Blast cabinet recommendation (1 Viewer)

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KLF

Frame waxer
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Southern NH
I'm taking over our huge shop space when a co-worker retires in a few weeks. We teach welding and small engine repair (among other things) in there, and I really want to put in a blast cabinet. I have a small benchtop model from Tractor Supply, it's OK but not great. Got it cheap on CL, so no regrets. I have about ~$1000 left in my budget to get rid of or I'll lose it, wondering about this model:

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200141174_200141174

They also sell this model with a dust collector, but it's $1300, not sure I can swing this. I know you must have one, but I'm wondering about the nice industrial Shop Vac we have, would that work? We also have a big Jet dust collector but it's for woodworking, not sure it will work for this.

We have an enormous air compressor, so that's no problem.

Suggestions?
 
I traded a bike for a Snap-On blast cab. Has the fan with dust collector and works great. Retail on it was about $1600 7 years ago. Replaced the gloves about 2 years ago and the glass about 3 years ago.
 
Check these guys out:
http://www.skatblast.com/products.html

You will find a high quality cabinet well under your budget.

I would not buy a vac from them, just use whatever vac you have and buy a bigger cabinet.
 
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Thanks for that link lowtops. May have found some new abrasives to try.
 
I've been using Scat parts to replace wear items in my old Snap On blast cabinet - excellent and quality stuff . I'm tempted to upgrade to one of their bigger cabinets and ditch the Snap On - it will not flow media to the bottom at all , even with a vibrator added to the floor . I hate the fan collector and the motor is about shot now as well . One upgrade was to cut in a much larger air intake and that did more good than expected .
Sarge
 
Thanks for the Skatblast recommendation, just what I was looking for. Just ordered the #800-T cabinet with the vacuum accessory.

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I have the perfect spot to put it, air & electric already there. Can't wait, now I can get that cheap-o benchtop model out of my basement.
 
You are going to be pleased with that purchase.

A few suggestions:
-Order several glass protectors. It will save you a lot of (literal)
headache later.
-my cabinet builds up a lot of static electricity and I'm usually the ground. Skat blast offers a grounding kit but it could be replicated for less if you need it.
-acquire some window screen and cut it to fit the floor of your cabinet. Then when you change media you can screen out any foreign objects. If you don't, said foreign objects will clog the gun and slow production considerably.

That's all I have for now.

Nice cabinet! Enjoy.
 
Consider getting a sheet of tempered glass for the view port.
Buy it locally as it will be cheaper.
Mine had to be ordered but it did not take long to be made and brought in.
I'm still using the plastic sheet protectors but my plexi window got scratched and fogged on both sides.

I also installed two extra lights: they started life as cheap "accent lights" from Lowes. I bolted them to the cabinet and put low heat LED bulbs in them. One is in between the gloves pointed away from the operator. The other is opposite pointed towards me and down.
HUGE improvement at the cost of less room inside.
Remove the base.
41h5WLZWwtL._SX342_.jpg
 
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Ohhh yeah... I'm all too familiar with those acetate sheets. I also got the "User Kit" with extra nozzles, lens protectors, gloves, etc. It includes a sieve for filtering the media. Are you saying to put screen on the expanded metal "floor" where the parts sit, or inside the bottom hopper where the media sits?

What's your favorite media to use? It comes with 25 lbs of "Skat Magic Abrasive", which I figured I'd try and go from there. Doesn't seem like that will last long, but I can buy stuff locally and save the shipping.
 
Yes, install the screen on the expanded metal. Take it out after loading hopper, fold it up, save for next time. I use kitty litter buckets for storage and change media according to the job. Right now I only have sand for heavy rust and crushed walnut shells for AL or parts I don't want sand embedded in (trans/TC cases most recently).

I could not tell a huge difference in media. I think sand works as good as anything, but there are health hazards to consider with sand. My next media purchase will come from tptools. I want to have some other media on hand to try out. You can change the media out in less than 5 min. with the trap door feature and a window screen. I spend more time cleaning the trench around the perimeter of the expanded metal than anything else.

I have had my cabinet for at least 10 years probably closer to 15. I have put a lot of hours using it and it shows. All soft parts and the glass need to be replaced.

A pic of my TC using crushed walnut shells.
TC sandblasted.jpg



I would like to add a vacuum like you the one you linked but my shop vac won't die. It's older than the cabinet.
 
I generally use 80 grit glass bead , would like to test out the Scat magic stuff some time . For a great upgrade , use the carbide nozzle kit if yours doesn't already have it - they last a very long time . Lights are really important , or at least for me - going slowly blind anyway .

One big note - keep your air supply regulated to about 90-100psi max , otherwise you wear out not only gun parts but the media itself a lot quicker . I don't recommend sand - silicosis is real and watching someone die from it isn't fun . Free silica particulates can float in the air a long time and distance - just don't use it .

Oh, and follow their instructions - rotate that nozzle 180* every so often to slow down wear and pay attention to it . Once it wears , change it as well as the air jet or you'll wear the gun itself out which can get expensive .

Sarge
 
I like Black Beauty which is safe and pretty cheap.
Available locally.
 
Blaster front.jpg
Blaster back.jpg
If you have the time you could build your own using TP parts.
it does take time if you want to do a good job. Have #4 and #6 grit glass beads in mine most go the time. A regular shop vacs fine for the dust. I'm going to put a small cyclone in the vac line next winter, we will see how that goes.

It is one of those things once you get something that works well you say "why didn't I do that a long time ago"

Thanks jb
Blaster door.jpg
 
Your self-made blaster is AWESOME!
 
Thanks blue.

Have agree with Weber Sarge the air intake needs to be large so the is almost no negative pressure in the cabinet. You want air flow to the vac port and it should take the air you are adding from the blast stream. I used a Mazda 3 air filter for the inlet. Just happened to have couple and they work fine.

Thanks jb
 
Ya that is amazing, great work. I thought about the kits, it's nice that they offer them and the plans. If I was doing this for home I would have probably gone that way. But I had the money in my budget, and I was about to lose it anyway (crazy academic accounting methods that I still don't understand).

TP Tools has been great so far, they've called me twice to confirm the order and let me know about shipping. Supposed to arrive on Tuesday.
 
Nice wood cabinet build , btw...

The Scat units are pretty good , a shop locally has one and runs the snot out of it . Watch using high powered/high volume shop vacs - if it overruns the cfm of the incoming air filter it can suction the cabinet too much and break the glass window - that's how I learned on mine . Not fun to clean up...

Sarge
 
Shipment showed up today. Seems nice, but it's gonna be a couple of weeks before I get it installed. There's a lathe in the way right now...
 

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