Can you use an air compressor to remove paint or is there a sandblaster attachment?

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Can you use an air compressor to remove paint or is there a sandblaster attachment?

by janet
(austin, tx)

Just got a new air compressor, one home project is to remove paint from a metal stair railing.

Is there a method or an attachment for the air compressor such as a sand blaster?

Bill comments...

You can (as I have done) picked up a fairly low cost sand blaster attachment for my home compressor. It was on sale at the local "Princess Auto" store.

Along with the sandblast kit I also purchased a bag of crushed glass "sand" as the media I would use to blast paint. It wasn't much more than just the clean, dry sand, and the source is used bottles, so I felt good about re-using a recycled product.

You will not want to use this type of equipment indoors.

Even if you are using it outdoors, a breathing mask is recommended, and protective goggles for the eyes are an absolute must.

As I expected, with my small compressor, I was only able to blast for a few seconds before the compressor had to kick in to rebuild the air pressure.

I dialed the regulator down to lower the air pressure to try to extend the air, but found that under 90 PSI the sand blast wasn't as effective in removing paint, at least for my blaster.

I used a lot of the blast media, and it did a good job removing paint from aluminum, but it was quite slow. And again, I had to keep waiting for my small, DIY type air compressor, to catch up.

The upshot of this experience is that I would use my sand blast kit to remove paint and clean small parts at home, but if I had a big job to do, and it required sand blasting, I'd take the job to the pros.

There are more comments below. Feel free to add your advice or comments too.

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Can you use an air compressor to remove paint or is there a sandblaster attachment?

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Jan 19, 2008

Not recommended indoors
by: JimG

No. I don't think that using compressed air to strip paint is a good idea.

Not one that would work properly anyway, and never indoors.

Use a wire brush and muscle power.

Dec 09, 2007

Compressor to remove paint
by: Bill - Publisher

Janet, nice to hear from you.

Congrats on your new air compressor. There's lots of info on this site about compressors. Help yourself.

To strip paint from a railing using compressed air, you have a number of options.

There are a variety of air driven grinders (tiny through to really large) that will do an able job, as long as you're careful not to strip metal too.

An air drill with a sanding disc attachment will provide air powered sanding of the railing, but won't do too great a job in tough to get at areas.

Yes, you can purchase a compressed air powered sand blaster that will do the job as well. Concerns about the sand blaster are: does your compressor have the flow (CFM) to adequately provide the air for a sand blaster, and the process generates air borne dust which is both a concern for your health and the cleanliness of the environment in which you are blasting.

How big is the railing? What horsepower is your compressor? Where do you want to perform the work? (Inside the house or in a garage or workshop).

These questions need to be answered to help best determine what tool to use.

When you are selecting your tool, ask what CFM it needs and at what pressure that flow is required in PSI.

Your compressor came with information as to what flow it will provide, and see if it has the capacity needed for the tool.

You can try www.compressed-air-equipment.com and see what tools are there for your application.

Good luck and thanks for visiting.

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Dec 09, 2007
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Submitted by: Bill - Publisher

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Janet, nice to hear from you. Congrats on your new air compressor. There's lots of info on this site about compressors. Help yourself. To strip paint from a railing using compressed air, you have a number of options. There are a variety of air driven grinders (tiny through to really large) that will do an able job, as long as you're careful not to strip metal too. An air drill with a sanding disc attachment will provide air powered sanding of the railing, but won't do too great a job in tough to get at areas. Yes, you can purchase a compressed air powered sand blaster that will do the job as well. Concerns about the sand blaster are: does your compressor have the flow (CFM) to adequately provide the air for a sand blaster, and the process generates air borne dust which is both a concern for your health and the cleanliness of the environment in which you are blasting. How big is the railing? What horsepower is your compressor? Where do you want to perform the work? (Inside the house or in a garage or workshop). These questions need to be answered to help best determine what tool to use. When you are selecting your tool, ask what CFM it needs and at what pressure that flow is required in PSI. Your compressor came with information as to what flow it will provide, and see if it has the capacity needed for the tool. You can try www.compressed-air-equipment.com and see what tools are there for your application. Good luck and thanks for visiting.

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Can you use an air compressor to remove paint or is there a sandblaster attachment?

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Can you use an air compressor to remove paint or is there a sandblaster attachment?