Equipment sandblasting questions, answered plainly
Everything contractors, dealers and farm owners ask Hardpan Equipment Blasting before booking a yard day. If your question is not here, call (984) 464-6620.
Cost and quotes
How much does it cost to sandblast heavy equipment near Apex?
A skid steer or compact track loader runs $900 to $1,800, a mini excavator $1,100 to $2,000, a 12 to 25 ton excavator $2,400 to $4,500, and a D5 to D6 class dozer $2,200 to $4,200, all blasted to bare metal. Same day primer adds $300 to $900 by machine size and mobilization is $150 to $350 by county. The whole table is on the cost page.
Can I get a quote without a site visit?
Yes, for most machines. Text three or four photos and the make and model to the number on this page, say where the machine sits, and the quote comes off the published table. Site visits are for large fleets and structural work.
Is the quote the price I actually pay?
Yes. The quote is built from the published ranges plus a stated mobilization, and the invoice matches it. The only thing that changes a number after we arrive is steel that turns out to be too thin to coat, and we stop and call before doing anything about that.
Do you charge by the hour or by the machine?
By the machine for standard equipment, because a per-machine number is easier to budget. Hourly at $175 to $250 with a four hour minimum covers odd jobs, structural steel, and anything the table does not name.
The work itself
How long is my machine out of service?
One day for anything up to a mid-size excavator, including primer. Large dozers and 30 ton and up excavators are a full day to bare metal with primer applied the same afternoon. Pressure washing the machine the day before shortens every job.
What do you mask before blasting?
Hydraulic cylinder rods, hoses and fittings, glass, lights, electrical connectors, telematics boxes, serial plates, and any decals you want to keep. Masking is part of every quote and it happens before the first pass, with photos of the plates and sensors for your records.
What abrasive media do you use?
Coal slag or crushed glass for heavy rust and thick coatings on machine steel, finer media where a smoother profile is wanted under primer, and a lighter setup at lower pressure for aluminum bodies. We never blast with silica sand; the OSHA respirable silica rule and state guidance have made it a liability for everyone on the site.
Why do you prime the same day?
Because bare steel in Wake County humidity starts to flash rust within hours. A primer coat the same afternoon locks in the clean surface so the topcoat bonds to steel instead of to fresh oxide. Skipping it wastes the blast.
Do you paint the machine too?
We blast and prime. Topcoat is a separate trade and we can point you to fleet painters who match dealer colors. If you have your own paint shop, we hand it clean primed steel the same day.
Site, safety and disposal
What do you need at my yard?
A level pad, twenty feet of clearance around a compact machine or thirty around a large one, truck access for the rig, and daylight enough to finish the primer. Water and power are not required; the rig carries its own compressor.
Where does the old paint and spent media go?
Onto ground tarps under the work, then into our truck. Older coatings can contain lead and chromates, so spent media leaves in a documented waste stream rather than a storm drain, a creek, or your pasture.
Can you work on an active job site or inside a plant fence?
Yes. We carry liability insurance, follow the site safety orientation, use full containment, and can send certificates and paperwork ahead of the visit. Tell us what the site requires when you book.
Do you blast near houses?
Yes, with the setup planned for it: weekday daytime hours, the compressor on the far side of the yard, and full containment so nothing reaches a neighbor or a drain. Say at booking if the yard backs up to homes.
Prices quoted here are the same ones on the cost page. Per-machine detail is on the machinery page, and standing yard days for dealers and fleets are on the programs page.