When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Thought I would share the results of a recent media blast cabinet I built with the intent of making something large enough and cheap enough to blast items on my own. I did send a few items out but it is difficult to find a place, and find the service at a reasonable cost.
I built it to accept most of my 71 parts, wheels, cross members etc.. it's 50 inches wide, 36 inches tall and 28 inches deep. It has two 100 watt bulbs inside. What you see was all done for well less than $100 utilizing a new gun and most of the material found around the house...
The gloves were 6 bucks and another 10 for the material for the sleeves(all sewn up by my wife)
I set up a vacum system using a cyclone system I built with instructions off u tube. There is enough suction to inflate the gloves. I will be using glass bead to start.....Just a brief outline of my costs...
Wood....had most of it, few 2x4's. $25
Gloves....gloves and sleeve material. $16
White grate (heavy) from the local re use it store $6
Hose...had it
Glass.. had it 3 1/8 pcs 22x14
New blast gun complete, On line $33
Hose fittings....had them all
Long story short....cleaned up a lot of c**p I had laying around, spent a few evenings and now I can blast stuff whenever I feel like it....and oh...I'm using a newly acquired 60 gal compressor.
Thought I would share the results of a recent media blast cabinet I built with the intent of making something large enough and cheap enough to blast items on my own. I did send a few items out but it is difficult to find a place, and find the service at a reasonable cost.
I built it to accept most of my 71 parts, wheels, cross members etc.. it's 50 inches wide, 36 inches tall and 28 inches deep. It has two 100 watt bulbs inside. What you see was all done for well less than $100 utilizing a new gun and most of the material found around the house...
The gloves were 6 bucks and another 10 for the material for the sleeves(all sewn up by my wife)
I set up a vacum system using a cyclone system I built with instructions off u tube. There is enough suction to inflate the gloves. I will be using glass bead to start.....Just a brief outline of my costs...
Wood....had most of it, few 2x4's. $25
Gloves....gloves and sleeve material. $16
White grate (heavy) from the local re use it store $6
Hose...had it
Glass.. had it 3 1/8 pcs 22x14
New blast gun complete, On line $33
Hose fittings....had them all
Long story short....cleaned up a lot of c**p I had laying around, spent a few evenings and now I can blast stuff whenever I feel like it....and oh...I'm using a newly acquired 60 gal compressor.
I love it...
For me I had two blast cabinets (one small and one medium size) and a Tip90 blaster. I got tired of using the Tip and we made a blast wall behind the building... but you fill it, blast and shovel up and blast again, loose the sand and repeat the process. I'd still use it on a frame but our powder coating company we use will blast and powder coat them cheaper than I can buy the materials.
But for us, we wanted a blaster that we could put say... a truck fender in... So I did the same thing you did years ago with a bunch of old L channel. I used plywood on the outside, but I also had tons of old parts bin backing thick sheet metal and I lined the inside with these left overs... All joints must be sealed vacuum tight too (including the door). You'll know your blaster is going to work great when you turn the vacuum on and the gloves raise outward.
If you use this a bunch, you'll need to line the inside with either tin or sheet metal because the media will eat up your plywood.
Might I also suggest an upgrade for you.
We were using the Franken Cabinet and running it around 150 psi. But we changed the gun and put in a low pressure distribution valve.... now we blast at 70 psi and it's blasting better than before at half the pressure. The thing blast like your are spraying silver paint... of all the cabinets we have it's working perfectly. The valve and gun change made all the difference in the world.
Blast Gun (says not available now but I'm sure a google search will find one).
Hi N07,
NICELY done!
I've lived all these years without a blast cabinet, (no compressor, no extra $$), and realize what I've missed out on!!!
In my next life I'll have one from the beginning!
Regards,
Alan
Interesting.. but I think the company I purchased my gun from was making a knock off of the Tacoma gun and then using their nozzle. I emailed Tacoma and they asked if I would send them my gun for inspection... I'm not going to do that, we use the blaster too much so the down time would kill me.
I've not had the first issue out of my gun but I think Tacoma may have shut them down because the same company doesn't have them listed on Amazon, Ebay or any other site at the moment. So, while I may have purchased a knock off.. its still working perfectly combined with the distribution valve I purchased.
I'd still suggest the distribution valve listed above and possibly a gun from Tacoma if you build your own cabinet. Running at 70 psi and getting better results than 150 is a major plus to those running smaller compressors. I should do a video on how well this combination works at 70 psi... it's really amazing.
The only other thing I'll add to this.. I run glass in the smaller cabinet, black beauty in the large one and silica sand in the medium one. Glass wears out so fast and is so costly compared to the other media's.... Black beauty is the beast cleaner that will shred rust quick and Silica is a good medium bases media... so base your media on what you plan to blast. If you're doing horribly rusted parts then black beauty is your best media.
Willcox
Last edited by Willcox Corvette; Nov 21, 2017 at 10:27 PM.
We were using the Franken Cabinet and running it around 150 psi. But we changed the gun and put in a low pressure distribution valve.... now we blast at 70 psi and it's blasting better than before at half the pressure. The thing blast like your are spraying silver paint... of all the cabinets we have it's working perfectly. The valve and gun change made all the difference in the world.
Blast Gun (says not available now but I'm sure a google search will find one).
I think both are available from Tacomacompany.com. There is a youtube video on from a fella that converted his cheap blaster to one of these kits.
IMHO,
Ernie[/QUOTE]
Ernie
You have peaked my interest ..... I like the idea of working with a lower air pressure for sure. I looked at your suggestions and did some checking on the net....a few questions...
This is similar to the gun I figured I would use ( purchased waiting for it to arrive);
My intention (Prior to your suggestion) was to fill my hopper, or the lowest part of the cabinet with media. Stick the steel part at the end of hose down in to the media with the vent tube above the media. The other end attached to the gun to allow the media to be siphoned up and the air hose also attached to the gun. As I blast the media falls back down and collects in the hopper.
I have sealed the cabinet pretty good. Even with the small vacum I am using the gloves inflate. I tried hooking it up to my large dust collector and it yanked the gloves off my hands. That's why I put in the vent, to be on the safe side. As far as the plywood getting eaten away...I will keep an eye on that and use your suggestion in regards to the sheet metal.
From what I learned, the metering valve is attached to your media source via a reservoir, the other end leads to the gun. With this set up you have complete control over the air/media mixture. This is the one thing I think is the big difference and probably the advantage. My intention was to run about 90psi.
Waddaya think? Will my set up work? Can I attach the metering valve to the bottom of my hopper? , thus allowing the media to just fall back down to be re-used... Thanks for your input, much appreciated......Others...jump in with your thoughts too
Cabet...shamabnet.......I'm stuck on your 60 gal. compressor!
Dear Sants, read my mind!
Don't wait.....just do it. I went from a 30 year old 20 gal rattletrap that leaked more air than came out of the hose. The new one is heaven. Just now I am in the process of setting up a A/C Condenser plumbed in between the compressor and tank to cool the air and reduce moisture....
Interesting.. but I think the company I purchased my gun from was making a knock off of the Tacoma gun and then using their nozzle. I emailed Tacoma and they asked if I would send them my gun for inspection... I'm not going to do that, we use the blaster too much so the down time would kill me.
I've not had the first issue out of my gun but I think Tacoma may have shut them down because the same company doesn't have them listed on Amazon, Ebay or any other site at the moment. So, while I may have purchased a knock off.. its still working perfectly combined with the distribution valve I purchased.
I'd still suggest the distribution valve listed above and possibly a gun from Tacoma if you build your own cabinet. Running at 70 psi and getting better results than 150 is a major plus to those running smaller compressors. I should do a video on how well this combination works at 70 psi... it's really amazing.
The only other thing I'll add to this.. I run glass in the smaller cabinet, black beauty in the large one and silica sand in the medium one. Glass wears out so fast and is so costly compared to the other media's.... Black beauty is the beast cleaner that will shred rust quick and Silica is a good medium bases media... so base your media on what you plan to blast. If you're doing horribly rusted parts then black beauty is your best media.
Willcox
My car does not have a huge rust issue so I don't have to get terribly aggressive except on my windshield frame. I have a bag of glass which was about $10 for 50lbs. What kind of $$ would you pay for Black Beauty?...and with Silica, isn't there health risk using this stuff?
My car does not have a huge rust issue so I don't have to get terribly aggressive except on my windshield frame. I have a bag of glass which was about $10 for 50lbs. What kind of $$ would you pay for Black Beauty?...and with Silica, isn't there health risk using this stuff?
Thanks for your help...
There is a health risk with using any of them and thus the reason why employee's are required to wear a respirator when blasting regardless of the material.
Black Beauty is nothing more then coal particles, silica sand is basically silica... both of which are a danger. With proper ventilation and a respirator you'll be fine. I don't know the cost of the black beauty per pound, we buy it in bulk. I think its around 12.00 a bag.. I'm just not sure.
For you the glass will work, it just won't last nearly as long as the other stuff, it breaks down pretty quickly and is less agressive.
Willcox
Last edited by Willcox Corvette; Nov 24, 2017 at 12:36 PM.
Media Blasting Cabinet
