Sand Blasting Cabinet

[jb-mck]

I was given a HF sand blasting cabinet the other day. I had to build a new blasting gun to replace the stock unit but other than that it was in good order.

The sand that came with the unit doesn't look like sand at all but it may be. It is very fine and looks like small silica beeds. It does not seem to be as abrasive as other blasters I have used. Is this the only meadia I should use in the cabinet or will others work better?

Thanks

[wierdscience]

Mostl likely glass beads is what you have,they are good for fine finishing/cleaning.

If you want more aggresive media look up aluminum oxide or black beauty slag.There is also granulated baking soda,but it doesn't stay sharp as long.

You can also use fine silica sand,but will need a vaccum to keep the dust contained in the cabinet.The cabinet really should have a vacum anyway even if you use one of the other media types,dust of any form is bad on the lungs.

[hssmike]

It's probably glass bead. Glass bead media comes in different grades also. It’s not as aggressive as other media, but it comes in real handy for nice finishing.
Check online at MSC, Enco or any other supply house as they usually have descriptions of their media.


Mike

[Scishopguy]

Sounds like it has fine glass beads. These are used to blast aluminum prior to anodizing and for producing a "satin" finish. The trick with glass bead is to keep the pressure under about 30 psi or the beads shatter and turn to dust. I have looked at some of the little HF blast cabinets and they look pretty solid. If I had one I could put it to work.

[Bill Pace]

AFIK you can use any of the blasting mediums - glass bead, "sand" (anymore its AO or mica.. I think) walnut shells, soda, etc. I have 2 of the HF cabinets and keep glass bead in one and a product from TSC (tractor service supply) called "Black Diamond" (I think its Mica) its what sand would have been in years back and quite agressive. The beads come from HF, about $20 for 20-25lbs.

When I've got a nasty piece I throw it in the black diamond and really eat it off and if I'm gonna paint, blacken, patina, etc, I throw it in the beads.

I went for years with out blast capability -- now I dont know how I did with out it, I love those 2 cabinets!!

Which cabinet did you get, the one on legs or the one that sits on the bench?? I got the one on legs earlier this year to gain the larger work space, after using the bench version for 2-3 yrs -- that bigger unit is an awfully nice piece for the (little) money HF gets.

[jb-mck]

Thanks. The guy that had this cabinet bought it new and never used it. He has had it for at least 5 years. When he gave it to me, all the rubber hoses were dried out and brittle. The nozzle of the gun is made from potted metal. When I picked it up, pieces of it decintegrated in my hand. Other than that, the unit is nice.

[jb-mck]

Bill, I got the bench top model, and glad to have it. I think for now I will have to change out the media as reqr'd. I have a small shop vac that should work well at that task.

[Highpower]

Originally Posted by Bill Pace

I got the one on legs earlier this year to gain the larger work space, after using the bench version for 2-3 yrs -- that bigger unit is an awfully nice piece for the (little) money HF gets.

Bill,
does yours leak like a sieve at the seams like mine does when using glass beads? I'm trying to decide if I should pull the panels apart and seal everything with silicone or something - or if I should just clean the paint off all the edges and go at it with the MIG welder. Those foam strip seals that came with the cabinet just ain't cut'n it...

Really tired of having glass dust all over the floor.

[Jim Caudill]

You guys might want to check out TP Tools http://www.tptools.com/ they are the most well known of the bead blasting folks. They sell all the components to repair/modify any cabinet you might have or want to build. Their website also offers tips on plumbing and drying your high pressure air as well as "dust collecting" from inside the cabinet. I have a Trinco cabinet, but I modified the "arm holes" to use the gloves and mounting rings from TP Tools. Their rings are larger in diameter and MUCH more comfortable on my arms. Wherever you get your gloves, buy an extra left hand one (if you're right handed) as you will wear out 2 or 3 lefties for every right one. Due to freight costs, I usually get my media from a local Grainger supply store. I mostly use a mix of glass beads and aluminum oxide that comes in a 5 gal pail.

[steve45]

I modified my Harbor Freight blast cabinet in a number of ways.

First thing I did was install a light. Pretty hard to use this thing in the dark.

Even with a 1 HP dust collection system, I was still getting a lot of dust collecting on the glass (plastic film, actually). I installed a PVC tube across the top of the window with holes that allow air to enter above the glass and flow downward across it. The PVC goes out through the vent hole on the left side of the cabinet.

I've also changed up the pickup tube to make it a U-tube with a hole in the side (sort of like a venturi), then ran the supply side of the U-tube outside of the cabinet. If you think about it, you're drawing air out of the cabinet with the dust collector, then you're trying to suck media out of the bottom of the same cabinet. The U-tube allows air to enter the pickup tube from outside. It still isn't perfect, and the U-tube sometimes clogs. Put your finger over the end of the sprayer and hit the trigger and it blows the clog outside the cabinet.