Info on diy sandblasting cabinet

[rgonzobull]

Hi everyone. I've been toying with the idea of building a simple sandblasting cabinet. Ill need it to be big enoegh for a naked 16" wheel. Im after some ideas/advice/pictures of any home builds you may have done.
Im guessing the basics are sloped/angled viewing glass. How do you stop glass etching?
Low voltage lighting. So there no mains in the cabinet
Steel lined walls inside? Or would marine ply be ok on its own?
Dust extraction. Vacuum cleaner connected to a tube at the top of cabinet?
I was going to fit a grate in the bottom and make the base funnel down to a tube which would then collect any waste media in a bucket. Gloves I was going to use were heavy duty rubber ones.
My other question is which media is best to use for steel parts and which for aluminium?
Not sure on which sandblaster type i would be best to get as at the moment i just use a gun with media pot screwed under it.
Any advice/help gratefully accepted
Cheers
Gonzo

[Tramp]

Sounds good, why don't you fit a mm thin sheet steel in at the bottom for longevity of the ply,at work our blasting cabinets are a bit heath Robinson, we have a 110v ordinary filiment bulb strung in and some 6x2 blocks to rest the items on, they don't really get damaged unless you hold the gun close, I wouldn't use a vaccum cleaner... it will block up in no time as for etching of the glass, I wouldn't worry, just don't point the nozzle at it! We have a glass bead cabinet ( it says 'only use glass beads' on the front, some ones crossed out the glass & wrote anal) & it is rubbish the grit blaster is much better

[rgonzobull]

Lol at the anal beads! What do you think i could use for dust extraction? Or do you not think it would be a big issue doing small diy bits with the odd wheel in there? Grit ok for aluminium?

[Tramp]

I'm not really sure maybe if you used a k&n type filter & mounted it to the roof of the box before attaching the vaccum cleaner that way the dense grit doesn't get to it & your missus doesn't get mad that you have broken her dyson! I imagine you would also need an inlet breather to let air in, I don't know about grit on Ali, it works great on cast iron! The more I think about it the more I think grit would be to aggresive

[rgonzobull]

Good call on the vent to let air in as vac pulls. that way waste media should drop under gravity into bucket and not get sucked up tube as thats the only vent.
Mrs after a new vac so I get the old one for the workshop
I may have to go with analbeads on the ali then ha ha
Cheers for your comments. Its helpfull as Ive never made one before

[Edweird]

I've got an industrial vacuum for dust extraction in mine, but it needs a lot of cleaning. Make sure your compressor's got the juice to run it though. Mine has compressors working together with the tanks joined together because one alone wasn't refilling the tank fast enough, so you had to keep stopping.

[rgonzobull]

Ive just gone soft and got cosy in the house and cant remember how powerfull or not my compressor is. Ill have a look tomorrow and post it on here and see what you think.
The only reason i thought id build a cabinet is to scavange the waste media, make it safer breathing wise and look really posh when people call round ha ha.
Anyone got pics of there home made ones??

[Darrell]

Something like this.............

http://www.customfighters.com/forums/sh ... hp?t=23694" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[rgonzobull]

Nice link. Cheers