by doug hodder » Fri Feb 18, 2011 12:08 am
Slowcowboy...I don't do sand....I'm very fortunate and have access to a blast cabinet that isn't mine and Mike has it loaded with glass beads. Glass beads are much more forgiving than a sand. I did blast Woodbutchers 109 with my blaster and sand, but didn't have to do a lot, it's just a hopper and a gun. Sand will really bend and distort the metal, so it should only be used at a very low angle and at a distance. I use a really fine grained silica if using sand. Glass beads aren't the same critter, not nearly as aggressive. The cast parts can handle sand...the sheet metal can't. Never blast a spring, or a soldered joint on a stove tank, brazed like a lantern is OK...but go easy!
All the parts that are silver colored in the pic have been glass bead blasted and are in a high temp paint at this point. They look the same if just blasted....only it's a bit darker. Once blasted...get them into paint fairly quickly...moisture will be attracted to the raw iron/steel.
For paint....most any of them, rattle can or otherwise, need to be sprayed in the temps required. A catalyzed paint out of a gun will give the best gloss. It may take more than 1 coat to get a great gloss out of a rattle can. I spray a lantern font...let it cure a week, scuff it...then another coat on it, or spray clear. Gets a better gloss than just the 1 shot out of the spray can, sometimes I do this, sometimes not. I have different levels of finish depending on the item. Once done...if the garage isn't warm enough...I haul it all in the house...no one to complain here.
For a suitcase stove body...get it as straight as possible. Me...I'd not recommend bondo on one, at least in the big flat areas. The sheet metals are thin and will flex, let alone any heat cool cycles on the box...may cause a bondo to lift. I may do some rust hiding with some spot putty over primer, but no bondo, as it doesn't like to bend once cured. They all will flex over time whether you want it to or not...it'll happen.
The hammered paint I used is right out of the can, Rustoleum, hard to describe the appearance on a forum like this...go check them out at a hardware store. Some may or may not have all the colors available. It's just tougher to get the uniform finish overall with it, in my opinion.
All of this info is just based on my experiences with it all, what's worked...what hasn't....others opinions may differ.
Don't rush it....camping season is still a ways off...do it right now, or re-do it later. Doug
- that hammered finsh realy does cover a multitude of "sins" 
I just might have to try the hammered finish paint on my next project.
