what do I need to do here

[Dignity]

While trying to repair the trim tilt on my motor I thought I would clean up the zinc anode. I have some stuff from a mate who is OS including a sand blaster. Only trouble is that I don't know what to do with it. It has a handle and a length of hose and there is a bucket of grit/sand. I could use the old steel brush but I want to try this apparatous on the screen door grill as it needs a clean up as well. Where do I stick the hose, is there a missing component. Thought once I got this working I might use it to clean some rust on the trailer.

[oldboot]

I hope you are taking the zinc anode off first?

the question is....would you be beter off replacing it.


back to the sand blaster....

you need two things to use one of those effectively.

dry sand ( I mean real dry ) and dry air and plenty off it.

If you are comming straight out of a small compressor even thu a standard moisture trap... you wont have dry air for long.

any moisture will cause the gun to block up.

the sand also needs to be fine and well sifted.... free and lose in the bucket.


now

you hook up the gun to an air supply of about 90psi

and you stick the pipe/ probe thing in the bucket of sand

pull the triger and PLSSPTPTPTPT

now a few things.

These things use a huge amount of air and thus all but the best moisture traps will give up.

take evry thing out of your pockets especialy PDA's and mobile phones...it'll fill these full of gritt..... the first time I used mine I almost wrecked my Palm.

you will also want a good dist mask and a full face visor.

remember also that ordinary silica sand will break up very fine and any sort of quantity inhaled may give you long term respirotay problems.
It is illegal to use silica ( common) sand in isdustrial applications due to the risk of silicosis.

Now do you realy want to sand blast the thing?

Oh did I mention sand everwhere.....and I do mean everwhere......days later you will find it in places you thaught you didnt have.

perhaps a wire brush.

cheers

[finga]

Don't do the wire wheel brush on the anodes.
Bead blast is best for cleaning anodes or a clean file.
If you want to see how the gismo works I can pop around and show you.

[bigjimg]

Anodes are best left alone to do what they do best ......If they look ordinary replace them.As for rust use a needle gun first and if you have your heart set on it then the sand to prepare nice and clean for primer.I would just needle it fully then hit it with converter.A lot less mess to clean up.

[gofishin]

Alternatives, assuming that there is plenty of meat left on the anode, hence it doesn't need replacing:
Do you have a pool? Soak the anode in a bath of acid & water @1:10 ratio, or if you don't have a pool, or a mate with one, you can buy a few products called 'Rustkiller' or equivalent, soak in a 1:1 solution (weaker OK) of this. If there is a significant build-up, you can wire buff it first (grinder buff is great), however do this before acid soak/clean.

It should only need a short time (more for weaker solution), but don't forget about it as there might not be much left when you next check. It will come out shiny & clean, however will corrode & build up deposits again as this is what it is supposed to do.
cheers

[Dignity]

oldboot - I think you have sworn me off sand blasting - although I did find this bucket of black sand blasting stuff, connected everything up, stuck the hose in the bucket and after 2 mins - nothing. I give up on this idea.

finga - last time I talked to you I was living in brisbane, now it's the sunshine coast, you are welcome to stay over

bigjimg, gofishin, I will consider your methods

All, why not wire brush

[tunaticer]

You are better off replacing the zinc anode rather than cleaning it up. The metal is highly porous and internallly it could be just the same as the outside. I have ground several of them through and often fond pockets of internal corosion in them rendering them mostly spent.