Blast Cabinet

[sicivicdude]

I have had a "open" media blaster for a while but it's getting tiring getting covered in sand all the time. Add to that, it's a "total loss" system where I can only effectively use cheap media (silica sand) because you can't really get it back once it's been used.

To that end I've been looking at getting a media blasting cabinet but I haven't been able to find one that has some good features (top loading for instance) at what I would call a reasonable price. Harbor Freight has a free standing offering for $209 (reasonable) but it only has one end door, a poor light, and no ventilation. The kind with the light, top load, and good ventilation skyrocket in price to just short of $500 (and then again, to $1k+). I understand that GOOD media blasters are industrial equipment and command a certain price. It's just that, that price simply isn't attainable at this time.

To that end, I have been doing a little research and planning....

Here's what I started with, a Campbell Hausfield "open" syphon blaster with a 5 gallon bucket of silica sand. $20 for the blaster at Lowe's 3 years ago and $5? in playsand:

50lbs of sand filled this bucket up 3 years ago. I don't use the blaster that often because it's quite the get up to use:

I picked up some supplies from Ace hardware, the receipt was for $40 but some of the stuff was for pontoon boat seats so I'm sayin' $30 in so far:

Uh oh, we have some "recycled" plywood here. Looks pretty darned familiar......

Just a buncha parts right?

Progress so far, 1 afternoon in:

 

[dksix]

Here's one that I really like, I think it's just a cool idea.
55g Drum Media Blast Cabinet - JeepForum.com
Years back HF sold a 24"x36" for $199 that was total junk. The one they have now was $299 at the time. I later got one of those and it's a pretty good cabinet. I've got the 24"x48" 3 door now and it's got some good features but it's got it's problems too. A "pot" type pressure blaster is much more efficient that you'll ever get from a suction system unless you spend big money on the system and compressor. What size window are you going to put in it? I can send you some PVC sheet to use for your glass protector. Just cut it to length and put your 2 sided tape on it. The price they charge for those is stupid.

If you need to buy any parts, look here http://www.tptools.com/dg/18_Abrasive-Blasters-Abrasives-Parts.html . You may find better prices but what they sale is good quality, worth the extra cost over the China stuff.

 

[sicivicdude]

Here's a commercial version of what you linked. If I didn't have most of the materials needed to make my own (all I need that I don't already have are the gloves and some random materials like screws and caulk) you better believe I'd be saving up some cash and ordering one!

The Barrel Blaster and The Blast Master - Affordable Bead Blasting Cabinets and Sandblasters

I'm probably going to be ordering a roll of PVC material anyway so I can make my own "throw away" sheets. I appreciate the offer man!

 

[dksix]

What are you needing the rolled PVC for, what size are you buying?

 

[sicivicdude]

What are you needing the rolled PVC for, what size are you buying?

I was just going to get something to make sacrificial "windows" to go in front of my plexi. Not sure what I'm going to go for yet. Any suggestions in particular? What size is the PVC you're talking about?

 

[dksix]

I don't remember what it is, 10" or 12" probably .010". Just let me know what you're needing and I can send you some.

 

[slickerthanyou]

Ahhh yeah My next tool is a blaster just need to do some homework on what type would be best for the blasty stuff.

If you lived closer to me, i have unlimited supply of 55 HDPE drums!

 

[sicivicdude]

Basically you have three kinds.

Siphon "open" systems (pictured above). They're the cheapest but also the crappiest. They require a respirator (MINIMUM, forced air recommended), long sleeve shirt, leather gloves, and blasting helmet. They are 100% total loss and don't really like "exotic" blasting media (the last part not really being a huge detriment to me, I plan on using glass beads). While you are blasting, expect a 8 foot radius "affected area" where sand will bounce onto making a quite dangerous walking situation if you have a smooth floor. The feed rate and blasting rate are slow compared to the volume of air they require.

Pressurized "open" systems. They're the medium priced on setup costs but are still total loss and require you to "suit up" to use. They do deliver more media more reliably than the siphon systems but they make a mess.

Siphon cabinet models. The most expensive/involved models. They vacuum the media out of the "sump" at the bottom and are what most people refer to as "sand blasters" when they talk about them. The HF model is the bargain basement free standing cabinet that's ready to run at $209. They go from that to FRIGGIN INSANELY priced in a hurry. With all of the bells and whistles, you could EASILY spend $1,500 getting a NICE 24" x 36" top load blasting cabinet setup.

I'm hoping to be able to build a servicable/usable model from scratch on the cheap.

I should also add that my plans are the use this under negative pressure. I have a cheapy shop vac that I'm sure won't stand up to the task of pulling directly from the cabinet so my plan is to use some of my other skills and build a seperator cyclone to mount to the side of the cabinet that will hopefully spin the vast majority of the particles out of suspension before the air ever gets to the shop vac stay tuned for more pics as the project progresses.

 

[slickerthanyou]

Soon you'll be able to quit your day job and just be a blaster master!

 

[sicivicdude]

If I was goin full time I wouldn't be building one from scrap plywood!

I'd go buy me one of these bad boys... 850-T Fast-Trig Abrasive Blasting Cabinet - TP Tools & Equipment

 

[slickerthanyou]

Now that is banggin!

 

[sicivicdude]

Now that is banggin!

Tell me about it.... That's still not even close to their top of the line single user cabinet and we're already upto $1k purchase price and freight truck to get it to your door. You're looking $1,500 to get it setting on the floor in the garage plus the compressor to run that monster. The gun supplied with that cabinet uses like 15 cfm a@ 80 psi .

 

[brandoz28]

cool build, I'd like to see how the wood holds up long term.


are you putting an expanded metal sheet in there as a "shelf" for your workpiece?

 

[sicivicdude]

cool build, I'd like to see how the wood holds up long term.


are you putting an expanded metal sheet in there as a "shelf" for your workpiece?

Not worth a damn, I'll be lucky if I get 3-5 years out of it..... BWAHAHAHAH! I figure if I got $100 in it and I get 3 years I'll be doing really well.

I have some expanded steel but I don't think the piece I have is big enough to fill the entire bottom so it might need to be supplemented.

 

[brandoz28]

that's all that we have in the one at work, it works well enough, a little extra, for doing small parts like studs and bolts, if ever needed, is to use a little window screen to set them on.

 

[sicivicdude]

Expanded steel is all I had planned for this at some point. I just know that the piece I have right now out there isn't big enough to cover it all. If I'm going to do the entire shelf, I will have to have some more .

 

[92f150300six]

You can get more years out of it if you line the inside with metal. Like from a trash picked dryer or fridge.its thick and free

 

[wwholden]

I like this idea. Right now I have a small blast cabinet. Id like to make a larger one like yours. Awesome job recycling the plywood from you recent toy.

 

[Surfrjag]

So your a sort of expert on all kinds of blasters! Yamaha and sand.. will you be able to recirculate the blast media with this setup? The aluminum oxide seems to work pretty well for me. Guess i was lucky to find my topload for 20 bucks. I found safety glass lasts a little longer than the plexi as well.

 

[dksix]

Here is the one I'm using now, beside the one I was upgrading from. The big one is from HF as well, I think its about $1000 and the dust removal system is about $150. It's big enough to do frames in if you extend the hose and take out the grate floor but it's not fun. The biggest draw back to this one is it needs a big compressor. I have a 5hp 60 gal rated for 18.6 CFM and 90 PSI and it would keep up with the cabinet above 60 PSI. I demo'd a 7.5 HP 80 gal for a couple weeks here when I was coating heavy. The 7.5 kept up til about 90 psi through a #7 (7mm opening). For that size nozzle using big angular grit media it would take a 10 hp 80 gallon (about 33 cfm at 125 PSI) to have all I could use and That puts you into the $3000 range for the compress. I don't think I've ever done anything more boring than blasting, I hate it.