Upgrading my budget blasting pot

[dave h 2]

The fan nozzle will work only an inch or two from the metal, any closer and it stops working, same for any nozzle really. If you intend poking it down a chassis rail it will fail at the first curve. Same goes for the 45deg + you would need the chassis vertical + even a 1/2" hose is too stiff to poke through the chassis drain holes.

If you think adjusting the metering is getting old ( which you shouldn't need to do with your new valve) wait till you need to keep refilling the pot through the tiddly little hole with the funnel

 

[brightspark]

The fan nozzle will work only an inch or two from the metal, any closer and it stops working, same for any nozzle really. If you intend poking it down a chassis rail it will fail at the first curve. Same goes for the 45deg + you would need the chassis vertical + even a 1/2" hose is too stiff to poke through the chassis drain holes.

If you think adjusting the metering is getting old ( which you shouldn't need to do with your new valve) wait till you need to keep refilling the pot through the tiddly little hole with the funnel

make mine quick release with a large funnel fast and works well

 

[brightspark]

a part made one ready to weld

 

[conor1n]

Great work and fantastic pics @brightspark . I'll be sure to come back to review these when I am looking at these upgrades.

The fan nozzle will work only an inch or two from the metal, any closer and it stops working, same for any nozzle really. If you intend poking it down a chassis rail it will fail at the first curve. Same goes for the 45deg + you would need the chassis vertical + even a 1/2" hose is too stiff to poke through the chassis drain holes.

If you think adjusting the metering is getting old ( which you shouldn't need to do with your new valve) wait till you need to keep refilling the pot through the tiddly little hole with the funnel

Interesting. Yes... I was planning on using the fan nozzle for internals. I never thought i'd blast through the drain holes.. i'd probably cut open some sections for access.

Do you have any suggestions on how to blast the chassis innards?

At the moment i'm trying to make necessary upgrades to allow proper blasting. The quality of life upgrades, such as refill port etc.. will come later on.

I can't upgrade everything starting out for two reasons:

1. I will never actually reach the point of being operational and ready to seek customers.
2. If 1 does succeed, i'd probably be gone broke long before lol.

 

[brightspark]

its pretty much impossible blasting inside chassis sections even if you got the blast hose and jet in

 

[conor1n]

its pretty much impossible blasting inside chassis sections even if you got the blast hose and jet in

Interesting. So what gets done then..

Just pepper it with cavity wax to seal it? Two coats ?

 

[conor1n]

OK lads. I went down a bit of a rabbit hole today.

I did two things:

* Bought bits for mixing the media and air....I bought 3/4" fittings. I fear its too big and 1/2" would be better.

I thought 3/4 would be good to prevent blocking...

* I went looking at the other fittings from the main air input to the mixing fittings. There is a mixture of 3/8 and 5/8 fittings.

Interested in people's opinions. The blast hose is 1/2"

Will the 3/4 fittings be enough to slow down the air velocity into the hose?

I feel like I should upgrade the rest of the fittings too, in order to provide more air flow?

 

[brightspark]

half inch fittings and pipes on the pot would be correct you will learn the hard way experimenting with diffrent size fittings and hoses. those ball valves used as a grit valve arent up to much and block easily i only use 3/4 hose from the tank to the pot

 

[conor1n]

Ok thanks.

Will I be wasting my time with the 3/4" bits?

What about the line/fittings between the air in and down to the mixer?

I have seen your other post on the Hodge Clemco style mixer. I have spoke with a friend today and we will look at making one of them up.. the ball valve is just an interim solution.

 

[brightspark]

half inch bsp fittings and bore from the feed ball valve on pot and water separator down to the tee on the grit valve . any bigger and you loose the velocity of air in the pipe . pity u wernt local you could have borrowed mine and even had a go

 

[conor1n]

half inch bsp fittings and bore from the feed ball valve on pot and water separator down to the tee on the grit valve . any bigger and you loose the velocity of air in the pipe . pity u wernt local you could have borrowed mine and even had a go

Thank you that .. is very kind But as the song goes... it's a long way.....i'm in Tipperary

Ok - I'm going to go back today and get 1/2" fittings for the mixer. Will get 1/2" pipe for the air transfer in pot to.

Am I right in saying that.. when it comes to compressed air, you can step down from larger diameter pipe to smaller, but not step up. Stepping up has a smoothing / slowing effect. Would the alternate be equally true, i.e. Stepping down increases velocity?

I'll keep the 3/4" because I feel it's one of those things that is a curse.. return some fittings and you are bound to be stuck without them in the future. Just like seeing a useful tool and not buying it lol..

 

[brightspark]

3/4 to the pot is fine no loss of cfm then reduce . the air then speeds up as well as the grit and as it gets to the jet its already at at a great rate of knots and the reduced jet size speeds it up further

 

[conor1n]

3/4 to the pot is fine no loss of cfm then reduce . the air then speeds up as well as the grit and as it gets to the jet its already at at a great rate of knots and the reduced jet size speeds it up further

So I got something right for once, then