Sandblasters & cabinets

[Eco]

Hi
Been reading this thread with interest.

Much mention of MM, Rolson Ace and Ebay pressure pots, I am having devil of a time trying to find someone who sells these, searched with many words but nothing coming up for low cost (circa £100-150) pressure pots, nothing in MM.....

Help please.

Knew someone who made a cabinet out of an old filing cabinet to add to your ideas.

Thanks

Eco

 

[malcolm]

Welcome.

For the low cost ones search "20 gallon" or "10 gallon" on eBay. Those are the eBay ones we are talking about. http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_from=R40&_trksid=m38.l1313&_nkw=20+gallon&_sacat=See-All-Categories

Ace are a bit more upmarket. See http://www.acegrit.co.uk/acegrit/gritblaster/

I'm not familiar with Machine Mart ones - I thought they only sold syphon guns.

 

[rtbcomp]

Machine Mart do suction guns with their cabinets and they do one that appears to be gravity fed, obviating the need for a pressure pot.

MM Sandblaster

I wouldn't call the ACE upmarket! It's a few hundred quid, doesn't hold nearly as much grit as the 10 gall. one and the bottom T-Piece needs regular replacemant and it's a faff to fill. They do have very good tungsten carbide nozzles though.

 

[rtbcomp]

Glass Grit

Glass grit is coming on the market now, also known as "Blastglass."

Glass Grit on Ebay

Glass Grit Hodge Clemco

Blastglass

I've been making my own on an experimental basis and it works extremely well.

 

[Eco]

Thanks Malcolm and RTBcomp, will be going for a pressure pot rather than a gravity one.

Ace have a slightly bewildering range (to me) several models each of 'ace' and 'classic', pity rolson seem to have disappeared, comments were good about them.

Have found 20 gallon on ebay but it doesn't say if it's pressure pot or gravity (looks pressure though). Still looking for 10 gallon...............

In answer to a few with problems on this thread r.e.turning on and off the grit for cleaning etc, I did come across a useful bit of kit on another forum somewhere.... you can get a foot switch to place just after grit exit and before t-piece to shut off and allow the grit flow, this is a rubber constrictor valve thingy so doesn't wear and doesn't leak if pieces of grit get stuck in the valve... idea being turn on air only with trigger then press footswitch to start grit, release footswitch to turn of grit and blow only. Best I suppose for cabinet users...
Can't remember where the post was, will try to find it.

Eco

 

[rtbcomp]

I'd go for the 20 gall. pot, it's twice the capacity for less than twice the price.

That shut-off valve sounds interesting, I was going to set up a system of levers so that I could close the main and bottom valves simultaneously. This would stop the grit and give a blast of clean air whilst the pot de-pressurised. Useful for inspecting your work.

Another advantage would be that as the air came out from within the grit in the pot it would shake it down, thus reducing the amout of physical shaking you'd have to do and reducing the number of times the grit stops flowing.

 

[Eco]

Found this little beauty here.... click on 'how to make a sandblaster'...........

http://metals.about.com/gi/dynamic/...ects.com/metal-welding/sandblaster-plans.html

Eco

 

[rtbcomp]

Found this little beauty here.... click on 'how to make a sandblaster'...........

http://metals.about.com/gi/dynamic/...ects.com/metal-welding/sandblaster-plans.html

Eco

This one's better - if the pop-up ads don't drive you crazy first!

http://rides.webshots.com/album/134201693JtwxDa

 

[Eco]

Tell me good people, do the ebay twenty gallon ones have a grit adjustment before the t-piece, I can't see from the picture they show.

Eco

 

[rtbcomp]

Tell me good people, do the ebay twenty gallon ones have a grit adjustment before the t-piece, I can't see from the picture they show.

Eco

Yes - there's a lever operated ball valve, effective but sensitive.

The 10 and 20 gall units are identical apart from the size of the pot.

 

[Eco]

Thanks Rtbcomp, I would prefer a 10 gallon I think because I only will use for small parts and I might need to change the type of abrasive occasionally.
There are no 10 gallons on ebay at moment, is it same company who distributes them do you know?

Eco

 

[rtbcomp]

.........., is it same company who distributes them do you know?

Eco

I think there are two or three people selling these. It may be a good idea to email a seller and see if they have any 10 gall ones.

You could always half-fill a 20 gall one

 

[Eco]

Good points sir........ Was looking at the Ace engineering 'classic' but at over £250.00 I can't see what extra I'm getting apart from tungsten tip and possibly a better grit adjustment valve but less capacity (better engineered probably but still only a bottle to put sand and air in)...

Eco

 

[rtbcomp]

Good points sir........ Was looking at the Ace engineering 'classic' but at over £250.00 I can't see what extra I'm getting apart from tungsten tip and possibly a better grit adjustment valve but less capacity (better engineered probably but still only a bottle to put sand and air in)...

Eco

The grit valve on the ACE looks the same as that on the Ebay ones.

I was thinking of using a gate valve to control the grit and the ball valve to turn it on and off, but increasing the distance the grit had to drop into the mixer gave poor grit flow.

 

[Eco]

I think you've sold me on the 20 gallon.

As I think I said in a previous post I saw a combination that turned off a regulated supply of grit so only air flowed when you pressed the lever on the gun, used an 'airpinch' (google it) operated by a foot pedal, but I don't know how they set it up on the outlet from the bottle.

Eco

 

[rtbcomp]

Thats a clever device.

a) It could be plumbed in where the blast hose fits so nothing comes out of the nozzle, or

b) on the vertical leg of the T-piece so it cuts the grit only.

Personally I'd got for b) because the grit is (usually) moving very slowly out of the pot.

 

[Eco]

Yes, I was thinking about placing it immediately out of the pot to shut off all grit supply when you take your foot off the pedal still leaves you with air at the gun to blow clean.
Then a gate valve for grit adjustment before the T.

I get the feeling a lot of problems are caused by turning off the grit/air gun before turning off the grit (which is what you normally have to do of course), I imagine the grit keeps falling into the pipework and valves until it physically blocks which is not ideal situation......

These things (airpinch) are cheapish in USA, remember on post I saw that whole set up with valve, unions, pipework and foot pedal was about $100 (£60.00)

Eco

 

[rtbcomp]

....... I imagine the grit keeps falling into the pipework and valves until it physically blocks which is not ideal situation......

.......

Yes that does happen. Usually you just get a rich mixture for a while when you restart, but if you've got dust in the grit it will block at the nozzle.

It takes about 10-15 secs for the stream to stabilize.

To clear a blockage I switch off the main valve, open the bypass valve fully and shut the bottom valve. I then carefully remove the nozzle. The blockage ends up on the other side of the room.

Don't look down the end of the pipe to see what's causing the blockage.

 

[Eco]

Eco

 

[Eco]

and now for you next pepes who have probs getting a smooth flow, .... saw on another site a good idea, he strapped an old orbital sander to the bottle so it kept vibrating the grit down and down to keep a good flow going....

Eco