DIY Blast Cabinet

[JonnyAlpha]

I have posted elsewhere on this forum regarding trying to use my small Sealey Blast Cabinet for Soda and so far have failed miserably. I have a Clarke 32L Blast Pot and have been advised to build a bigger cabinet and use it with the blast pot.

I picked up a Tumble Dryer and stripped it out and today I finally got started.
First I decided on the orientation (Top, Bottom, Left and Right) and then worked out where the lid and side door would be. Then I flattened some of the protruding metal ribs:

Using some spare 10mm plywood I cut out the lid:

And then went down the local hardware shop and picked up some steel hinges:

I had already spotted some blast cabinet gloves on eBay that come with all the necessary fittings, so using them I was able to mark and cut out the glove holes, after spending an hour searching for my metal cutting jigsaw blades.

After some adjustment they both fit.

And that was that for the afternoon.
Tomorrow I'll cut out and fix the side door

Issues To Resolve

Door Catches - I need to identify some suitable door catches

Hopper / Media Catcher - I need to think about putting a sloped bottom to catch the media, another tumble dryer need for metal maybe?

Blast Pot Gun - I am not sure yet how to go about adding the blast pot gun, I was considering taking the gun off of the end and adding an extra piece of hose on the inside of the cabinet and join the two together with some form of inline connector secured through the cabinet wall at the front or side opposite to the door?

Lighting
Need to add lighting

Filter / Extractor
Need to add a filter and extractor

Viewing
I need to find a suitable perspex / glass viewing panel to go into the lid

 

[JonnyAlpha]

Bit more done on the cabinet today.
So many holes on the side I had contemplating cutting it out and using a piece of sheet steel, I then thought about cutting several small pieces of wood to cover them up. In the end after studying it for a while, I flattened out a couple of the pressings and cut a piece of laminated chipboard (salvaged from the Tumble Dryer) and added it to the inside.

You can see in the first pic I also added a side door and in the second pic, to cover the holes in the floor I cut and fitted a piece of spare OSB.
After finishing the above I cut off the ends of the protruding screws with my grinder.

This is all a suck and see project and if things work I'll take it apart and make them more permanent,

I will need to cut a hole in the base so that the media can be swept into a receiving container.

Next job is to plumb in the blast gun from the blast pot?
Add the viewing panel and some lights (I have my eye on some pieces of perspex being used as a Christmas display at the mo) :-)

I appreciate having wood on the inside is not a good idea but this will be for Soda so should be ok?

 

[james butler]

gppd work so far
if you can find some toughened glass as i found that perspex or even polycarb gets damaged way to easily by the grit.

 

[brightspark]

never had toughened glass in mine just quarter plate or float and its had some hellish knocks. only time it will break if its hit with a sharp object

 

[JonnyAlpha]

So I need some way of plumbing in the gun from the Blast Pot so do I:
Remove the gun from the hose, fit some form of hose connector to the side of the cabinet and get another shorter piece of hose for the inside on which to fit the gun.

Or have some kind of closable hatch through which to put the gun?

Any advice or solutions would be appreciated.

 

[JonnyAlpha]

Well, with an idea in my head, I popped down to my local hose and hydraulics supplier and after explaining my idea we came up with this:

It' about 1.5 metres of Airline Hose, a couple of 3/8 pipe fittings with an inline threaded connector which will act as the bulkhead fitting.

I'd also like to replace the gun with a better gun, or this nozzle that @brightspark suggested, but with the nozzle I'd need some way of switching the media on and off without forking out for a foot pedal?

 

[brightspark]

just use the ball valve that feeds the pot. pressurise the pot and use then turn off and it empties of air . just put most of your stuff in the cabinet and start blasting without stopping . the red lever on the water separator shuts it off

 

[JonnyAlpha]

Ok so Christmas and New Year celebration over, time to get some outstanding projects sorted out.
First of all I sealed up the gaps between the wood and casing.

Next I marked out the area for the viewing window using an old PC panel I had lying around and after cutting it out I bolted it to the lid.

Next up some draft excluder.

Then I fitted the gloves.

I made a make shift door closing mechanism, a piece of bungie cord.

 

[JonnyAlpha]

Well, I rigged up a temporary dust extractor and used a rechargeable LED light just to try out the Soda Blasting Adaptor. Its a Clarke 32L Blast Pot with a Soda Adaptor. I took the standard fittings off and followed the instructions to fit the Soda Adaptor. Whilst I had the fittings removed I emptied out the Blast Pot and cleaned it up a bit.

I put in a couple of Chinese Containers of the Soda Media I bought and fired it up.

Two problems:

1. The blast nozzle is crap and will not close off fully which makes controlling it a nightmare.
2. Its CRAP and didn't remove anything really!!!

Very disappointed TBH and at the point where I may just give up.

I had the Compressor at about 100 PSI and the gauge on the Blast Pot read about 100PSI, I was getting media out of the nozzle as it started filling up the base of the cabinet, after a few minutes the media stopped flowing and on looking inside the tank I could see the outlet pipe so it needed filling up again.
This time I put four Chinese Tubs worth in, again media started to come out but did not clean anything off of the Aluminium I was testing it on.
After a while the Media stopped flowing and only Air was coming out, if I opened the exhaust Soda blew out, this happened a lot so is it clogging up? if so why is the air coming through and not the Soda?

I wasn't sure if I had all the valves set correctly as I can't find a guide but even when the Media was coming out it just wasn't doing anything.

I may give up with the Soda and switch to Glass Bead in the smaller suction Cabinet and then try it in the blast pot?
But is Glass Bead OK for Aluminium Engine parts? (Carbs, Clutch Housing, Gearbox Casings)? What about Cylinder Heads?

 

[brightspark]

just go down b and q and get a bag of kiln dried sand and stick it in the pot. it will clean crap off aluminium castings no bother .proper glass beads are costly and not expendable but you camn get a decent finish on any material using them without damage to machined surfaces its best using them with a suction gun rather than hammering it with a blast pot .soda will be a total waste of time

 

[JonnyAlpha]

Won’t I need an air fed mask for sand? Watched a video on using Glass Bead for polishing, it mentioned to use crushed glass instead of sand to get the crap off.

What grades do in need for stage one cleaning of aluminium?

I already have a bag of Retofine G500 and some B&Q Sand (came with the cabinet). Would the G500 work if I turned the pressure down and what pressure should I use with the pot on Aluminium for:
1. Sand
2. G500

What pressure in the cabinet for:
3. Crushed Glass
4. Glass Bead

I want to be able to polish the Aluminium not paint it.

 

[graffian]

I want to be able to polish the Aluminium not paint it.

If your going to polish it don't bother blasting.

 

[brightspark]

If your going to polish it don't bother blasting.

and dont bother bead blasting

 

[graffian]

and dont bother bead blasting

Mirror polish before you bead them.

 

[JonnyAlpha]

If your going to polish it don't bother blasting.

and dont bother bead blasting

Mirror polish before you bead them.

I wanted to clean up some engine parts, I was told to blast them, I got a blaster, I was advised to try Soda, I tried Soda (and failed), then I was told to try Glass media, now you guys are saying don't use glass if you want to polish.

Now I am completely confused.

I watched this video, this is the finish I want:

I'll post up some pictures of what I want to clean up and let you advise.

 

[JonnyAlpha]

These are some of the things I want to clean up:

 

[brightspark]

the best bet is as a starting point use the standard pot . fill with kiln dried sand. the pressure when blasting must be over 80 psi otherwise it wont work efficiently and give bad results or no results I presume your using a 2 or a 3mm jet on the end of the blast hose and not the rubbishy one that comes with them. don't bother with soda more trouble than what its worth. I presume your open blasting till you get the cabinet finished . if so wear a decent face mask and a visor to stop you getting the full lot in your face . clean a few castings up with the sand and see how you get on ohh and just use the ball grit valve not the soda set up . I once went through the stage of trial and error and it pi sses you right off then I was shown a proper set up and all started going well your next problem will; be moisture in the sand after a while but don't go there till your sorted .

 

[brightspark]

the carburettors and stuff like that with a smooth finish want bead blasting and its preferable to do them with a suction gun not a pressure pot in a cabinet other stuff like your bottom picture with sand or crushed glass with the pressurise pot pity u wernt local could show you in half an hour all the set ups

 

[JonnyAlpha]

the best bet is as a starting point use the standard pot . fill with kiln dried sand. the pressure when blasting must be over 80 psi otherwise it wont work efficiently and give bad results or no results I presume your using a 2 or a 3mm jet on the end of the blast hose and not the rubbishy one that comes with them. don't bother with soda more trouble than what its worth. I presume your open blasting till you get the cabinet finished . if so wear a decent face mask and a visor to stop you getting the full lot in your face . clean a few castings up with the sand and see how you get on ohh and just use the ball grit valve not the soda set up . I once went through the stage of trial and error and it pi sses you right off then I was shown a proper set up and all started going well your next problem will; be moisture in the sand after a while but don't go there till your sorted .

I though blasting with sand is dangerous? I don't have an Air Fed Mask only a half mask I used for Spray Painting?
I have some Restofine G500 that came with the Blast Pot? Looks like this is crushed glass?

the carburettors and stuff like that with a smooth finish want bead blasting and its preferable to do them with a suction gun not a pressure pot in a cabinet other stuff like your bottom picture with sand or crushed glass with the pressurise pot pity u wernt local could show you in half an hour all the set ups

Where's the best place to get good value for money and what grade of glass bead should I get?

 

[brightspark]

I got my 1st lot of beads from guyson and were expensive the last bag was from a firm of the back of a waggon for a tenner so I don't know the proper cost