Dave, for all of the sandblasting I've done, I've used the same precautions as
you. However, I avoid blastic if any other method will work. Not only is it
mess and possibly hazzardous, but I find it doesn't work as well as many other
methods.
My prefered method these days is to use those 3M stripping wheels. A half dozen
of those does better than 2 dozen bags of sand, and is a lot cleaner.
Dave Rupert wrote:
> Hey folks,
>
> I use an 80 lb pressure blaster for doing any paint stripping/rust
> removal on my TR4 (there's my LBC content!). I have recently stumbled
> across a lot of literature regarding silicosis, which is a lung
> disease caused by the inhalation of silica dust. As a weekend
> hobbyist, I probably only use the gear once every couple of months for
> a few hours at a time. If I'm doing a big project, I may use it all
> day on a free Saturday. I use a blast hood from Eastwood, as well as a
> respirator rated for hazardous dust (not an air supplied respirator).
>
> So, am I killing myself, or what? The OSHA literature that I've read
> says that it takes 20-30 years of exposure to contract the disease,
> with sometimes as little as 10 years if the person has a heavy
> exposure. However, all of the bags of sand I've been buying have
> notices on them that make it sound like if I'm not using an air
> supplied respirator, I'll drop dead in a week. A lot of my local
> stores have stopped carrying blasting sand, too.
>
> I've looked into alternative blast medias, and they are 10X the price
> of sand. I've also looked into air supplied resirators, and they are
> also hideously expensive.
>
> I'm wondering if there are any other folks out there who do any
> sandblasting, and what level of protection is being used or
> recommended.
>
> Thanks,
>
> David Rupert
> 1967 TR4A
> 1980 TR7
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