reason being is if you have a blowout anywhere you're not chucking shrapnel it will only blow out the water because water doesn't pressurize. You should be able to fill it with water and then use your air to bring it up to one and a half times the working pressure. Then let it sit there for 30 minutes at the 1.5x working pressure. Second thing is always put in a pressure relief valve rated Just above what the normal working pressure is for what you design. That is going to be based off of your tanks working pressure. Unless you are running it at a lower pressure than your compressor you can probably be safe with getting a relief valve that is the same PSI as the compressor that you were using. If for whatever reason the one on your compressor tank fails, You don't want to overpressurize your sandblast hopper for obvious reasons. There's nothing like getting debris out of a wound especially when it's embedded and granular. Other than that it looks really good. It's not rocket science but you should always adhere to the safety of what you're building. You can get pop-up pressure relief valves off of Amazon or at Ace hardware. I would recommend giving a pressure gauge for the hopper but it's not necessary from a engineering standpoint if you're running through a regulator But you're going to need to put one on to pressure test the tank so may as well do the plumbing and have it on there as a permanent fixture. And once again always pressure test filling the vessel with water and then adding pressure. I cannot stress that enough. Welding and grinding can weaken the tanks integrity. If you don't have a compressor available to get it up to one and a half times what the normal operating pressure is you can use a CO2 or argon tank. You can even use a pressure washer on a bump but you're only going to pull the trigger on a bump. You can also use a grease gun and zero fitting if you completely top off the tank. Inert gas is usually the easiest and if you're welding you already have it on hand. Happy fabricating folks and safety first. If you've ever seen a compressor tank blow you probably wouldn't have it in your garage. You should do a pressure test on your compressor tank at a minimum every 5 years.

[@paulwaters2467]

Hi could you tell me what size hose you used for the blaster .

[@jacobchase5577]

Hey bud, good video.. was wondering how you keep moisture from your air compressor out of the media? There’s a lot of expensive water separators out there, just wanted to see if you have a tried and trued method. Thanks

[@adamj8293]

I use a pretty basic Ingersol Rand regulator/water separator combo placed 50’ from my compressor. Works well and haven’t had the need for any fancy drying beads or anything like that. I think the key is to not hang the separator close to the compressor or it won’t work

[@DUCKYGAMINGau]

How did you go with that follow up video mate ?? I don’t want to pressure you too much but in less than 48 hours I’ll have been waiting a whole year !!!

[@charliewish4459]

marvelous

[@obfuscated3090]

Be aware sheet metal LP tanks aren't "forever" and blasting use means condensation so do pull fittings every few years and have a look inside with a USB borescope or similar.

[@ronaldgrumbling7096]

Same question everybody says a different size compresser

[@travishanson166]

No hydrostatic test? I'm all for the project, but it's a ticking time bomb without proper stress testing prior to putting air in it.

[@kermets]

Hay there, did you do that follow up Video ? cheers

[@dc6233]

The difference in the metal is that pipe fittings are cast, but pipe itself is steel, so pipe will always be far less porous and easier to weld than a fitting will be. It's also why we can break off stuck pipe fittings, but the steel pipe will only bend. That propane tank is probably closer to 3/32nds rather than 1/8th as well, it can be tough to weld thick to thin but concentrating the heat on the thicker material helps...

[@Jbmc65]

I have welded them, if you tig weld or mig weld it than the heat won’t be to bad.

[@Jbmc65]

It’s actually easier to weld something thick to something thin. Just stay on the thick part while just letting it flow down or up and seal the thin part. But then again I weld every day. Another thing is never buy plumbers fittings, they are usually cast not steel. Use couplings to weld to the tank or just steel threaded pipe. Or nipples.i guess it’s easy for me to say this because we have all these parts laying around first doing pressure tests.

[@billnorwood303]

Flys are probably attracted to the Mercapatain in the gas, it’s what gives lp smell

[@dalepoppenhagen8549]

Yes you better put a pressure relief valve on it

[@xpro808]

Use JB weld. That will fix those leaks

[@paulwaters2467]

Also what size pipe did you use for the filler neck

[@adamj8293]

I used a 2” pipe for the filler neck. For hoses 1/2” to where the sand drops and 3/4 for the blasting hose. I think you could use 1/2” for everything but I was trying to minimize any potential bottlenecks.

[@GFXDesignery]

Mind me asking what size air compressor you use to power this boss? Thanks! Picking up an LP tank tomorrow to start a build.

[@adamj8293]

My main compressor is a 60 gal 3.5 hp. A blaster takes a ton of air so when I use it I actually splice 3 different compressors together so I don’t have to sop constantly. A 60 gal, a 20 gal and a little 6 gal pancake compressor working together keep me running pretty constantly.

[@GFXDesignery]

@@adamj8293 Thanks for the reply! Happen to have a certain CFM to suggest?

[@madkow007]

@@GFXDesignery a compressor that can produce between 10 to 20 CFM for smaller jobs

[@benjaminreinhardt259]

Need to get the dog some safety glasses.

[@jamesschmidt1120]

As opposed to the cap that leaks would it be plausible to use a threaded pvc cap on the 2” pipe? Says on my chart that it is good to 280 psi.

[@adamj8293]

Interesting idea. I never run more than about 75 psi through it, and usually less, so should be fine.

[@Jbmc65]

I do like your tank though.

[@bizzyizzy8438]

Excellent video , plenty of great visual aids , plenty of spoken information , probably the best DIY sandblaster video ive seen yet , infact enough that ive decided to go on and start on mine . I do have a question concerning the hose from the bottom of the tank back up to the top . Does this serve a recipricoral when the system is pressurized and the blast nozzle valve is closed ? And what HP air compressor are you using ? I have a antique 5 HP rotary vein compressor that has been extremely well maintained over the 70 or 80 some odd years that my dad used it running his tire shop . It has a fairly quick recovery time and im 100% sure the PSI is there . I guess my question in this is one concerning CFM . Have you found the nozzle size that works best with your system and what is your CFM ? Definitely a subscriber ! DEFINITELY a follower !

[@dave9545]

Can i use a scuba tank?

[@robertbryant6152]

I think your dog needed some safety glasses 😢

[@Jbmc65]

Exactly, or not been in there

[@user-zt7xb8fq5j]

Please sir, what is the material you use as sand? How do I get it

[@adamj8293]

I’ve used coal slag. You get it at a store like Tractor Supply. Harbor freight might have it too

[@user-zt7xb8fq5j]

@@adamj8293 Thank you very much for your information. I hope you have a happy life

[@HalfCapHilg]

Never seen someone use a cutoff wheel for the job of a hole saw 😂😂😂😂

[@lindseysteele1436]

What would you charg to make me one

[@randymartin2396]

Do you think an old air compressor tank would work

[@adamj8293]

Definitely. I almost went that route myself. You’ll probably have to plug a few holes but that’s easy. Good luck!

[@BirdAndBearFinishing]

Cool vid but please be careful pressure testing. Atleast do it from a distance with a regulator and use water, try to hit around 200 psi with a pressure washer. Yes your parts will hold but your welds might not... Compressor explosions aren't something to joke about. Especially with your pup around. Things like this should be done by a professional (pipe welder/boiler tech) as it's a possible bomb waiting to blow.

[@user-ts7jd4bn3g]

Need to heat up the thicker part

[@buckrogers5489]

I viewed it twice and didn't see how the sand mixed with the blaster. I never saw any sand.

[@paulcorbeil4364]

allô nice alumium on your established, i have the same. 5 ** ** *

[@user-id8lk9et1u]

Чудове відео!

[@blowme5150]

Dude the valve was bad you wasted a lot of gas"😂

[@mikebrillakis7915]

Maybe next time put the water in the tank first and then bring out the cut off wheel.

[@dustybauder5149]

i know i can make better then harbor freight & when i seen this yep do i have to do any thing to the lp tank so it dont blow up

[@adamj8293]

You can add a pressure relief valve to be on the safe side, but I don’t run much pressure through it so I’m not overly concerned myself.

[@HalfCapHilg]

Maybe it was actually a methane tank and the flies are attracted to the methane

[@andreluizrachor9245]

Deveria ser traduzido para a língua portuguesa

[@patrickrolston4886]

Put it in the skip

[@Swanlord05]

R2D2

[@blaketurner8440]

Copying that Russian guys video smh

[@DyslexicLunatic]

If you can afford the tools you used to make the tank, just buy a tank.

[@shadowline1413]

I built almost the same. Just an smaller version... I used 3/8 fittings and it doesn,t work... The sand is coming out great but almost no power behind it. You can hold your hand there 🥲...i don't know what i have done wrong...please help

[@dave9545]

did you figure out why? I will be doing mine very soon

[@shadowline1413]

@@dave9545 i Paused the project. But when I Start again to mod it, im going to change all the 3/8 fittings to 1/2. And all the Hardware to 1/2 too. Probably ist is the Amount of air That is Not Enough. I actually dont know :)