HF Blast Cabinet Skat Pick Up Tube vs Manifold vs Reclaimer

[Garage-Junkie]

I have a harbor freight blast cabinet that I've done all the basic mods on including swapping out to a Skat gun and pickup tube which works a million times better than the original HF gun and pick up tube. I currently have my fresh air coming in off the back and my exhaust to my dust devil collector on the left side, which I will be swapping shortly and sealing off the top of the rear port.

The big question that I currently have is regarding the Skat upgraded pick up tube VS bottom manifold VS reclaimer. For those that have installed both or all three, is the manifold system that much better than the Skat upgraded pickup tube? And for those that have installed the reclaimer style system, is it that much better than the Skat upgraded pickup tube or the manifold system?

I use my blast cabinet a couple times of month normally, but if I'm working on a vehicle build I tend to use it several hours each week. It's not done professionally, so it's not constantly in use and nothing I have to rely on. More of a convenience. I'm just wondering if they are worth the additional funds to upgrade, or is it a negligible difference over the Skat upgraded pickup tube?

 

[Garage-Junkie]

One of the main things that is actually driving this question is that even with the Skat upgraded pick up tube, I constantly have media pockets around the tube where it isn't picking up material.......so I have to stop what I'm doing, take my hands out of the gloves and bang on the bottom of the cabinet with a rubber mallet to get the media to fall down and fill in all the voids. I looked at the Skat Super-Pro Abrasive Shaker Motor, but wanted to see if the other styles of pickup were better at not 'running out' of media

 

[babyseal]

One of the main things that is actually driving this question is that even with the Skat upgraded pick up tube, I constantly have media pockets around the tube where it isn't picking up material.......so I have to stop what I'm doing, take my hands out of the gloves and bang on the bottom of the cabinet with a rubber mallet to get the media to fall down and fill in all the voids. I looked at the Skat Super-Pro Abrasive Shaker Motor, but wanted to see if the other styles of pickup were better at not 'running out' of media

I bolted a 40w concrete ******** motor from Amazon to the bottom of the cabinet, wired it in with the lights. Cost something like $40.

I use the Skat tube. Don't know if it works better, but it works well, didn't require a bunch of modifications and plumbing.

 

[Willie Makeit]

skip the **** pickup tube and go with the metering valve mod. trust me.

 

[driftpin]

One metering valve, home-made. Seems to work. Youtube has many others.

My mod of using stainless steel screen to protect the glass is doing OK though I'm not using the cabinet for hours a day. I also use a shielded strip light shining-thru the glass from outside the cabinet to avoid fogging the light fixture. It provides adequate lighting, and no fogging. The grade of screen is very-small/fine, I dunno what it's called. I used 1" X 2" PT furring strips, dadoed and through-bolted together, and then the screen stapled to that. Just use self-tapping screws about 1/2" to 3/4" longer than it takes to fasten the black plastic bezel to hold the glass in-place, the excess length will hold the 1" X 2" screen frame in-place on the inside of the cabinet.

To size the PT furring strip frame, measure the H and W inside the cabinet, and subtract 1/2" to be the frame outer dimensions. It should slip neatly into-place. Install the wood frame w/two screws in opposite corners, using the OEM screw pattern, and snug them up, then alternate sides to screw-in the remaining screws. Snug is 'good-enough,' too-tight will probably fracture the black plastic frame.

I was using those 'bar of soap' HFT blue housing battery-powered lights at one-time, free w/$** purchase, to stick to the roof of the inside cabinet, to be a light source, but they soon were fogged-over, limiting light output. Maybe putting one/however many you use, inside a baggie and then onto the inside-roof of the blast cabinet could make them last longer w/o fogging from the media.

A tip for the gloves, keep a container of cornstarch by the machine, and sprinkle-in some to make your arms/hands slide-into the gloves easier. It reduces perspiration too.

 

[AZ_Ron]

I have the floor standing Harbor Freight Cabinet a buddy of mine gave to me about 10 years ago. I've modded the hell out of it. it's basically just the cabinet shell now. LED floodlight, Eastwood Dust collection, Skat gun/manifold, etc. The first time I went to search for a replacement glass, I about choked. $50 for that piece of glass is ridiculous. I love alternatives, so I started searching. Check out 12"x24"x3/16" tempered glass shelves. Used in stores for displays. Several places sell them for under $10/each. I tend to buy them in sets of 5. I'm shopping around now for my 3rd set. I hate the mylar 'shields', but now I'm starting to wonder if it might be worth looking into polishing the fogged windows out and reusing them. I'm using aluminum oxide for media. It fogs the glass fairly quickly.
One question since I'm already here and posting... anyone else get shocked by their cabinet? It's constant thing, and I've even added additional ground straps but still get shocked. It's mild, but a bit annoying. Just curious if anyone else is having this issue.

Thanks!