The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest home built sandblasting cabinet

sandblasting cabinets are way out of my price range for the size I want. Has anyone built one or have any ideas on how to build one? I want to be able to put a fender inside. I already have a sand blaster.

Tom

Big T

I built one of these using plywood about 10 years ago and I'm still using it. I did have to slip a piece of sheet metal inside against the back because the plywood was starting to erode. Other than that, it's worked well.

You can modify the plans to make it as big as you need.


Do it yourself blast cabinet

Big T,

I built a glass bead cabinet...here are some thoughts. If the enclosure is large enough to hold a fender, then to be able to reach the entire item, you will probably have to have two sets of gloves. I have seen large professional cabinets set up this way.

If you actually plan on using sand as your blasting media, you will probably have to change it often. Sand shatters on impact with the item being blasted and "gets dull" quickly. It is usually thought of as a once through media.

Your cabinet will have to have interior lights, a vacuum system and a fresh air inlet. Also a door large enough for the largest intended item...a fender.

My personal thought would be to farm out the large items, or have a friend do them. Build a smaller, well designed cabinet that will fit in the corner of your shop. It seems like it is always the occasional hinge, handle or screw that needs to be blasted...rarely the fender or running board.

Glass beads are relatively inexpensive and can be used over and over. There are many different types of media available, all better than sand.


Stuart

I found out first hand that you must have a huge air compressor to do sandblasting. I have a 6.5 HP 60 gallon compressor and it wouldn't even begin to keep up when i bought a cabinet.... It was so bad it was either get a much bigger compressor or take the cabinet back to harbor freight...... I returned the cabinet. So, unless you have a huge compressor, don't waste your money on materials, take it to a pro.

Just a bit of cost information to add to this thread.

I just had my 1940 cab blasted and epoxy primered by a local company for $300.00.

I also have a small unit at home for the occasional bucket of parts. But for the space, cost and occasional use for bigger items, I have to agree with Stuart on this. Since I am only working on one project this is what makes sense to me. If I was doing more or trying to make money on my project , I might change my mind.

Once my 60 chevy step side project is done, I have a 64 panel, 52 Reo as well as a 53 Farmall super C waiting there turn in the shop. So I will get plenty of use out of it.

I purchased the "Medium" blast cabinet from Eastwood and I love it and use it all the time. It is not big enough to get a fender in it, but I have blasted things bigger than my blast cabinet by duct taping a large heavy trash bag to one end of the cabinet and then blast half of the piece at a time. I buy aluminum oxide and glass bead from a local supplier, but I use the aluminum oxide the most.

Bill, Where did you get your cab blasted? I live in Williamson NY, and I have not been able to locate anyone local to do large items like a cab.

Cujo8,

I live a couple hours east and had a local restorer blast my cab. Four hours @$38. I primed after it was blasted. PM if you want name and #

Dan
http://community.webshots.com/mypho...mp;photoID=512705048&security=uuFTza

Cujo8,

I had my cab blasted at a place just 10 minutes from my house near Fulton, NY. The name of the business is Triple D Sandblasting. Their main business is bus repair. So there are usually a few school buses or group buses there getting work done. He is pretty up-front that he blasts when he gets the chance to do it. My cab sat for about 2 weeks until he had other stuff to blast as well. I thought the $300.00 for blasting and immediate epoxy primer to ward off rust was a good price.

The only thing that was not perfect was there was still a little bit of sand in the cab when they turned it over to paint the bottom and that got in the primer. Not a real issue, because the cab will get more primer and block sanding before final coats of paint.

Bill Schickling

Thanks for the info Bill! When you sandblast sand gets every where and it very hard to get it all cleaned up. I sandblasted the inside of my 54 GMC cab and I spent a long time cleaning up the sand using brooms, vacuums, compressed air and I still find sand in and around the cab as I continue to work on the cab.

The HP of your compressor doesn't seem to be as important as the output it can manage at a given PSI, and I've found you can "inflate" the output of a compressor by using a regulator - above a certain PSI you won't really notice a difference in how much the sand actually takes off.

I picked up a tecumseh powered 5-HP "Pow'r Profile" compressor that outputs 10.4 CFM @ 100 PSI, that has been more than enough to feed my craftsman blaster without me spending time waiting for the tanks to recharge. My experience has shown me that "taking it to a pro" costs enough that for a bit more you'd be paying for the equipment, and you can always recoup your investment further by renting it out to friends or doing paying work with it...

This is where I got my plans and a hardware kit to make my own cabinet. I works good for the smaller stuff, but I don't see any way to blast something as big as a fender completely. I don't have a lot of mobility using a cabinet,
Scott

Then again, I have put a plastic tarp upside my fence and the harbor freight blaster to do the odd bits for my vehicles and just let the sand go into the yard half the time. Sometimes strain it and reuse it. The media just doesn't cost that much. Sand does go everywhere but there is no limit on what you can blast if you don't mind the mess!

My idea for a sandblasing cabinet is to build it out of plywood. Make it five feet long. The blasting section would be two or two and a half feet tall and deep. The door would open like a oven in the front and have two sets of gloves. I would use my pressure sandblaster I already have. There would be a hopper on the bottom to catch all the sand. Open a door on the bottom of the hopper and put the sand in a container, screen it and put it back in the blaster. And for the dust collector I was thinking about getting one of those that home depot sells for sanding sheetrock. Or see how it works and make one out of a five gallon bucket and hook it to my shop vac. Does it sound like it will work??

Big T,

Keep in mind as you design this cabinet, that if the blasting system is putting out, say 8 CFM, that your vacuum system must be able to pull at least 8 CFM, or you will be blowing stuff out of the cabinet. On a little different note, when I built my cabinet, I didn't vent it...when I turned on the vacuum cleaner, The gloves stood straight out at attention, followed shortly by the Plexiglas viewing window being sucked into the cabinet...live and learn!

Stuart

I built one out of the panels of windows I replaced in the house. They're probably 2.5 ft by 3.5 ft or so. Spent $8 on some brass pin latches so I can set up tear down fast. I set it on top the plastic dog house base that never got used (dang house mutt...), with either a glass or plywood top and a used furnace filter to keep the stuff inside. Use your junk, get creative.

For the bigger stuff, I fould a guy who will do stuff well and cheap. My hours in the shop are too few and far between to spend all day saving $30 to do a fender. He loves doing it and is cost effective. Shop around & ask around!!!!