Building a Barrell blasting machine

[scotty41]

Hi
Been looking at these Rotoblast machines, it don't seem much to make one but don't know how good they are, has anyone used one and did it do the job, I need it for partial deburring but more the removal of the oxide on the plasma cut edge. (not the dross)
To put one together don't seem much, a tapered vessel and lid. set of paddles and 3 phase motor and roller drum. Any input on how these barrel blasters perform would be good.
all the best
Scot

 

[MattF]

What method do they use. Is it just like a tumbler?

 

[scotty41]

It has the barrel going round like a tumbler with a set of paddles below it kicking up the grit, I have only seen pics so far.

 

[scotty41]

Would anyone know how effective these are.
Cheers
Scot

 

[Woody.v8]

We used to call them a rumbler, And are excellent for de-burring.

 

[scotty41]

Thanks woody, did that have the paddles for doing the blasting too.
Cheers
scot

 

[Woody.v8]

This one had paddles but was more like a Tombola machine like this

 

[brightspark]

This one had paddles but was more like a Tombola machine like this

wheelabrator make a tumbler its a half filled with a type of pebbles and u put your bits in and tumble them it deburs and puts a fine surface on them simlar to grade 1000 emerycloth

 

[Welderpaul]

Our profilers have a row of Belle mixers for all the small plates - they throw as many as will go in with a couple of shovel fulls of sand and off they go clattering round.
Cheap, cheerful and effective from what i can see.

 

[scotty41]

Excellent, I`ll have a look at putting one together with the paddles to blast at the same time, I have a vibratory one with the ceramic stones but everything knots up in a tangle in it, plus its wet and the steel want to rust instantly even with the inhibitor.

 

[Woody.v8]

wheelabrator make a tumbler its a half filled with a type of pebbles and u put your bits in and tumble them it deburs and puts a fine surface on them simlar to grade 1000 emerycloth

That sounds like a type of ball mill like what I remember as 'the rumbler' The new guys used to get pelted with rumble dust and water

 

[J.B. Welding]

Looks like I just found a job for 2 old propane bottles and some blasting grit. I have a lot of hot forged leaf-head spears with heavy scale on some parts, always fancied making a tumbler. Will this process take forge scale off? galv pickling process can miss some of the thick stuff and I don't like to grit blast if I can help it, how long you recon it would be in there for?

 

[scotty41]

Came across this video. they seem to use them for clean rusty hgv parts, I guess they can get bad, brake shoes etc.

http://www.pangborngroup.com/Resources/Videos/Rotoblast-Wheel.aspx

 

[J.B. Welding]

Cheers, yes that looks like the machine above. I think its the same principle as captive blasting, like what they use on concrete bridge decks and in conveyor type balsting machines. The centrifugal force replaces the air used in a blasting nozzle. I'm always one for simple, and these bars are around a meter long, was thinking of a propane bottle spinning slowly in the lathe whilst i have a cuppa tea. Might need something a bit heavier in there than glass grit and sharp sand on that thick scale though.

 

[MattF]

I have a vibratory one with the ceramic stones but everything knots up in a tangle in it

Plonk a photo of it up for us saddo's then.

plus its wet and the steel want to rust instantly even with the inhibitor.

Use something other than water. Diesel, paraffin etc., should be safe enough being used in something like that and won't thicken the mix too much like, for example, an oil would.

 

[brightspark]

Plonk a photo of it up for us saddo's then.




Use something other than water. Diesel, paraffin etc., should be safe enough being used in something like that and won't thicken the mix too much like, for example, an oil would.

then wash it off with detergent and water when u want to paint it soz it had to be said

 

[scotty41]

I hear you, I try to stay away from silicones for later powder coating, it just brings another process of degreasing, which is already in the inhibitor, will take a pic of the vibratory tomorrow, the vibratory deburrer has a only a small trough. I tried make a jig to hold parts and stop them knotting up but I didn't work to good.
I normally wash off with water and dry in the powder coat oven for 5 mins.

 

[scotty41]

[I think its the same principle as captive blasting]

Thanks JB, I must check out what captive blasters are, I guess there is a few names for variations of these type of machine and its uses.

 

[Wedg1e]

How about a cremulator?

 

[scotty41]

Pics of Vibratory deburrer with course ceramic stones.