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Home built blast cabinet

mad57

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Figured id share some progress on my home built huge blast cabinet its 80in long by 39 high and 35 deep, the 2x2 steel was a freebie some alittle bent but its a cabinet not a race car i can live with it, the sheet goods and the 4in locking casters, was $200 all together i figure ill have about $450 into it including glass blast at $9.99 a 50lb bag, just using what i can scrape up, including bed angle for support rails. ill keep this up dated figured id share.
 

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John in OH

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Looks like a nice start! You probably already know, but I'll mention it anyway ... Tip Tools in Canfield, OH, is a good mail order source for the miscellaneous cabinet hardware that you may need to complete your cabinet (door hinges, windows, seals, gloves, glove holes, etc.).
 

Mmfh

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I like the extra large idea, you will be able to get much larger parts in yours I can't get in mine.

I'm going to watch this thread to see how you finish.

Nice Job!

Mm
 

Steevo

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And since it's long enough for a person, you can start a sideline business doing full-body dermabrasions. :lol_hitti


Seriously though, it looks like it will be a whopper of a blast cabinet.
 

djd99

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I like the size it will be very usefull. What are your plans to catch the sand? With a cabinet that big funneling the sand towards the middle would probably work the best.

I just built a 14x14x12 room with 2 furnace squirrel cages fans mounted in the roof. My door is 36"x5' so if it fits through the door I can blast it.
 

brownbagg

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i had a home made blast cabinet, took it to the dump, harbor freight was cheaper than repairing the old one, and pretty good design. at $190 with the hose and gun not a bad deal
 
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mad57

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Yes making a funnel base for the media on the bottom, going to use it for bigger items like rears frames for bikes rims ect, also next thread will be home built oven for powder coating, been doing good with what i have but need to go BIG OR GO HOME:) im sure when its done all ill get is small job items that need to be blasted or coated;) yes a 2 station set up 4 gloves and going to put 2 double ( so 4) 120w spot lights at the top looking down, and a ******** shaker on frame , scored a sweet 2 way vale pedal at the infamous Fazios steel yard so foot controled air foward will be just air blower and back will operated blast gun, good thing is it was only $50 for foot valve, well see how it holds up. In my mind it all works out proof will be in finished product, ill keep updating.
 

brownbagg

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I wonder if they a way to make one big enough for a whole car, it keep from sweeping the floor. mabe have a lot of hand holes down the side
 
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mad57

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mad57

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nice hope you got a big air compressor! what size air compressor do you have?

I have an industrial champion its not huge..... but the big box is just that.. an area to catch the media, im still going to run the same tip and even though i will have 4 gloves just one air supply, and one guy at a time, the extra set is just to reach the long item down the other end with out having to open the cabinet and flip the piece.
 
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mad57

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I wonder if they a way to make one big enough for a whole car, it keep from sweeping the floor. mabe have a lot of hand holes down the side

Im sure just a heavy mil plastic enclosure will work, similiar to the quick paint booths guys build on this site ,when your done just throw it all out.
 

bobadame

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I'm thinking I might use the back half of an old Geo Metro as the cabinet.
 

TxPowderCoater

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if you put anything in it that needs the length, how are you going to turn it and blast it all? are you going to put more than one set of gloves down the length of it because your arms are only so long and definitely have a few feet of cabinet there you cant use unless you do. it should be square so you can put your arms in and turn the item to and fro and reach well enough to blast hell out of it.
also i would make a raised section for your plexi as the abrasive will scar it quick if its anywhere near laying flat, also you will need to make the lights above the cabinet and shine through a lens also, the abrasives will toast yer bulbs in a blink if not, also keeps the bulb heat from inside the cabinet, it does make a huge difference to comfy working space w/o sweating and filling the gloves up.
just an fyi from somebody with lots of experience with these.
 
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mad57

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if you put anything in it that needs the length, how are you going to turn it and blast it all? are you going to put more than one set of gloves down the length of it because your arms are only so long and definitely have a few feet of cabinet there you cant use unless you do. it should be square so you can put your arms in and turn the item to and fro and reach well enough to blast hell out of it.
also i would make a raised section for your plexi as the abrasive will scar it quick if its anywhere near laying flat, also you will need to make the lights above the cabinet and shine through a lens also, the abrasives will toast yer bulbs in a blink if not, also keeps the bulb heat from inside the cabinet, it does make a huge difference to comfy working space w/o sweating and filling the gloves up.
just an fyi from somebody with lots of experience with these.






Yes going to have 2 sets of gloves as mentioned above to be able to reach the LONG pieces, as well as a door on both ends, the lighting i looked into a clear top for a long florescent and have a buddy who has one like that and he hates it for hes always having to change out the clear glass panel as you know it gets hazed out, in my smaller cabinet i put in 2 100w flood lights and love it the bulbs can take a beating and still produce lots of light, as far as heating up the booth so far so good as the shops generally cooler and the exhaust fan removes alot of heat, but since you mentioned it my plan will be to put the 4 flood lights im going to use on 2 switches in case in the summer it gets way to hot to use always good to have options. thanks for the tips.
 
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mad57

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update: installed part of the v-pan on the cabinet, ran out of scrap steel for the left to right slopinng part of the funnel pan. looks simple but took a few hours, maybe because i left my buddy practice between my welds:) the rest should go pretty smooth .
 

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John in OH

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I wonder if they a way to make one big enough for a whole car, it keep from sweeping the floor. mabe have a lot of hand holes down the side

One of the power plants that I used to work at (Toledo Edison) had a blast cabinet that was a totally free standing steel building about the size of a single car garage. The operator donned a full protective body suit with an external air supply and worked inside of the cabinet/building much like a guy spray painting a car. Floor was grating with a sloped hopper underneath that used a drag chain conveyor to remove the blast media for reuse. Exhaust fans discharged through a bag filter to capture fugitive dust.

I never saw it used, but it sure looked like a cool setup.
 
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mad57

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Update: got alot of work done on the blast cabinet got it all wired up with 4 90 watt spot lights, its so bright in there the welding helmet dims when i walk into it:) got all the windows cut in . used the plasma and afew straight edges to form a trac and got really straight cuts i love that plasma, got the exhaust hole cut and installed thru connector,welded in the support below the 12 x33 windows to give the wall some extra support, im done buying steel so any i use now will be found sourced steel , like bed angle ect heres some pics.
 

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mad57

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heres another pic before the windows are cut in with lights on.
 

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mad57

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And some more progress tonight with the blast cabinet, made the inner slopes for the media to slide back to center, they were made again with scrap steel from a car hood, also fab out a manifold for the 2 air lines that will enter the cabinet, one is for media and the other will be just air to clear a part, the pedal i found at fazzios is a 2 way pedal really cool. heres the pics.
 

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mad57

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Some more progress on cabinet: welded up the front door angle, and installed the catch for the latch, it was just plain steel rod which i ground and made a good edge for the latch to catch works rather well, also marked and drilled the glove rim holes ,no need to clean them up as the plastic ring covers all rough edges.
 

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mad57

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A few more pics
 

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Omphaloskeptic

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That is one big sand box you're going to play in!

Couple questions for the OP:
- Do you have to shock mount the lights to keep the vibrations from shortening their life span?

- Will you install some kind of shielding below the lights to keep them from getting whacked by the workpiece as you are repositioning?
 
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mad57

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Omph, I do not have any shock mount for the lights, but the cone where the light thread in are not touching the top or roof there a small space which i clear siliconed the gap to isolate it. As far as the shield to protect lights i dont have one, its tall enough that i feel nothing should hit it, plus ill be the one using it no workers so they should be fine. thks mad57
 

BADSIX

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something you might think about is your arm holes. i would make them oval up and down, i did mine round like you did and hate it. you cant move your arms around. we have one at work that has the oval arm holes it gives you alot more movment, its so much nicer.
 

engear2005

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Great to come across this thread. I am wanting a blast cabinet but can't find the right one for my needs and never thought about building one. I build alot of other things, so idk why i didn't think of it. Thanks for the inspiration.
 
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mad57

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something you might think about is your arm holes. i would make them oval up and down, i did mine round like you did and hate it. you cant move your arms around. we have one at work that has the oval arm holes it gives you alot more movment, its so much nicer.

Interesting, i have never seen the oval design, i bought the plastic inserts because for the price it didnt pay to make them. got a link to oval shaped inserts?
 
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mad57

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Great to come across this thread. I am wanting a blast cabinet but can't find the right one for my needs and never thought about building one. I build alot of other things, so idk why i didn't think of it. Thanks for the inspiration.

Good to hear ill keep posting as long as people wanna hear it:) ill let you know what works and what didnt.
 

larry4406

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Any thought about adding a track on the ceiling with sliding casters so that large parts can be "hung" from the ceiling yet shoved thru the access door? Nice build, i want a cabinet.
 
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mad57

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9Guy9 its all done seam sealed,welded, i just have to prepsol it down and prime and than paint. but with my knee surgury this tuesday its gonna be idle for 4 weeks but ill post more when finished thks.
 
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mad57

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Larry, yes thought about piper runners on the base grate to slide heavy parts IN, with the light up top a slide track would work but might be in the way.
 
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