LIDL Sandblast Gun and Tyre pressure gauge

[Colin Lindsay]

My industrial sandblast cabinet no longer wants to perform with my compressor; no idea why but it's held me up for a time with various jobs.

I bought one of Lidl's Parkside Sandblast guns yesterday and have been pleasantly surprised with how well it works, on a much lower pressure than the professional gun I've been using. It's gravity feed, you just unscrew the end cap and fill - making sure it doesn't all run out of the other end. It comes with a range of nozzles and recirculating bags, neither of which I've used so far, and two bottles of grit, and the test I gave it last night cleaned gearbox mounting plates right to bare metal in minutes. Definitely worth a punt at £9.99. 

[Bordfunker]

Thanks for the heads up Colin, think I might to give that a go, as you can’t go wrong for under a tenner!

Karl

[Badwolf]

Lidl/Aldi tools. My garage is full of them. They all appear to be good value especially for the somewhat limited use most of them get. Also have access to a load of their woodworking tools which are brilliant. The Aldi varispeed angle grinder is particularly good along with the Lidl dehumidifier, which beats the DeLonghi hands down (no I don't work for either but their tools work for me)

[Colin Lindsay]

One little warning about LIDL tools which I just found out yesterday - I took my car to a mate's yard to get two new tyres, and whilst I knew mine were poor (they were getting embarrassing if not downright dangerous!) I was surprised to find that they were badly worn in the centre section which is a sign of overinflation. We checked them on his professional gauge and found all were just over 40psi. I ended up fitting four new tyres and with all set to 32psi I went home and checked them with my LIDL inflator with built-in gauge only to find they were reading 24psi. I had to dig out an old mechanical gauge which confirmed they are still at 32. One of the GT6 tyres which looked a bit soft was allegedly at 15 on the LIDL gauge but 24 on the mechanical gauge.

I've used this inflator for years now and even my daughter's 107 tyres were too high when checked, so I've now checked all the tyres in the house with the mechanical gauge and set them correctly.

If any of you are using one of these you might want a second opinion for safety's sake.

[Badwolf]

Agreed I don't have any air tools but still use an old fashioned foot pump for the tyres. That has a gauge, but I always check with an old fashioned metal tyre pressure gauge. Fidley, but for some reason (it was my Dad's) I trust it more.

[Bfg]

6 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said:

We checked them on his professional gauge and found all were just over 40psi.

That should help fuel economy !

Alas when I dropped in,  I hoped Lidl sandblaster was still the topic of conversation but apparently I'm a year behind things  (.. so what's new there !).  So if anyone hears of a similarly inexpensive but usable sandblaster any time soon, I'd be glad to hear of it.

Thanks. Pete

 

[Colin Lindsay]

Have they stopped selling those? I'll check locally for you tomorrow, there may be an unloved one sitting on the shelves. 

[Badwolf]

Most things come up on a regular cycle. Its just a question of watching out for it.

[Pete Lewis]

have a choice   but which one 

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/categories/?search=tyre+pressure+gauge

 

i have a old vintage   schrader linear a best buy    and a linear sealey for the air line   so long as you get the two red

optics aligned in your glasses   all tell a varied calibration ....its whats it going to be today choice

pete

[Badwolf]

Lidl sandblaster gun, compressor and other tools are back on 15th September 2019. They only look like the 'hobbyist' versions. The more heavyweight stuff will probably come up nearer the Christmas

[iana]

Has anyone tried the Lidl compressor - it looks like a bargain, I had been thinking about a compressor from SGS engineering which is just shy of £110 at the moment.

[Pete Lewis]

All depends on just what capacity you realy need  aldi have a 3 yr warranty not sure about lidl

The small ones tend to be quite noisy and doubt any use on impact guns or spraying whole cars but ok for touch up top feed guns 

Most are limited to the type of kit included. ! Fine for every day trye inflation and a bash of small area blasting 

I sold my ginormous and  got a small unit as air tools are now all battery , and no more spraying  sold all my air tools at Duxford

As just not used now.,  so its what  use   do you need to do controls the capacity /volume /cfm  you need or expect

Pete

 

[poppyman]

1 hour ago, iana said:

Has anyone tried the Lidl compressor - it looks like a bargain, I had been thinking about a compressor from SGS engineering which is just shy of £110 at the moment.

Good enough for tyre pressures and very light work.... not good for much else and as Pete says, very very noisy. Try and find someone who has got one first to try. You might be dissapointed as i was.

Tony. 

[iana]

Tony thanks for the comment - I did wonder given its price point. I’ll spend the money more wisely.

[Bfg]

2 hours ago, iana said:

Has anyone tried the Lidl compressor - it looks like a bargain, I had been thinking about a compressor from SGS engineering which is just shy of £110 at the moment.

I was down at Machine Mart, Ipswich who sell Clark tools, last Friday ..to get a replacement head and shroud for my little mig welder.  While there I noticed they had a line up of possibly eight or ten different compressors.   The lad in there was helpful and used a compressor himself for restoring yank cars  ..so I'm guessing he has more noddle  re. their capabilities than most employees of Lidl or Aldi,  or even the computer jockeys who write advertising specs for such tools.!  

He advised that the big air-capacity users were the DA and the sand blaster. And even the biggest compressor they had in store @ £570 and rated at 3hp and 14cfm wouldn't cope with their continuous use - as those tools require 10-12 cfm free flow.  As I understand it ; free flow is different to compressed air flow (ie., with back pressure through the tool). He suggested a paint spray gun, metal shears or disc cutter might use 6 - 8 cfm. 

He also warned that although 230v., the big ones need a 40amp power supply. That's much the same as a wired-in cooker. 40A powered supply doesn't work for me because my garage power is via an extension lead from a household socket.  It will cope with the welder, pedestal drill, big angle grinder, lights, battery charger, fan heater, dehumidifier, etc., each when used selectively ..but I wouldn't have the heater or dehumidifier on at the same time as I'm welding.   

In short ;  because I'm not going to wire in a hefty power cable,  nor can I accommodate something the size of a two seater couch in my garage, I'll have to stick to a smaller, and upright, model of compressor.  And even then I'll be able to use the air tools (such as the spray gun) intermittently ..letting the compressor top up the cylinder inbetween times. 

 

2 hours ago, Pete Lewis said:

no more spraying  sold all my air tools at Duxford

Thanks Pete - much appreciated. I was fortunate and timely to have bought the spray gun, the shears and the cut-off disc cutter for a very kindly price.  Later in the afternoon,  when 'gifting' for another much needed cuppa tea and a bite of something tasty someone found the accompanying paperwork ..and as it was unsold - I was given the sand-blast gun.  As explained the latter may not be much use to me, but who knows it might work long enough for very localised spot cleaning.

Bfg.  

[iana]

I mainly wanted it for applying waxoyl, as an air duster, and inflating tyres etc. Maybe to drive a air ratchet and a small sand blast gun but that’s the lot. I tried waxoyl in a spray can - Very messy to use and the nozzle seemed to clog up within seconds and couldn’t get into the awkward places. Not having a compressor would suit me better in some ways as it’s less clutter in the garage!

I did think about a waxoyl sprayer as that if it worked would solve my main requirement. 

[JohnD]

Bought my compressor at Machine Mart.    Good advice, which I didn't take (a 'direct drive' compressor, no belt, is MUCH LOUDER!) and help from their telephone advice line on the couple of occasions in the last ten years-plus that I've had it.    One was the cut-out in the electronics - they told me where to find it - the other was the on-off switch, hich is a bit more than that and wore out!     My actual model is obselete, no point in quoting it, but it's a Clarke mid-range one, a bit like this: https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/airmaster-tiger-16510-3hp-50-litre-air-compre/

I've now enclosed the machine in a soundproofing box, and conversation in the garage is possible again, but it needed an air fan to keep it cool in there.    I'd have better spent a bit more on a belt drive one.

John

PS Ian,  make sure that the compreesor can supply the cubic feet per minute that your sprayer demands, esle you will be twiddling your thumbs every few minutes, waiting for the pump to catch up, as the reservoir empties.      I've used the pump-up Waxoyl spray successfully - works best IMHO if you thin the Waxoyl with white spirit.   J.

[poppyman]

If it's for rustproofing put your money in to this stuff...... It works great and far better than waxoyl (it used to be good) I used 4 cans to do my 2500S properly doors, sills wings etc.       https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bilt-Hamber-Dynax-S-50-Extreme-Anti-Corrosion-Wax-750ml-Aerosol-Cavity-Wax/162763920842?epid=8034034757&hash=item25e57c55ca:g:ujwAAOxyEoFSVRw7 It gets cheaper the more you buy.

Tony.

[Pete Lewis]

ive used the wax sprayer . heat in a bucket of hot water and pump her up. worked a treat  decent spray pattern easy to aim at hidden crevices etc.

was  a 

we used waxoyl on all the trucks and vans as it was best salt spray protection but thats a bit historic as its pre 93 when we closed the factory 

things move on , 

being lazy i had the 2000 done by a local rustmasters  but they have moved .  did very intensive and accurate coverage and all internals 

pete

[Clive]

Not got on with waxoyl... I have been using dinitrol, the very thin MIL stuff for box sections, seams and so on, and a hard, black wax (VERY tough) for wheel arches and underside. Seems to be doing a good job, which I had used it a couple of other places that I didn't consider "at risk" (beginners mistake)

A small comopressor will be fine for stuff above, and even wax spraying as it isn't critical like paint, and if required just wait a short while. I reckon £80? is pretty decent price, to get anything capable of painting will be £250ish upwards

[Dick Twitchen]

Second the recommendation for Dinitrol, durable even when used on a 4x4 used 'correctly'.  It was satisfying when I rebuilt the GT6 and put the stuff in the sills to see it find the, until then, unseen tiny gaps between  plug welds so the same should apply elsewhere; just do not scrimp when applying. 

[68vitesse]

I have a 3Hp V twin direct drive compressor, bit noisy as said above, runs from a 13Amp socket occasionally blows the fuse on initial start up mainly in cold weather. Only regret is I should have got one with a bigger tank and have thought of getting a second tank to increase the reserve air.

I did spray my Vitesse with it and a friend borrowed it to spray his TR7, used a gravity feed gun seemed to work better than a suction one.

Regards

Paul

[Colin Lindsay]

5 hours ago, Bfg said:

He also warned that although 230v., the big ones need a 40amp power supply. That's much the same as a wired-in cooker. 40A powered supply doesn't work for me because my garage power is via an extension lead from a household socket.  It will cope with the welder, pedestal drill, big angle grinder, lights, battery charger, fan heater, dehumidifier, etc., each when used selectively ..but I wouldn't have the heater or dehumidifier on at the same time as I'm welding.   

My kitchen cooker is on a 30amp circuit, as is the 2-post lift in the garage, but the compressor runs from a standard socket.

35 minutes ago, 68vitesse said:

I have a 3Hp V twin direct drive compressor, runs from a 13Amp socket, occasionally blows the fuse on initial start up mainly in cold weather. 

Mine used to, too, until I went for thinner oil - the recommended SIP compressor oil is too thick when cold. The factory I got my compressor from - they throw stuff out and update equipment on a rotational basis and mine had never been used in anger - told me to use 10-40 engine oil, and it's run well on that for the last period. I use it a lot for sandblasting and so it runs continuously.

[Bfg]

On 14/10/2018 at 17:20, Colin Lindsay said:

My industrial sandblast cabinet no longer wants to perform with my compressor; no idea why but it's held me up for a time with various jobs.

I bought one of Lidl's Parkside Sandblast guns yesterday and have been pleasantly surprised with how well it works, on a much lower pressure than the professional gun I've been using. It's gravity feed, you just unscrew the end cap and fill - making sure it doesn't all run out of the other end. It comes with a range of nozzles and recirculating bags, neither of which I've used so far, and two bottles of grit, and the test I gave it last night cleaned gearbox mounting plates right to bare metal in minutes. Definitely worth a punt at £9.99. 

 

On 05/09/2019 at 11:06, Badwolf said:

Lidl sandblaster gun, compressor and other tools are back on 15th September 2019. They only look like the 'hobbyist' versions. The more heavyweight stuff will probably come up nearer the Christmas

Thanks guys for the recommendation and where to buy & when. 

I bought the sandblasting gun today.    I now need to see if I can fix my old upright compressor, whose pressure valve was leaking. 

Question now is ; what's the best grit and where-to-buy for best value medium for blasting 1. a chassis and heavier brackets,  2. body panels. ?

Thanks. Bfg.

 

 

[Pete Lewis]

How about kiln dried paving sand as a cheap blast grit 

Pete