DIY Blaster Cabinet Build - Thoughts and Ideas

[jackojacks]

i like the cabinet so far make sure it has strong legs as blasting media is very heavy. i found aliminum oxide wore my tips out in no time [hrs] where as j blast supa fine only wears them very slowly but yet seems to do just as good a job and is just as quick at it.
The coating on ally wheels can be very tough i have recently done a Toyota set and it was quite slow going compared to removing paint and rust
.
how are you going to fix your winow ?
i used a sheet of ply bolted in and sealed. with my window cut out in the ply then used heavy duty drought excluder around the edge where the glass sits then put window in. then i have 4 wooden turn buckles holding the glass in . i put a bit of foam between the turn buckle and the glass 10 seconds and the glass is out.

when you cut your tank open consider putting a raised mesh floor in. it keeps your work off the cabinet floor and helps to keep the dust down within the cabinet you may just want a small one otherwise it would make brushing out difficult so just a small mesk work stand/ bench

 

[Gizmo.Y]

Just an update on this.

Managed to Finish it today.

It took me approx 30 minutes to do a single wheel.

Few issues i have come across.

The cabinet as a whole, isnt tall enough, i find myself bending over to use it. so will need to raise this.

The vertical Flat-Screen also makes it difficult to use.

Dust is a factor also, after approx 5 minutes of blasting, there is too much dust to see the work.

Im currently using a Plastic screen i got for FREE. The issue with this, is that it is frosting (ALOT quicker than i though).

I also still need some gloves for the holes.

I also need to fit an additional light, and fit some 100w bulbs if i can find any, as its a tad dark in there.

 

[troppo]

Looking bloody good mate. Rather than 2 100 watt bulbs, why not put one 60w in each corner, it will help with eliminating shadows. As for your window frosting, get a new sheet and put some clear contact on the inside face. (the type you put on schoolbooks) that way when things start getting a little frosty its just a case of remove and replace

 

[Delta]

For lighting you can use 'kitchen under unit lighting'.
Either use mains powered and house it behind a screen (a diffuser), low voltage and a transformer or low voltage (say from a caravan) from a battery.
To make it more effective use a reflector backing of tin foil or something else more expensive if you want to be reet posh.

I'm smiling at the guys sticking their arms in their trousers, very inventive - I hope you washed them first though.

 

[brightspark]

make a mesh removable base just below the glove openings and place a rubber mat on it it stops the media being blown up when using and will be easier to blast heavy items without stretching down a good extracta is needed to pull the crap out of that size cabinet a hoover wont be much good . a few decent flourescent lights is best as long as u enclose them ive got 3 -28w 2d fittings in mine you will need more as your cabinets larger

 

[rtbcomp]

Provide a hole with a baffle over it over it as far away as possible from the vacuum cleaner port. This will allow greater airflow through the box and clear the dust more quickly.

Please get rid of that light. The jam jar will fatigue and break after being bombarded by grit for some time, it could get broken as you manoeuver your workpiece. As I said before get a few 12v halogens.

 

[rtbcomp]

The vertical Flat-Screen also makes it difficult to use.

Tilt the whole box back at a suitable angle.

 

[Gizmo.Y]

The Jam Jar light was a Recomendation by someone on here. It works really well.

The only issue is, i have used a Mince-Meat jar - Which only come round once a year!

I forgot to mention, that the Issue with Dust inside the cabinet, i wasnt using the Hoover for Extraction.

So, today i used the Hoover, Pluged into the Port at the top - Hey Presto! Dust-Less envioronment, which made it alot easier to work on.

I also wanted to add another couple of bulbs today, but the local £1 shop had no more in stock! So, as I did the following, Utilising a cheap £1 LED pointer instead. It works REALLY well, and is now a permanent addition - its useful for seeing the exact area to be blasted - and good for those dark spots.

It also for the first time managed to Empty the 25kg of media into the cabinet today via blasting. I refilled the Tub via the central port. and i lost approx 1-2mm of media. the total depth of the media in the tub is appox 55cm - so im happy with that! most of the media was lost though the currently open ports for Gloves - Which are yet to be installed - so i hope to have a good recycle rate!

 

[stormin]

For the gloves try Marigold Emperor available in 18 inch long from Screwfix or Arco and other places. They're what's fitted in my Guyson and very durable, not great for handling tiny pieces though.

 

[Shox Dr]

I've had a pair of the red coloured long gloves in my blaster for the last 4yrs and they are still going strong

 

[rtbcomp]

The gloves that came as standard with my Clarke cabinet lasted about a month.

 

[troppo]

You can get heavy duty chemical gloves that reach almost to your shoulder, they arent cheap but they are perfect

 

[Gizmo.Y]

Hit a small issue.

the Gun to begin with worked fine, but it had random spurts.

Example for about 5 seconds, its works really well! then it has about 5 seconds of just Air, then it picks up again and blasts good again.

Im not sure if its the gun or the pick up tube?

 

[brightspark]

Hit a small issue.

the Gun to begin with worked fine, but it had random spurts.

Example for about 5 seconds, its works really well! then it has about 5 seconds of just Air, then it picks up again and blasts good again.

Im not sure if its the gun or the pick up tube?

its the pickup tube trying to pull 2 much media through at once and its pulsing just poking it in to a pile of grit is the problem. u need to restrict the flow, heres a pickup pipe on one of my cabinets, the bottom of tank is tapered so all the media settles in the middle then falls through a hole in to a n aluminium box section the media piles up in to a pyramid .the pickup pipe is fed in from the side and is adjustable. slide the pipe in to the media so it sucks a certain amount of air and grit at the same time and that stops the pulsing this is just a crappy small machine mart one i altered for beablasting small parts. it was useless to start with i think rtb comp made a simpe pickup simlar he will probably post it

 

[Gizmo.Y]

Yes, thats my issues - you can feel the gun pulsing. So to MUCH media is the issue? i thought it was the opposite

 

[brightspark]

Yes, thats my issues - you can feel the gun pulsing. So to MUCH media is the issue? i thought it was the opposite

a cheap trick that helps is drill a hole in the side of the pickup pipe near where the pickup pipe is in the media that will help the problem that is what i did for years before altered mine. it slows down the suction in the pipe

 

[rtbcomp]

This is the one I made to use in my blast room

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=26534

 

[Gizmo.Y]

Would explain alot.

So, the Pickup Tube, Bury half in the Media, and drill a hole above surface level?

 

[brightspark]

Would explain alot.

So, the Pickup Tube, Bury half in the Media, and drill a hole above surface level?

yup it was a bodge but worked a treat