AMMASHOOTA
Gary Gruber
i'm preparing to cerrakote a rem 700 action and barrel so i go out to the garage and check the hopper of my sandblaster. it's low so i go down to the hardware store to pick up a bag of 80 grit. no joy. i check 7 different hardware stores (So. Cal. desert), and in an a region that is 70 percent sand, there is no sand for sale.
i think that is called irony.
Two years ago i could walk into a home depot and for around $7 pick up a 50 pound bag (#80) and that would be that. i checked with MSC and they would be happy to sell me a bag for $174 delivered. i finally find a bag of very coarse (and wet) 'general purpose' sand. after letting it dry overnight (about 15 pounds of that bag is water), i start running the rest of it through a sieve to separate the sand from the small rocks. i'm getting about 30% sand out of the bag, which will be more than enough to blast the barrel, action and assorted other parts.
there has got to be a less expensive way of obtaining a bag of #80 or #120. any suggestions? I'm half tempted to just go out into the desert, sit down and start sifting there. i'm not certain how to sift out army ants and scorpions.
i think that is called irony.
Two years ago i could walk into a home depot and for around $7 pick up a 50 pound bag (#80) and that would be that. i checked with MSC and they would be happy to sell me a bag for $174 delivered. i finally find a bag of very coarse (and wet) 'general purpose' sand. after letting it dry overnight (about 15 pounds of that bag is water), i start running the rest of it through a sieve to separate the sand from the small rocks. i'm getting about 30% sand out of the bag, which will be more than enough to blast the barrel, action and assorted other parts.
there has got to be a less expensive way of obtaining a bag of #80 or #120. any suggestions? I'm half tempted to just go out into the desert, sit down and start sifting there. i'm not certain how to sift out army ants and scorpions.
