DIY Sandblast Cabinets

[littleponderosa]

curious anyone ever build one?
during the garage dig-out i found some old plans from skatblast for a cabinet. knew i had them somewhere, just where. kinda forgot this can be made out of 3/4" plywood and some angle iron.
surely like to have access to a cabinet again, been out of access since the we closed the family garage.

cannot imagine it would be used extensively, but it would be handy to have one.

what say all you fellas about the plywood idea? be damn sure cheaper than welding up some 12 to 16 gauge. i know it wouldn't last forever, but should get several years of use i'd think. or just be a complete waste of cash?

Bill

 

[bob15]

I made one from the same plans and bought most everything from TP tools. No issues with it. Will last my lifetime.

Made it out of a couple sheets of 3/4" plywood and used polyurethane glue and screws to hold it together. I liked the glue because it would foam which helps seal any slight imperfections with my cutting. On the inside , once the glue was dry, I cut the foamed-up glue so it was smooth with the walls and then used silicon caulking to seal the joints even better.

Mine is bigger than the plans, which lead to a couple minor issues. I had to line the bottom "hopper" with sheet metal I had to help the media go down and not get stuck on the side. I also wound up buying TP's ******** to also help shake the media down. i also had to add a second light inside.

Would recommend the foot pedal and two lights. Also buy extra nozzle tips and remember where to put them (I have a couple that are "missing"). Also buy the tray that goes under the door, it save the area from becoming a mess with media that falls out when the door is opened up.

I would say, build it. I did and happy i did. And like you, i only use it a couple times a year at best now, but am happy I have it to use.

 

[Thumper68]

Blast cabinet build thread

I put this one together from mostly scraps I had around the shop.

I was planning on building one out of ply but then decided that steel was a better choice.

 

[ScottsGT]

I built one out of 3/4 ply too. I took shortcuts on the fan system, but I rarely use it anyway. It was part of my '66 mustang restoration project.

 

[Cyberbear]

I too built my own out of plywood w/o any problems at all. I used a Craftsman portable sand blasting unit that was gravity/suction fed and it worked fine for an inexpensive unit.
Mine was hooked up to my shop vac to keep the air inside clear, I used a cheap under counter florescent lamp and designed it with an expanded metal shelf that allowed the media to fall back into the portable sand blaster's hopper. I found out the most important thing is to get the working height perfect for your body, otherwise in a short time your back gives out from stooping a little too much over several hours use. I only needed to replace the access door glass once after several years use due to media bounce back. There are available removable stick-on sheets of clear vinyl that are cheaper to replace when needed. Good luck, it will be a fun project. Also, put the unit on casters so you may easily push it out of the way when not in use.

 

[Barefoot]

My son and have been planning on building one for a while but after testing quickly in a box in the garden and losing ourselves in a cloud of dust we wondered what extraction process you guys might be using? We didn't attach the workshop vac but I don't think it would make a lot of difference.
Good luck with the project. I'll be watching with interest.

 

[bob15]

My son and have been planning on building one for a while but after testing quickly in a box in the garden and losing ourselves in a cloud of dust we wondered what extraction process you guys might be using? We didn't attach the workshop vac but I don't think it would make a lot of difference.
Good luck with the project. I'll be watching with interest.

There is a reason why blasting cabinets use vacuums....and it isn't to sell you something else.

With my cabinet, the basic shop vac makes all the difference in the world. When the vacuum is turned on, I get enough suction inside the cabinet to have the gloves stand out straight. I can also tell when it is time to clean/wipe the vac filter off......when it becomes dusty inside the cabinet.

 

[Ross/Kzoo]

I made one of these for my sandblast cabinet and shop vac. Makes a world of difference.

http://www.thegaragegazette.com/index.php?topic=65.0

 

[roofster]

Here is a link to mine and there are more pictures in my albums. http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3910966&postcount=1

I also made the dust trap Ross linked to and it works well.

 

[MatBirch]

I work as an aluminum fabricator, so I had good access to material. I was able to build mine for nearly no cost. I had to buy a couple of small pipe parts to finish the gun, but that's all. I used dimensions from a plywood plan I found online

.
In this pic I don't yet have the arm holes and gloves finished
I built the gun using a design I found here on GJ. Wish I could remember who to give credit to...

 

[motofool33]

you guys that have wood blast cabinets how is the long term lasting of wood getting blasted inside constantly, are you replacing panels as they wear out?

 

[Cyberbear]

I never really had any problems with the wood being worn away by the blast media, but I always thought if needed I would simply cover the ply with some cheap rubber matting which would then last forever.

 

[bob15]

you guys that have wood blast cabinets how is the long term lasting of wood getting blasted inside constantly, are you replacing panels as they wear out?

I don't aim at the wood with the gun. What hits the wood is dust and slow velocity particles that do zero harm. I think the plywood will last you a lifetime.

 

[Barefoot]

I made one of these for my sandblast cabinet and shop vac. Makes a world of difference.

http://www.thegaragegazette.com/index.php?topic=65.0

Thanks for sharing that Ross. Such a clever but simple idea. A job for tomorrow evening!

 

[Ross/Kzoo]

Barefoot, not my idea. It came from someone else on the GJ.

 

[littleponderosa]

nice add-on to the plans with the water trap, thanks Ross.

sketched out the plans today on some plywood, now it looks like i'm going larger than anticipated. maybe.

thanks for all the assists gents.
Bill

 

[Jvvmusme]

Can anyone help with a diagram in how to connect the dust trap ?

The hose from the blast cabinet connects to ?

The hose with the elbow in the bucket connects to ?

The hose with the long pipe in the bucket connects to ?



Thanks

 

[Ross/Kzoo]

I can't explain it any better than in this link:

http://www.thegaragegazette.com/index.php?topic=65.0

The water level is very important to maintain proper operation.

 

[slopdog]

built this . been used a lot in the last 5 years . still in good shape . 1/2 in plywood

 

[wyo george]

Good ideas here.

 

[rsanter]

Plywood will work great.
An upgrade would be to brush some fiberglass resin on the plywood to make it more weather and wear resistant.
Another upgrade would be to line the inside with some thin sheet metal so the wood is not eroded by deflected blast

Bob

 

[gtermini]

I got a wild hair to build one. I kind of copied a Snap On/Dee Blast clamshell. I am happy with the cabinet. I built almost every part in it. It is 1/2" plywood. I used some Skatblast parts and a whole bunch of other stuff. I ended up being almost $700 into it by the time it was done, so I'm not sure I'd recommend doing it.

Greyson

 

[littleponderosa]

thats nice work. looks like you have enough light, always a concern. i'm getting pulled several directions on this, gotta make up my mind and just pull the trigger.
Bill

 

[d19h]

I built mine with angle iron sourced from old bed frames and 1/4'masonite left over from an earlier project. The bottom trough is 3/4 plywood. I was worried about the masonite not holding up and had planned to line the inside with aluminum flashing, but the masonite has held up well for the past 3 years. I used a wire rack (for pallet storage) to support my parts inside the cabinet. Used they are about $10 each. I also have the vacuum system like has been described earlier. I found metal castors at Lowes for $4 each, making moving the cabinet super easy. I have about $75 in my cabinet. I use my cabinet quite often and would definitely recommend having one. Its worth the space it takes up.
David

 

[rigsboo]

I got a wild hair to build one. I kind of copied a Snap On/Dee Blast clamshell. I am happy with the cabinet. I built almost every part in it. It is 1/2" plywood. I used some Skatblast parts and a whole bunch of other stuff. I ended up being almost $700 into it by the time it was done, so I'm not sure I'd recommend doing it.

Greyson

built this . been used a lot in the last 5 years . still in good shape . 1/2 in plywood

you know how you made it? got any plans?

 

[gtermini]

you know how you made it? got any plans?

I just made it up as I went. I decided I wanted it 48" wide, so all the sheets on the width are full plywood width. I planned the hopper out with a drafting machine, but I don't think that's necessary. It was the first part of the cabinet I built, then worked up from there. All the corner joints are braced inside with triangular fillet strips the whole length.

The window glass is from TP Tools, but the frame is my own. The gloves are from ebay and the rings from TP. The inner rack is 13 GA expanded steel with an 1 1/4" angle iron frame. The lights are just flange mounted outdoor single lights from Lowes. The gun is a generic Speedaire that I ported out and removed the trigger. It uses a carbide nozzle. I have a Air Mite foot pedal control. I made the suction tube from a piece of 1/2" light rigid conduit.

There is a lot of good info in this thread. http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=237444 It is not about my cabinet, but a similar build.

I have more on the build somewhere, but can't find it right now. If there are any specific details you want to know, say so, and I'll do the best I can.

Greyson