Recommendations for Blasting Cabinet Needed

[HotRodHudson]

Over the last week I have been looking at blasting cabinets and as well reading a lot of threads on the subject. As of now I am leaning toward the Harbor Freight free standing one at around $179. While there are many upgrades suggested like the Tacoma kit, they can add around $300 more to the price.

Would one suggest to still go this direction or is there another direction to go?
Naturally keeping cost low will help me continue my project car which is why I am looking toward the HF unit.

 

[jeeper46]

If you get the HF one, you will end up replacing the gun, gloves, and pickup with TP items. I'd just look at what TP tools has to offer

 

[scooby074]

Before you get all hyped up about a cheap cabinet, what is your air supply like? You need a lot of dry air to blast. Dry being key.

Those HF cabinets are just slightly above junk. I have one from PA. Same basic cabinet. As mentioned, the gloves ****. The glass *****. The lighting *****. The dust containment *****. The gun *****. It can all be improved, but it costs money. Assuming your air supply is good youre further ahead to either buy a better cabinet new or look for a used commercial cabinet, preferably with dust collection.

Between the required air and a good cabinet, blasting isnt as cheap as people think.

 

[James-W]

My personal thinking is, if you only do blasting occasionally, why bother to buy an expensive cabinet? The harbor freight cabinet will work just fine for occasional use. If you are going to be using it all the time, different story.

 

[ducksface]

I'm fairly certain the tp owner is a member here.
I'm fairly certain paid membership in the Alliance gets you a discount enough to more than pay for the membership.
Eastwood also is a choice.

 

[evintho]

I don't own one but I've always like the Barrel Blaster. Seems to be fairly well built at a decent price. Maybe as BB owner can chime in here.
http://www.barrelblaster.com/BarrelBlaster1.htm

 

[txvwnut]

I have an HF blast cabinet, the original gloves lasted about three years before the stitching started coming apart. I put a TP tools gun upgrade kit in it about a year after I bought it. In the five years I've had it it's been used weekly if not daily and is still holding up well. I don't have any of the issues you hear about them, I use a shop vac through a Vortex separator and have no issues with dust or leaks. For a weekend warrior type I think the HF cabinet would serve them well with just a few extra bucks spent on an upgraded gun and still have a decent cabinet with beating up the wallet too bad.

Check TP tools website as they have now started carrying an economy line of blast cabinets and you might be able to get a better cabinet for about the same cost as an HF with the extra upgrade costs.

 

[e015475]

A HF is similar to most things they sell - they will work if you modify them, but out of the box they are junk.

I had one for ten years that I put new gloves in, new gun, new hoses, added a vacuum, put in a decent light, etc. After yet another attempt to get it to work properly I finally pitched it in the trash.

My recommendation is that you start with a more worthy cabinet than the HF and modify that with TP components. I've bought a couple clapped out cabinets on CL for less than 150 dollars and made them work well. The last one was a steel Dayton (Grainger brand I think) for $100.

The advice to "buy an inexpensive HF one if you are not going to use it that much" is a little misleading. You'll buy the HF one and it will sit unused because it is too fussy to use occasionally. But if you get a decent one where you can just turn on the air and load the cabinet and go, you'll find lots of uses for it. My old HF blaster sat for months unused, only being put into service when I absolutely need something glass beaded. With the cabinet that 'just works', I use it half a dozen times a week.

 

[southalabama]

If your going to be using it a lot go ahead and spend the money upfront and check out TP. We ran one in a professional shop sandblasting risers for bows all day long. Worth the money.

If you are going to be an occasional user get the HF model and make improvements as you go.

 

[mikegt4]

"The advice to "buy an inexpensive HF one if you are not going to use it that much" is a little misleading."

This^^^ Beyond the fact that you will need to modify it, once you start using a blast cabinet you will find yourself blasting more and more things that previously you sanded, wire brushed or used paint remover on. I used commercial blast cabinets at work for decades, when I retired I bought a TP cabinet for my home shop. A HF unit (or any of it's China cousins) wasn't even considered.

 

[AJ1978]

As outline above a lot of great points, and I started with the HF Cabinet, and Now have the TP Tools Cabinet 960 DLX This included their vacuum a very nice option. Just NO comparison, but the HF Functioned.

What is your air supply? Can you handle 10-12 CFM?
How often will you use it?
What will you use it for?
What is your Budget?
What size cabinet, and space for it?
Product support? TP Tools can sell you parts for their oldest or newest. Very helpful
The HFT cabinet has no dust collection, so you need a shop vac, or similar plan on noise and filters.

I bought the HF cabinet to do an engine job in 2010, worked well for first 6 hours, had to go to TP Tools, (45 min away) and buy the upgrade kit.... Kicked myself for not doing sooner and fighting with the Chinese junk.

Lighting in the HFT cabinet is poor at best, while you can upgrade, figure spending 20-50 doing in.... Gun upgrade just figure $100.00 with the Light upgrade, the Gun Upgrade there is an extra 150

Foot operated controls on the TP cabinet is amazing, wished I did it sooner. Skat Blast media they sell is a great general purpose media...

If you are on limited funds, and marginal occasional use the HFT cabinet with some upgrades will work well. If you plan to keep this forever and use this weekly BUY THE TP CABINET.

If you buy the TP CABINET: Get the maintenance kit for a few extra dollars has nozzles, gaskets, glass protectors, sifter and new gloves.... Buy some extra nozzles, and remember to loosen your nozzle and spin it every hour, they will last longer.

 

[bob15]

Have you thought about making your own? The plans TP tool sells are nice. They also have all the items needed.

If you want to buy a pre-made cabinet....go with TP.

 

[lakeroadster]

The Abrasive Blasting Resource Thread

More importantly HotRodHudson... let's see some photo's of the Hudson

 

[ascott172]

I have a harbor freight cabinet that i upgraded with tp tools. It works for occasional use. However I think it was not worth the cost. I probably have $400 in it after buying it and upgrading it with tp tools. I am replacing it and will get a cabinet from blast-it-all.com. My advise is to buy a good cabinet the 1st time.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[velillen01]

I actually picked up the TPtools Hobby Pro 50 not to long ago. Its been an awesome cabinet so far. Out of the box it works well but i do plan to add some things like a foot pedal, upgraded gun, minor things like that.

But right out of the box it has been leak free and has blasted a number of small parts (all ive done so far)

 

[Zapp Branigan]

I'm happy with my Skat Blast cabinet. Not too crazy about the word Skat on it though. Sounds like it's for cleaning dried doody off of car parts or something. It has a media shaker, and it's made in the USA.

http://www.skatblast.com/

 

[BigDogSS]

I don't own one but I've always like the Barrel Blaster. Seems to be fairly well built at a decent price. Maybe as BB owner can chime in here.

I've own a Barrel Blaster for over 15 years and it works GREAT!!!
I was going to buy the HF blast cabinet, I read about how it leaks. Plus, the Barrel Blaster is made in the USA for not much more money!

 

[ZRX61]

My personal thinking is, if you only do blasting occasionally, why bother to buy an expensive cabinet? The harbor freight cabinet will work just fine for occasional use. If you are going to be using it all the time, different story.

That's not how it works. You start off thinking "it won't get much use, I'll get a cheap one".... & within a month you're looking for things to blast & wishing you bought a TP960