Walnut Shell Blasting

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Southern377
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Walnut Shell Blasting

Post by Southern377 »

This one is mainly for AG.......and anyone else with suggestions and experience please.

Silly question like how do you???

What equipment is needed? How much blasting media do you need? Safety matters? The collection and disposal of the spent media/rubbish? Cost: is it worth the investment?

I suppose what I am asking for is the complete AG's Walnut Shell users Guide? (the 'for idiots' could be added!)

Sorry if all this has been done before and I am looking in the wrong place, if so redirect me?

Thanks,

Alan.
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Ancient Geek
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Re: Walnut Shell Blasting

Post by Ancient Geek »

You must understand I have largely been an observer but you need the kit which is essentialy a sandblaster bit instead of sand walnot shells (Powdder like.) I think peach or almond shells would work as well the man who did my new old Dragon (It's the way to get a quick one, is rebuild q 1959-68 Peddersen & Tueson boat - there are couple still available!) did the whole of the inside one the old decks were off in a morning before epoxy filleting the ribs and epoxying before fitting bulheads and refitting keel etc etc.
I'm sure in elf n safety UK you'll need lots of protective gear, but my man simply used it like a jet wash the kit iselg can be hired. (Google is your friend here.) like a jet wash once you've done what you got it for you'll find all sorts of things, Thomas (Boat builder.) cleans his wife's gungy saucepans (She makes home made soup for a living!), you should see how it cleaned up my metal watchstrap. I guess (sorry Pat & Sandy) you could do those dreadfully difficult window and door frames prior to a repaint, Thomas did the hull below the waterline too but not above as it was essential perfect already prior again to epoxy and fairing with a long board.
Of course the object in this case was not to produce a museum quality (it's better than that.) period piece but an slap bang up to date modern boat.
To summarise,
Hire via a local google contact.
Be careful is is very quick. - Jet wash is a good analagy.
If you have any dodgy timber it will find it out!
Jungens Regina is your friend.
Simples.
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Ancient Geek
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Re: Walnut Shell Blasting

Post by Ancient Geek »

A starter for 10.
http://www.kramerindustriesonline.com/b ... shells.htm
If you can get your boat to Denmark Thomas would do it for a small(ish) fee.
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jon711
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Re: Walnut Shell Blasting

Post by jon711 »

I can now see Man Made Global Warming cured, by forest after forest of walnut trees!!!

How on earth, do you get enough walnuts, to do a reasonably sized hull??

Jon
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Re: Walnut Shell Blasting

Post by Ancient Geek »

It recirculates a bit.
Simples.
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jon711
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Re: Walnut Shell Blasting

Post by jon711 »

Sorry to get into semantics, it either recirculates,or, it dosen't. I do not know of any thing that can recirculate a bit!! :)
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Ancient Geek
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Re: Walnut Shell Blasting

Post by Ancient Geek »

Because some escapes out the sides!
Simples.
JimC
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Re: Walnut Shell Blasting

Post by JimC »

I need some of this done on my boat: I contacted some suppliers of the media and they suggested this company: http://rfiscreening.co.uk/default.aspx . I haven't actually contacted them yet though!
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Ed
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Re: Walnut Shell Blasting

Post by Ed »

http://www.angloscotabrasives.co.uk/Abrasives.htm

they are not that expensive.....considering.

I was going to set up a walnut blasting set up a while ago.....but ran out of funds for the project.

Hopefully I will give it another go sometime in the future.

If you try it out, do report back with any thoughts you might have on it.

cheers

eib
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Re: Walnut Shell Blasting

Post by Garry R »

It doesn't seem so expensive for the consumables if you compare with Nitromors, sandpaper, electricity for the heat gun etc . It's the start up costs which are high especially for a one off dinghy.
Keith66
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Re: Walnut Shell Blasting

Post by Keith66 »

Some years ago i blasted the inside of a vintage Saunders launch, she was built in 1905 & had some real clarty paint on her, as i wanted to preserve the copper stitching holding her planks together i used fine carborundum grit, this was fired out of a modified Portablast gun as used in Car body repair shops. The gun is small & will run of a compressor of around 14cfm. An industrial size blaster would have probably done way too much damage. As it happened the grit did a fine job, just right for epoxy coating.
At the time i didnt know about walnut shells so will be giving them a try before long!
davidh
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Re: Walnut Shell Blasting

Post by davidh »

Okay....back to the subject of walnut blasting.

If I wanted to 'do' the interior of a Merlin hull and used walnut shells, what sort of finish would this give me? Would it just abrade the surface, making it suitable for varnishing, or could you use it to go back to bare wood.

After Roger broke the Merlin again (by telekenisis this time, he's a bit like Uri Geller) I can see that the required repairs will probably call for attention to the paint on the hull. Now that is not an issue, Nitromors and 60 grit will solve anything, I may well take the hull back to bare wood on the outside, this then leaves open the option of a spray finish using 2 pack.

The interior though may well present more of a problem.

Pat and Sandy- have you twin poles set up on LoG?

D
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Ancient Geek
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Re: Walnut Shell Blasting

Post by Ancient Geek »

DH it (Walnut Shells.) will do either, like Beechams Pills "just the thing"!
Simples.
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