Sandblasting Cabinet and Air Compressor Questions-Can my compressor hack it?

[Jswain]

You guys slay me.

The OP is stressing at paying $800 for a used blast cabinet, but you are telling him he can’t get anything done with anything less than a ten hp 33cfm compressor that will cost him from $5000 to $7000, plus another $1200 to rewire his residential garage for the 60 amp 240 v circuit that monstrosity will require, not to mention the rigging crew he needs to hire to get that monstrosity off the lift gate he has to hire.

He’s looking at $600-800 and you’re telling him to not play unless he scratches up another $10k to enter the game.

Get real. Not everybody needs professional, industrial grade equipment to support what sounds like a hobby.

How about all you guys start a go fund me or whatever they’re called and donate the money he’s going to need to play your game.

I have less than $1000 in my cabinet and 3hp Champion and it does fine on cleaning up car parts. I have another old Ingersoll 5hp I could use, but the old Champion works good enough, so it’s not worth spending a day moving that top heavy thing and risking damage.

Yeah, but why buy a very nice, huge sandblasting cabinet and skimp out on the air supply to have ****** results?

I don't think a 5-7.5hp compressor is out of grasp for the OP, if he finds one used. I see deals all the time on these sized compressors in my area.

**** I'd probably be getting in the truck right now to go have a look at the compressor that the OP just posted.

Would you recommend a 2.2l out of a Sunfire to put into the OPs new rolling Porsche chassis he just purchased? Of course not, what a waste that would be. You would power it with something to match the rest of the gear.

If the OP bought a benchtop cabinet to sandblast pistol parts I would fully agree with you. OP bought a very nice, very large cabinet and wants to sandblast fender sized objects. Get real

 

[Model A Fan]

I'm going to go check it out tomorrow. The price equates to $875, but hopefully I can negotiate a little and get an even better price. Thanks for the advice, what about the (ugly) brown one sounds good? Size and motor power? The pump is quite different looking, so I'm guessing that's a plus. The seller didn't have too many details it seemed, just that he used it frequently for and blasting.

 

[Jswain]

I'm going to go check it out tomorrow. The price equates to $875, but hopefully I can negotiate a little and get an even better price. Thanks for the advice, what about the (ugly) brown one sounds good? Size and motor power? The pump is quite different looking, so I'm guessing that's a plus. The seller didn't have too many details it seemed, just that he used it frequently for and blasting.

It's two stage but with 4 cylinders. It will pump out a lot of air.(Maybe 30cfm? Depends on pullies could be more or less) Lots of intercoolers built into the head between the stages. Looks like a disc valve design. Appears to be a devilbliss 445 knockoff? Or very similar design, might even be devilbliss.

Very, very nice pump, if it's in good shape probably worth the asking price alone. That style pump is still sold today so parts will be available.

Honestly that's about as nice of a pump as you could get for a home shop, as long as you can power it.

 

[Doubled33]

I'm going to go check it out tomorrow. The price equates to $875, but hopefully I can negotiate a little and get an even better price. Thanks for the advice, what about the (ugly) brown one sounds good? Size and motor power? The pump is quite different looking, so I'm guessing that's a plus. The seller didn't have too many details it seemed, just that he used it frequently for and blasting.

Be sure to double check and verify it is a single phase motor.

7.5HP is about as large as you want for a home shop in single phase so that coupled with the pump that is shown is a nice combo.

Plenty of CFM to blast with and get good results in a reasonable amount of time.

Dare is say up next… Refrigerated Air dryer….

 

[Model A Fan]

It's two stage but with 4 cylinders. It will pump out a lot of air.(Maybe 30cfm? Depends on pullies could be more or less) Lots of intercoolers built into the head between the stages. Looks like a disc valve design. Appears to be a devilbliss 445 knockoff? Or very similar design, might even be devilbliss.

Very, very nice pump, if it's in good shape probably worth the asking price alone. That style pump is still sold today so parts will be available.

Honestly that's about as nice of a pump as you could get for a home shop, as long as you can power it.

Be sure to double check and verify it is a single phase motor.

7.5HP is about as large as you want for a home shop in single phase so that coupled with the pump that is shown is a nice combo.

Plenty of CFM to blast with and get good results in a reasonable amount of time.

Dare is say up next… Refrigerated Air dryer….

Thank you both for the advice. The seller stated it is a single phase motor and takes a 30A breaker. I've got a dedicated 90A panel for my projects, so this should work fine. I'm thinking of where to put it if I buy it. I have a space under the stairs in my shop that is fully enclosed except for needing a door and a separate room outside of my working area that could house it too, depending on how loud/large it is. Is have to figure out how to run lines for it if it's too far from my cabinet.

I saw an interesting video about cooling the air by a guy who rebuilt a compressor and he used copper tubing coiled into a bucket that bled off the condensation leaving dry air to flow through the tubing back into his Air tools. Definitely going to research getting super dry air too blast efficiently.

Fingers crossed this is a good compressor! Can I transport it laying down if I drain the oil or do I need to keep it standing up?

This is under the stairs (I'll clean it out and probably paint it if the compressor fits). It's a little cluttered but I've kinda pushed random stuff into it while I organize my shop space.

 

[Doubled33]

Be careful for sure as the verticals are top heavy. Only concern I would have with laying down is to make sure you don’t bend the large pulley.

A safer bet would be to unbolt the motor and pump But that may take too much time.

 

[Jswain]

Thank you both for the advice. The seller stated it is a single phase motor and takes a 30A breaker. I've got a dedicated 90A panel for my projects, so this should work fine. I'm thinking of where to put it if I buy it. I have a space under the stairs in my shop that is fully enclosed except for needing a door and a separate room outside of my working area that could house it too, depending on how loud/large it is. Is have to figure out how to run lines for it if it's too far from my cabinet.

I saw an interesting video about cooling the air by a guy who rebuilt a compressor and he used copper tubing coiled into a bucket that bled off the condensation leaving dry air to flow through the tubing back into his Air tools. Definitely going to research getting super dry air too blast efficiently.

Fingers crossed this is a good compressor! Can I transport it laying down if I drain the oil or do I need to keep it standing up?

This is under the stairs (I'll clean it out and probably paint it if the compressor fits). It's a little cluttered but I've kinda pushed random stuff into it while I organize my shop space.

Standing up would be preferred but if you drain the oil it should be ok. Just like mentioned, very top heavy. I gotta imagine that thing is 800ish lbs. Be very careful, if it gets away from you it doesn't take much to damage the crankshaft if all that weight lands on the flywheel.

Make sure you run it with a magnetic starter as well if you do get it.

Things to check(depending on if it's under power). Tank condition, make sure there is no welding on it that shouldnt be there, open the drain and see how much water/rust comes out. If you can't see it powered up turn the belts by hand make sure it's not locked up, you should be able to hear it sucking air when turning over.

If you can power it up time it from 0-cutout. If it is a 60gallon I'd suspect it to be very fast to fill up 0-150 in 200seconds would be 25ish CFM. Double check the size of the tank cuz it could be a short 80 gallon. Obviously check the oil, hopefully there is some and the owner has changed it at least sometime.

If it is 7.5hp I'd run at least a 40amp breaker, probably 50 is nominal. 30 would be ok for 5hp

 

[lbhsbz]

Thank you both for the advice. The seller stated it is a single phase motor and takes a 30A breaker. I've got a dedicated 90A panel for my projects, so this should work fine. I'm thinking of where to put it if I buy it. I have a space under the stairs in my shop that is fully enclosed except for needing a door and a separate room outside of my working area that could house it too, depending on how loud/large it is. Is have to figure out how to run lines for it if it's too far from my cabinet.

I saw an interesting video about cooling the air by a guy who rebuilt a compressor and he used copper tubing coiled into a bucket that bled off the condensation leaving dry air to flow through the tubing back into his Air tools. Definitely going to research getting super dry air too blast efficiently.

Fingers crossed this is a good compressor! Can I transport it laying down if I drain the oil or do I need to keep it standing up?

This is under the stairs (I'll clean it out and probably paint it if the compressor fits). It's a little cluttered but I've kinda pushed random stuff into it while I organize my shop space.

7.5hp I don't think will run on a 30A breaker....maybe run, but it probably won't start.

I just lookup up a 7.5hp single phase quincy and the instructions call for an 80A breaker, specifying a 40A draw (running, not starting).

 

[cnc-me]

So what would an appropriate compressor be? I'm on a budget of sorts, but if I can get a good price on the cabinet, I'll use what I have til I can get bigger/better.

I'm trying to figure out what I will end up paying if I go this route. I know my compressor could handle a Barrel Blaster, but the size this one handles is really appealing. I have a WWII Jeep to restore and lots of parts to blast. Also having a big blaster opens up possibilities for more hobby projects.

I think you would need at least a 5HP compressor, anything smaller is just going to piss you off, royally.
It's got to be a "real" 5 horse that draws 20+ amps on 240V.
My general rule on compressor pumps if they turn much over 800 rpm to get their ratings, then it's not a good pump.

I have an ancient Ingersoll Rand T-30 with a 5HP and it does pretty well running the cabinet blaster.
I also have some bigger compressors that can be called upon if needed, especially when running the outside pot type blaster (Brute 300H).

 

[cnc-me]

7.5hp I don't think will run on a 30A breaker....maybe run, but it probably won't start.

I just lookup up a 7.5hp single phase quincy and the instructions call for an 80A breaker, specifying a 40A draw (running, not starting).

I think he said 5HP on a 30 amp, but no matter its 60 amp for a 5HP single phase

 

[NakeDiesel]

I run my 7.5hp eaton off a 50amp 240v circuit

 

[cnc-me]

That would be a real

I'll perhaps just run what I have and keep looking. This is sort of representative of what I seem to find in my area.

He's asking $800 ($1200 Canadian) for a 30 year old compressor that he says runs fine. Everyone with a bigger compressor seems to have disconnected it from their power source and its sitting un-testable on a pallet. Supposedly it's a 60gal, 7.5hp, 2 stage pump Ingersoll-Rand but labeled Rotair (claims rebuilt by Rotair).

If I could get him down lower to $500 US, I'd likely risk it, unless that's a very foolish move...I'm not in a hurry, but the pickings are s-l-i-m around here and everyone wants more than they're worth. Also the color *****

That would be a "real" compressor there. Doesn't look like any IR I have seen though.
You better scoop that up if you want to do some blasting without waiting all day.
It's to bad its not under power, what does the oil look like?

 

[cnc-me]

Yeah, but why buy a very nice, huge sandblasting cabinet and skimp out on the air supply to have ****** results?

I don't think a 5-7.5hp compressor is out of grasp for the OP, if he finds one used. I see deals all the time on these sized compressors in my area.

**** I'd probably be getting in the truck right now to go have a look at the compressor that the OP just posted.

Would you recommend a 2.2l out of a Sunfire to put into the OPs new rolling Porsche chassis he just purchased? Of course not, what a waste that would be. You would power it with something to match the rest of the gear.

If the OP bought a benchtop cabinet to sandblast pistol parts I would fully agree with you. OP bought a very nice, very large cabinet and wants to sandblast fender sized objects. Get real

Nailed it, 1000%.
Otherwise just take your stuff to a local sandblast company.

 

[lbhsbz]

I think he said 5HP on a 30 amp, but no matter its 60 amp for a 5HP single phase

The OP posted that the seller said he had that brown compressor (7.5hp) running on a 30A...which unless the breaker was defective and absolutely refused to trip....seems unlikely.

Regardless. I've been looking to upgrade my compressor and just saw that same compressor head ... new they're about $1200US, and that's just the compressor (no tank, no motor)....Rated at 33CFMs running a 10hp motor...probably around 25-26 w/ a 7.5 motor. That's an absolute beast of a compressor...and is on my list. I'd argue that you won't find a better piston compressor (if you can power it) for sandblasting at home.

 

[cnc-me]

The OP posted that the seller said he had that brown compressor (7.5hp) running on a 30A...which unless the breaker was defective and absolutely refused to trip....seems unlikely.

Regardless. I've been looking to upgrade my compressor and just saw that same compressor head ... new they're about $1200US, and that's just the compressor (no tank, no motor)....Rated at 33CFMs running a 10hp motor...probably around 25-26 w/ a 7.5 motor. That's an absolute beast of a compressor...and is on my list. I'd argue that you won't find a better piston compressor (if you can power it) for sandblasting at home.

Looks like the real deal to me.

 

[lbhsbz]

.
Otherwise just take your stuff to a local sandblast company.

This. Sandblasting ***** and it's not fun. The consumables are not cheap either. I do it because I need to clean parts as a business....if I didn't need things blasted right now and all the time, I'd sub it out.

 

[Model A Fan]

I bought it, it's a real heavy sucker, made my rear leaf springs really compress

$800 out the door, and got it home. It is a DeVilbiss pump and has a big electric motor.

It's not a pretty color, but has a lot of umph and runs fairly quiet. It's a true 5hp drawing 22AMPS on a BIG motor.

My neighbor and I barely got it pushed in to my barn... it's incredibly heavy!

 

[cnc-me]

This. Sandblasting ***** and it's not fun. The consumables are not cheap either. I do it because I need to clean parts as a business....if I didn't need things blasted right now and all the time, I'd sub it out.

It's a lot of work the way I do it. I spend way more time sweeping and shoveling than I do blasting.
Just got done with 5 semi truck wheels. Caked on rust and runs.

 

[Jswain]

I bought it, it's a real heavy sucker, made my rear leaf springs really compress

$800 out the door, and got it home. It is a DeVilbiss pump and has a big electric motor.

It's not a pretty color, but has a lot of umph and runs fairly quiet. It's a true 5hp drawing 22AMPS on a BIG motor.

My neighbor and I barely got it pushed in to my barn... it's incredibly heavy!

Effin eh, congrats. You just bought probably one of the better 5hp pumps money can buy. For half the cost of a ****** box store compressor that we were all idiots to steer you away from

Even better news is if you decide you need more air, upgrade the motor to 7.5hp

Change it's oil, make sure all the safety valves are in place and functioning, make sure the tank doesn't leak etc. Enjoy it!

 

[cnc-me]

Now y

I bought it, it's a real heavy sucker, made my rear leaf springs really compress

$800 out the door, and got it home. It is a DeVilbiss pump and has a big electric motor.

It's not a pretty color, but has a lot of umph and runs fairly quiet. It's a true 5hp drawing 22AMPS on a BIG motor.

My neighbor and I barely got it pushed in to my barn... it's incredibly heavy!

Now you gots a workable team right there.
Just hope the compressor is what it's proclaimed to be.
The ole compressor is going to be running hard to keep up with that cabinet setup.

 

[lbhsbz]

Effin eh, congrats. You just bought probably one of the better 5hp pumps money can buy. For half the cost of a ****** box store compressor that we were all idiots to steer you away from

Even better news is if you decide you need more air, upgrade the motor to 7.5hp

Change it's oil, make sure all the safety valves are in place and functioning, make sure the tank doesn't leak etc. Enjoy it!

Its a 10hp pump with half the motor it should have on it.....that thing will make lots of air, even set up as it is.

Best situation, if the OP hasn't sold his old one yet, and if he has power to run both....is run 'em both. 140 gallons of air storage, close to 35 CFMs with the current motors....that's money right there.

 

[Jswain]

Any measurements of the tank? It's gotta be at least 80gal but it's hard to tell cuz the pump and motor are huge

 

[Jswain]

Its a 10hp pump with half the motor it should have on it.....that thing will make lots of air, even set up as it is.

Best situation, if the OP hasn't sold his old one yet, and if he has power to run both....is run 'em both. 140 gallons of air storage, close to 35 CFMs with the current motors....that's money right there.

I'd sell the old one while it's still worth something and offset the cost of the new one to just a few hundred dollars

 

[Wiz02]

Congrats @Model A Fan , I hope that it works well for you.

How did you get it in and out of your pickup?

 

[Model A Fan]

Any measurements of the tank? It's gotta be at least 80gal but it's hard to tell cuz the pump and motor are huge

The tank is about 76" around, 42" tall.

My estimate is 80gal.

It's impressively large, the issue will be moving it to its final resting place.

I'd sell the old one while it's still worth something and offset the cost of the new one to just a few hundred dollars

That's the plan, that's the way I was able to sell this project to my wife lol.

Congrats @Model A Fan , I hope that it works well for you.

How did you get it in and out of your pickup?

The seller has a tractor and my neighbor has an even bigger tractor!

What are the boxes/enclosures on this compressor? The Lefoo one is for adjusting the pressure, but I haven't opened the other two.

 

[Jswain]

Looks like it measures to be 80gallon, perfect! It also looks In very good shape

You're going to buy a magnetic starter for it yes?

 

[Model A Fan]

One of these things? Is there a newer/better one I could use that you'd recommend?

 

[Jswain]

As long as it's rated for 5hp and the heaters are sized to kick out at your FLA x s.f. of the motor. Looks like s.f. of your motor is 1.0 and Fla is 22amps so no more then 22amps @ cutout pressure.

I like the newer magnetic starters that you adjust with a dial, and if it kicks out you just need to hit a reset vs change a heater, but if it's sized right and you can get heaters they work the same. I bought mine from eBay, Eaton 5hp. You probably have lots of options south of the border though.

Eaton 5 HP Single 1 Phase 230V Magnetic Starter B27CGF30B040 Motor Control 685650062365 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Eaton 5 HP Single 1 Phase 230V Magnetic Starter B27CGF30B040 Motor Control at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.ca

This is similar or the same to what I ordered, dunno how the price compares to what you can get elsewhere but for me at the time it was the cheapest.

 

[Model A Fan]

As long as it's rated for 5hp and the heaters are sized to kick out at your FLA x s.f. of the motor. Looks like s.f. of your motor is 1.0 and Fla is 22amps so no more then 22amps @ cutout pressure.

I like the newer magnetic starters that you adjust with a dial, and if it kicks out you just need to hit a reset vs change a heater, but if it's sized right and you can get heaters they work the same. I bought mine from eBay, Eaton 5hp. You probably have lots of options south of the border though.

Eaton 5 HP Single 1 Phase 230V Magnetic Starter B27CGF30B040 Motor Control 685650062365 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Eaton 5 HP Single 1 Phase 230V Magnetic Starter B27CGF30B040 Motor Control at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.ca

This is similar or the same to what I ordered, dunno how the price compares to what you can get elsewhere but for me at the time it was the cheapest.

The one you're showing is for 40A. I'm guessing because of the size motor, I can run this box and 8AWG wire and be safe? I have a roll of 8AWG in black and 6AWG in green for ground I picked up for cheap at Lowes for an eventual project.

I'll be running a separate sub-panel for this compressor and the lights in that room when I get it shimmied into place. Expanding my electrical "grid" has been in my plans for a while.

I'm thinning of using a 60A breaker for the breaker to power the sub-panel this compressor will be wired to. Doors that seem adequate?

 

[Jswain]

The one you're showing is for 40A. I'm guessing because of the size motor, I can run this box and 8AWG wire and be safe? I have a roll of 8AWG in black and 6AWG in green for ground I picked up for cheap at Lowes for an eventual project.

I'll be running a separate sub-panel for this compressor and the lights in that room when I get it shimmied into place. Expanding my electrical "grid" has been in my plans for a while.

I'm thinning of using a 60A breaker for the breaker to power the sub-panel this compressor will be wired to. Doors that seem adequate?

30a breaker/wire size to match should be more then enough as it's 22 full load amp motor.

If you think you'll ever upgrade to 7.5hp you may want to size the wire for that though. 8awg will be more then fine for the 5hp motor.

 

[cnc-me]

One of these things? Is there a newer/better one I could use that you'd recommend?

I don't think that's a magnetic starter, looks like a manual to me. Does it make a mechanical noise when it comes in?
You got the right brand though, Allen-Bradley is about as good as it gets IMO.

 

[Stick-man]

I got it! It is massive, and really will built. Nothing flimsy like a Harbor Freight type. It cost me $700









What is the consensus on this type of compressor here? It's $1500 at Tractor Supply. It's a little disappointing the compressor says "Made in the USA", and the pump says "Made in India" on it. India isn't known as a major powerhouse for cranking out quality metal products.

Congrats! I just bought the same model new and upgraded the vac. You will be excited that all together I paid 5 1/2 time what you paid.