Sand blast cabinet - Martha Stewart Style
12-26-2010, 06:20 PM
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Sand blast cabinet - Martha Stewart Style
I saw this 45gal tote in the store the other day and it occurred to me the thing was probably bigger than the sandblast cabinet I had looked at earlier in the week. That's when my "cheap-***" gene must have kicked in.
It's got wheels built in...it's 15 bucks, and for every dollar I save on things along the way, I'll have more to put into the car itself. Enough of the self-justification...here we go.
A 45gal Sterralite (or Rubbermaid) tote
I cut some adhesive backed foam stips to make the lid seal.
Cut a window into the lid. For this I had a scrap of plexiglass in the shop. I attached it with silicone and a few small screws.
I bought a pair of rubber gloves when I bought the tote. When I got home I took one of my grubby jackets that I never wear, and I cut the sleeves off. Because they had elastic cuffs, I just put the rubber gloves on my hands and reached through. They stay just fine. I then cut two holes in the side and glued the cutoff sleeves in place. Real blast cabinets have a collar or ring to attach the gloves, and I'll do this too. (or not)
I added a hole for my shop vac hose. This keeps a negative pressure in the "cabinet". I also cut a small hole for the incoming air line. All holes were cut with a rotozip tool.
Added 100 lbs of sand and I was "blastin". I may eventually add a grate or shelf but anytime I've used a cabinet the part is usually in my hand so I didn't even bother.
This is big enough to do to control arms, half shafts and just about anything else you can hold with one hand. Again, this was intended for the occasional light duty stuff. I have less than $30 into this but I did have the plexiglass and the sandblast gun on hand. As for the coat, you could always borrow a buddy's coat or just convert your jacket to a vest and call it good. (ha!)
The way I see it, the money saved went toward POR and brake lines.
And Martha would say...you can add garland, glitter, or an Easter egg motif if you like.
It's got wheels built in...it's 15 bucks, and for every dollar I save on things along the way, I'll have more to put into the car itself. Enough of the self-justification...here we go.
A 45gal Sterralite (or Rubbermaid) tote
I cut some adhesive backed foam stips to make the lid seal.
Cut a window into the lid. For this I had a scrap of plexiglass in the shop. I attached it with silicone and a few small screws.
I bought a pair of rubber gloves when I bought the tote. When I got home I took one of my grubby jackets that I never wear, and I cut the sleeves off. Because they had elastic cuffs, I just put the rubber gloves on my hands and reached through. They stay just fine. I then cut two holes in the side and glued the cutoff sleeves in place. Real blast cabinets have a collar or ring to attach the gloves, and I'll do this too. (or not)
I added a hole for my shop vac hose. This keeps a negative pressure in the "cabinet". I also cut a small hole for the incoming air line. All holes were cut with a rotozip tool.
Added 100 lbs of sand and I was "blastin". I may eventually add a grate or shelf but anytime I've used a cabinet the part is usually in my hand so I didn't even bother.
This is big enough to do to control arms, half shafts and just about anything else you can hold with one hand. Again, this was intended for the occasional light duty stuff. I have less than $30 into this but I did have the plexiglass and the sandblast gun on hand. As for the coat, you could always borrow a buddy's coat or just convert your jacket to a vest and call it good. (ha!)
The way I see it, the money saved went toward POR and brake lines.
And Martha would say...you can add garland, glitter, or an Easter egg motif if you like.
12-26-2010, 06:53 PM
#3
Le Mans Master
Nice job ! A peice of clear plastic film taped to the inside of the window will protect it from getting frosted. 
12-26-2010, 09:17 PM
#6
Melting Slicks
Interesting idea. Guess it would work fine. Nice thing is it doesn't take up a lot of space.
Mark G
Mark G
12-26-2010, 11:37 PM
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You can see part of the screen "filter" at the end of the hose. I've seen what sawdust can do in a plastic duct and even though I'm not moving a lot of material I do have potential for a minor charge. I'll monitor the results and if needed, I can add to the grounding system.
Good call ...thanks for looking out for me.
12-27-2010, 12:08 AM
#9
Race Director
You had the same mindset as me when I built my box. I knew i could build a bigger box for cheaper than the crappy ones they sell at rural king.
A buddy of mine had a metal hopper he gave me, I had an old crappy work bench that wasn't used for much else. a piece of glass and some caulk and I called it good!
All I needed to buy was 1 sheet of plywood, the blasting tank, and some hinges.
Cost? $20-$40
A buddy of mine had a metal hopper he gave me, I had an old crappy work bench that wasn't used for much else. a piece of glass and some caulk and I called it good!
All I needed to buy was 1 sheet of plywood, the blasting tank, and some hinges.
Cost? $20-$40
12-27-2010, 06:13 PM
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Melting Slicks
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Glad you brought it up. There's a copper ground wire on the inside of the shop vac hose. I have a roll of copper screen (just like regular window screen) and I used it as the filter. I rolled it about 3 or 4 times, then crimped the end over. This prevents the airborne sand from being sucked into the shop vac. The ground wire is weaved into the copper screen.
You can see part of the screen "filter" at the end of the hose. I've seen what sawdust can do in a plastic duct and even though I'm not moving a lot of material I do have potential for a minor charge. I'll monitor the results and if needed, I can add to the grounding system.
Good call ...thanks for looking out for me.
You can see part of the screen "filter" at the end of the hose. I've seen what sawdust can do in a plastic duct and even though I'm not moving a lot of material I do have potential for a minor charge. I'll monitor the results and if needed, I can add to the grounding system.
Good call ...thanks for looking out for me.
12-28-2010, 12:17 AM
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12-28-2010, 09:47 AM
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Burning Brakes
12-28-2010, 06:51 PM
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I was in the Menard's store where "multi-purpose" sand was $3 per 50lb bag. This stuff is super dry, and flows very well. That's what I dumped into my blaster first, and it works OK. Not killer....but OK. They also had 50lb bags of black "blasting media" for $7 per, and I bought two of those as well.
Eventually I'll be able to answer the question myself. But I was just curious if anyone had done the comparison already.