Media Blasting Cabinets - experience and lessons learned please

ChristopherLutz · Aug 27, 2011

All,

I'm restoring (really 'resto-modding') a 1965 Chevy Truck - it would be helpful to have a media blasting cabinet in the garage. I've seen a few advertised at Northern Tool, HF, etc.

I'm interested in hearing from those of you that have them - HAD them and got rid of them or use them regularly.

I have a 5hp Craftsman 30 gallon oil-less compressor....which I think may be a problem.

I don't mind spending the money for the cabinet and the media if I can use it - BUT, if it turns into a new compressor purchase - I'll probably just outsource the work until I need to replace my compressor.

Thoughts and experiences welcome and wanted - thanks in advance to the brain trust.

GTO · Aug 27, 2011

Go to the TP Tools website,they have good info on blast cabinets etc..
For the larger pieces,take them to a body shop.
Your 5hp comp is probabaly not 5hp more like 2hp,for a decent cabinet to work you're going to need at least 12-20cfm's.
Good Luck

cubfarm 1 · Aug 27, 2011

The fine dust WILL be everywhere. You would want to be able to move your blasting outside if possible. the grit is hard on other things near by.

Benw455 · Aug 27, 2011

I have one of the TP Tools cabinets and love it. It is worth the money. Buy as big as you can afford. I use mine all the time.

John Timmins · Aug 27, 2011

I have a cabinet very similiar to the Harbor Freight cabinet with the side door. It works OK. I put wheel on the bottom and roll it outside to keep my garage cleaner and to rotoate the blaster so I can let sunlight through the window.

The light assembly is not very good on the styles like mine. I blast at 60 psi and use glass bead on aluminum. It does a good job since I restore vintage outboard motors.

A very good place to buy different medias for blasting is the Snap-On truck. Shop around and look at the shipping prices, then you'll agree. S-O has a good selection unlike HF or Tractor Supply.

If you need something a little bit bigger I'd look at the Barrel Blaster made from a 55 gallon drum. I would get one of those next time. It has a big window, no-nonsense light bulb and nice size - good price too. It would be easy to roll around too. Window film is changed quickly and it's easy - very important!

www.barrelblaster.com

buildmyown · Aug 27, 2011

Right up front you dont have a compressor that is big enough. So unless you want to upgrade I would start looking for a place to outsource to.

With that said I have a 5hp 60 gallon Kobalt that makes 11cfm at 90 psi which is the bare mininum that I would recomend for a home use blasting setup. I have a large Skat Balst setup from TP Tools that I use all the time I have it setup with a high volume siphon gun and foot pedal control and I also have a 100 pound pressure pot feed into it as well for the really tough blasting jobs. For anything that is not delicate like sheet metal parts a pressure pot is the only way to go so much faster but does require a lot more air mine works my compressor hard. I also redid the lights and now have 4 100 watt flood lights inside.

Here is a picture of my setup.

John in OH · Aug 27, 2011

I've owned two blast cabinets for use with my tractor restoration work. The first was an early HF style ... plastic cabinet with a simple hinged piece of plexiglas on the top. Dimensions were about 20" w - 18"h - 16"d with a pretty cheesy light. Over the years I made numerous improvements to it to make it better ... most was gained by redesigning the media pick-up tube, improving the light, adding legs to make it floor standing, and adding a TP Tools medial vacuum unit. I used the TP Tools **** Blast grit. I hated the plexiglas top as it was always getting etched from the media.

I sold this first unit and bought a TP Tools cabinet with their vacuum unit. It is about 4'w - 24"d - 24"h with a side door, front glass window, and foot-controlled valve. I still use the TP Tools **** Blast media. It is a great unit and I'd recommend the TP Tools cabinets to anyone; however, I do plan to add a second light inside the cabinet in the opposite corner from the existing light. As benw455 says, get one as big as you can afford.

In hindsight, I should have kept the original small cabinet for use exclusively for glass bead media. It really isn't practical to change from one media to another in a large cabinet.

ZRX61 · Aug 27, 2011

Benw455 said:
I have one of the TP Tools cabinets and love it. It is worth the money. Buy as big as you can afford. I use mine all the time.

TP960 here, use it all the time.

Tape a piece of scotchbrite soaked in oil over the vent at the back to prevent dust getting all over....photo taken before scotchbrite mod..

Skysurfer · Aug 27, 2011

As noted, you'll need a bigger compressor or lots of patience to do any real blasting.

Buy the biggest unit you can manage, mine's pretty large but there are still times I wish it were bigger.

Make sure you can get parts for whatever brand you buy.

Dry air is good when it comes to blasting. It took me much time and expense to acheive it.

A couple of mods I made to mine. I added wheels so I can sweep out the shop easier. It's also handy for moving outside to blast oil stains off my paver driveway since the nozzle has enough hose to use outside the cabinet. I also added the shelf for easy removal of the blast media into a tub. Every few months I clean the glass beads by removing it from the cabinet and pouring it across a 2'x3' magnetic sign. All the metal bits stick to the sign and the remaining media is then poured through a very fine screen that removes paint chips etc.

Added a second light inside, one is not enough.

I rigged up a filter that uses a drum, baffles, and water in the bottom to separate the grit from the air in order to keep my shop vac alive. You can buy units that do this but I just wanted to try making one.

Just one more pic because I thought it was cool the previous owner had a cover made for it.

PCO6 · Aug 27, 2011

Here's my home made cabinet that was built in the mid 70's. I set it up for both pressure feed and siphon feed and it's been great. On my to do list though are to cut the bottom out and build a deeper hopper and at the same time build a new stand with casters. It's fairly tight and doesn't emit very much dust but there are times when I would like to roll it outside to do my blasting.

Warrenator · Aug 27, 2011

I did a restomod myself, not to the truck, but rather the blast cabinet itself! Bought an old Clean & Peen cabinet from a metal artist, paid maybe $60.

The cabinet itself was rusty but solid, but the guts were shot and "Y & P Enterprises" who built my cabinet in Industry, CA is long gone so I looked at TP Tools. They have a siphon feed gun kit that you are supposed to put into the blast cabinet you build with their plans. Well, it works just fine with an older cabinet like mine that the hoses and gun and so on are bad. They also have a gun kit for "import" cabinets that replace the cruddy gun with one of theirs. They also have door seals for a variety of cabinet styles.

Painted up the cabinet, put in the new hoses and blast gun, made a new door seal out of foam weatherstrip (couldn't find anything commercial to fit this cabinet) and it works very nicely. My big 5 HP dual stage compressor powers it just fine, I did have to change to a higher flowing regulator from Northern Tool, Milton, along with the high flow V-Style couplers. I use a Craftsman wet-dry vacuum to clear the air inside the cabinet while blasting, doesn't let too much dust out while blasting but a little bit trickles out when you open the door. Wanna get a Oneida Dust Deputy to go between the vacuum and the blast cabinet, but for now it works OK.

Now I just need to get it inside, I have it sitting under a tree out back right now..... Hard to blast in the rain!

ibedayank · Aug 27, 2011

cubfarm 1 said:
The fine dust WILL be everywhere. You would want to be able to move your blasting outside if possible. the grit is hard on other things near by.

nope.... not if you also have the vacum system... and not just a shop vac either

zombies-nyc · Aug 27, 2011

Skysurfer said:
mine's pretty large but there are still times I wish it were bigger.
Don't we all.

ChristopherLutz · Aug 27, 2011

Gents - I'm humbled by the response and work to insert pics, etc. Thank You.

I appreciate the links, etc. The Barrel Blaster above looks like it may be a good starting point and has a nice price.

Maybe this will be the excuse I need to take the diver on the compressor - I sure don't like listening to that noise maker anyway.

I'll spend a week or two hunting the net for some used stuff and then make my decision. I sure like the home made version - huge parts opening. That's nice.

Thanks a again, have a good weekend.

rsanter · Aug 27, 2011

the air you use will need to be moisture free
the grease or oil on any of the parts you will blast will contaminate the media and the cabinet so you want the stuff as 'clean' as possable before you put it in there.
when I had my shop I had 2 cabinets, a 'dirty' and a 'clean' one.

a pressure feed system will blast faster than a siphion feed system

bob

J Persons · Aug 27, 2011

If you are rebuilding a blast cabinet, or simply replacing the cheesy HF gun in their cabinet, Campbell Hausfield sells a pretty good replacement. It retails for around $16.00 but can probably be had cheaper. I got one at Home Depot to use in my HF cabinet and it has been working great for several years now.
http://www.chpower.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/chPrd3_10051_10001_86237_-1_10676_10718_

Matt M PA · Aug 27, 2011

No pic to show...but I too have a TP cabinet. I think it's now their model 960. I've had it for easily 15 years. When I moved it from my folks garage to mine, I upgraded the vac to their improved system. It even has a bladder on the exhaust port. I have mine on my garages second floor.

I use it all the time and would recommend it without hesitation.

turbolence56 · Aug 27, 2011

to the OP, its all about AIR "CFM" to be exact. If your going to blast anything of size. Control arm, rims, ect. your current compressor isn't going to cut it at all. You will need at least 17cfm or more. Most compressors in that range will cost $800-$1500 used minimum 7.5hp to 10 hp motor, single phase 220v. Stick with the good brands, IR, Eaton, Belaire, ect. Honestly for home use its going to get expensive quick. I ran a powder coating business from home and had a 33 gallon craftsman compressor. Obviously this didn't cut it so we upgraded to a 26 cfm gasoline compressor. Anyways if sand blasting is what you need outsource it trust me its cheaper for what you want to do.

just my 2 pennies!

countryroad82 · Aug 27, 2011

I have the TP Tools' blast cabinet, one of the larger ones (can't think of the size but I can fit most car doors, trunk lids and the like in it) I do alot of restoration work and all I have to say is it is one of my all time best purchases. Yes you need to step up your compressor if you get one but it is so handy to be able to clean up pretty much anything from bolts and spark plugs to bigger parts like fenders it is one of the handiest things in the shop!!

dodge610 · Aug 28, 2011

I have one of the TP tools cabinets have had it for years I use it in my small Powder coating business and for restoring my own old muscle cars and trucks it is priceless. Now on to the compressor you will need a bigger one I have a two stage 7 HP 80 gallon tank it has been well worth the investment compressor and cabinet. You will wonder how you did without it after you get one. but it is your money and your choice but i will go with everybody else and say yes it is a great tool to have.

Beaumont67 · Aug 28, 2011

ChristopherLutz
If your Compressor won't keep up to a D/A sander...sandblasting will be a waiting process.
- 2 stage is the best way to upgrade
buildmyown
Great idea on tying the pressure pot to the cabinet...to greatly speed up the blasting process.
************************************
I have 3 used units, to support sandblasting.
(including a 40 lb. pressure pot, for sandblasting fenders/doors outside)

TRINCO blast cabinet, made in USA (MI) with 14 gauge sheet metal (split top & small side door).
- very low hours / purchased from seller, that attended a factory closing auction
(Paid $500 with Vac.)

Commercial 2 stage compressor - 5HP/80 gal. tank (low RPM model).
- low hours / from a hobby shop
(Paid $750 with Sharpe water separator & brand name spray guns)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

dodge610 · Aug 28, 2011

rsanter said:
the air you use will need to be moisture free
the grease or oil on any of the parts you will blast will contaminate the media and the cabinet so you want the stuff as 'clean' as possable before you put it in there.
when I had my shop I had 2 cabinets, a 'dirty' and a 'clean' one.

a pressure feed system will blast faster than a siphion feed system

bob

Ditto on that when you set up make sure you have moisture collectors in the feed line. I have3 between the compressor and my cabinet might be overkill but my air stays dry and there is no problems with the sand clumping and shutting me down. Drain the air compressor often I drain mine after every use and on long jobs sometimes it gets drained twice.

dodge610 · Aug 28, 2011

Clean greasy parts in a parts cleaner before you start the bead blast procedure. Let them dry thoroughly and vent the cabinet to the outside. Also never blast with silica sand there is a chance you could get silicaitis may have spelled that wrong. But believe me you dont want to get the silica in your lungs there has been cases if I am not wrong where it has caused major health problems.

IH82BL8 · Aug 28, 2011

It sounds like you're NOT looking for a benchtop unit. I have one that works well. I attached my shop vac to the exhaust port. It will handle up to a 14" rim, but I haven't used it for a full restore. I bought mine on ebay for $70. Similar units from anywhere else go for at least twice as much.

buildmyown · Aug 28, 2011

Heres another tip dont spend the money on the special plastic they sell and overcharge for to keep the glass from etching. Go to the local hardware store or big box store and buy a roll of the think clear plastic they sell for covering storm windows to keep drafts out. Then just cut your own out of the roll and use masking tape to hold it on. I buy the 36"x100 foot roll for about $12 bucks or so. It doesnt last as long as the real ones but for the cost it doesnt really matter

69dz302z28 · Aug 28, 2011

I have a HF unit. When I assembled the cabinet , I used sealer on all seams. In doing so, this cut down the exterior dust significantly. I also started using an aluminum-oxide media, faster cutting and considerably less dust than glass bead media. I use a craftsman shop vac for dust collection, but the fine dust does have a tendancy to plug up filters, But for occasional use, the set up works fine.

KCarGuy · Aug 28, 2011

I bought a "Used" Ruemelin Blasting Cabinet from a Business over 22 years ago.
It was very Industrial.
Which means...Thick Metal, Heavy Duty, A Large Media Capacity, Good Viewing and Good Lighting, Foot Control, and a Large Filtration to Eliminate Dusting, and a Good Exhaust System.
Parts can still be had today.
And It will last another 100 years, unlike those cheap China Units that HF is selling.
I would look for Good, well made, Used units first, if you plan on using it alot.
I have used mine so much over the years, that I blasted the Metal Grate inside so thin that I had to replace that.
And Yes...It can empty a Compressor in no time Flat.
They are "Air Hungry Beasts".

JFC · Aug 28, 2011

I built a blast cabinet out of plywood using the TP tools kit and have used it for about a year. Modeled it after the 960. Have learned the following:

- Needed an more effective way than a shop vac to clear the air in the cabinet. It would get so dusty, that you have to wait a couple minutes to see what you are doing. Settled on TP tools Vac-40 and I exhausted that through the wall of the garage to the outside. Works well.

- 5 hp 15 cfm compressor works fine. Anything less would be too small.

- Most of the media loss comes from opening the door and spilling the media caught at the bottom edge of the door. I put a piece of drip edge there and that reduced it. Next time, I would sand or cut the wood around the opening at an angle.

- The plywood forming the hopper is a little rough, so the media sometimes get hung up. Maybe should have used a higher grade of wood or lined it with flashing.

Overall, the cabinet has been very effective and efficient for auto restoration work - saves a lot of time and yields higher quality results.

NUTTSGT · Aug 28, 2011

I bought mine at Summit out of the clearance section for $75. I did have to bend a few pieces of sheetmetal back.

I think mine is the same as what TSC and HF sells, made in the same factory, just a different sticker on it.

I chaulked the seams on mine with some gutter sealer. I also use a small craftsman 2 gal shop vac. When it dies, I'll buy another one for 25 bucks.

dodge610 · Aug 28, 2011

buildmyown said:
Heres another tip dont spend the money on the special plastic they sell and overcharge for to keep the glass from etching. Go to the local hardware store or big box store and buy a roll of the think clear plastic they sell for covering storm windows to keep drafts out. Then just cut your own out of the roll and use masking tape to hold it on. I buy the 36"x100 foot roll for about $12 bucks or so. It doesnt last as long as the real ones but for the cost it doesnt really matter

How does that work out for ya ive been buying the pretaped ones for years for my business. But always lookin for ways to cut costs never thought of this if it works pretty well ill try it let me know. :dunno:

Sort of makes me feel a little stupid not thinkin of this.

steel 35 · Aug 28, 2011

To save the shope vac here is my budget bong. HF cabnet for the small truck parts nozels replaced with craftsman stuff during new assembly. There are others bigger & faster but I get by and if not what I saved payes for someone else to take it in the face.

Brad54 · Aug 28, 2011

I've used a lot of blast cabinets over the years. You definitely want to go with a foot-operated pedal, rather than the trigger on the gun. Your hand will fatigue like you won't believe with the trigger.

Also, I've ALWAYS come away with a sore back from hunching over using them. Mine isn't up and running yet, but it's moved into place. I'm going to raise it with a pair of 6x6 timber skids under the base. I'm 6'1", but I'm not a giant... I've put 6x6s under my drill press and box tubing and adjustable feet under my hydraulic press to raise the work surfaces up 6 inches, and it's made all the difference in the world.

Also, a tip I got from someone is when you're blasting, turn off all the other lights in your shop: it'll make seeing your work much easier, especially through hazed or worn cabinet windows.

-Brad

sellersrodshop · Aug 29, 2011

i bought this 24"x24"x48" from grizzly tools. it's built from heavy guage steel, has a vacuum that bolts to the back & doors on each side along with the face that opens. it's been great! had a hf in the old shop hooked to a shop vac, so did most of my blasting with the pressure pot outside. i REALLY like blasting inside with this most of the time now. no sand in your ears, crack etc..

i hooked mine up to a desiccant drier & haven't had any moisture issues.

buening · Aug 29, 2011

Has anyone found a cheaper way of either making or sourcing a foot pedal? Most of the ones I've found were $100 or more.

J Persons · Aug 29, 2011

buening said:
Has anyone found a cheaper way of either making or sourcing a foot pedal? Most of the ones I've found were $100 or more.

Here's one for $35.00, but I have no idea if it will work for a blast cabinet.
http://www.clippard.com/store/display_details.asp?sku=MMV-F3QM-F

torqueman2002 · Aug 29, 2011

Another vote for TP tools. I used their plans and select parts to build a 3/4" plywood blast cabinet.

I quickly decided the 33 gallon CM oil-lees compressor wasn't up to the task.

I found an 80 gallon Campbell Hausfeld built Husky 2-stage for $250 on CL. No air dryer used, I blast in the humid dog-days of the mid-west without a problem, but I'm not painting either.

I have been using aluminum-oxide from HF; but am ready to switch Black Diamond from Tractor Supply, on recommendation from another forum.

Dust hasn't been a problem; but I though it would be a good idea to use this dust collector between the cabinet and the CM shop vac.

shoot summ · Aug 29, 2011

sellersrodshop said:
i bought this 24"x24"x48" from grizzly tools. it's built from heavy guage steel, has a vacuum that bolts to the back & doors on each side along with the face that opens. it's been great! had a hf in the old shop hooked to a shop vac, so did most of my blasting with the pressure pot outside. i REALLY like blasting inside with this most of the time now. no sand in your ears, crack etc..

i hooked mine up to a desiccant drier & haven't had any moisture issues.

Your pedal and siphon arrangement is similar to a setup I bought from Tacoma Blasting, the setup works outstanding, and gets by with a very small amount of media(1 cup) in my cabinet.

Bunk · Aug 29, 2011

shoot summ said:
Your pedal and siphon arrangement is similar to a setup I bought from Tacoma Blasting, the setup works outstanding, and gets by with a very small amount of media(1 cup) in my cabinet.

shoot summ-
I am not familiar with a siphon arrangement coming directly off the bottom like that. Is that just a direct tap into the bottom of the hopper? I have the typical siphon tube coming up along the inside of the hopper with the blaster that I built. Would love some more details.

shoot summ · Aug 29, 2011

Bunk said:
shoot summ-
I am not familiar with a siphon arrangement coming directly off the bottom like that. Is that just a direct tap into the bottom of the hopper? I have the typical siphon tube coming up along the inside of the hopper with the blaster that I built. Would love some more details.

It works so much better than the typical siphon arrangement. The setup I got from Tacoma actually has a mixing valve so I can have a little air in the media stream(think soda blasting). He made an adapter for the bottom of my Cyclone cabinet for me that I welded on. All of the media falls into the hopper at the bottom and is pulled into the gun from there.

Here is a link to their EBAY auctions.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/tacomacompany/m.html?_trksid=p4340.l2562

The owner is a great guy, he spent about an hour on the phone with me, gave me some great tips on how to make my cabinet more user friendly.

Greatbear · Aug 29, 2011

I currently have a TP 960 with a TP 176 dust collector. I added an extra light inside plus some dust control goodies. It has been working well for about 17 years or so now. Highly recommended.

TP has redesigned their VAC 34/35 to be even better at preventing dust escaping into the room, it's now called the VAC 40. It is also very quiet, compared to the original VAC 34.

Media Blasting Cabinets - experience and lessons learned please

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