New Sand Blast cabnet!

[Basil]

I just bought a new Sand Blasting cabinet today and wow! How did I get by all these years without one of these? In a matter of moments, I turned my old, rusty Rear suspension mounts for my EType into brand-new looking units! I thought I was going to just buy new ones, but now I can use my originals! I love this new toy

Basil

 

[tony barnhill]

Aren't new tools great, Bas? I have the big cabinet from Harbor Freight....next, you need a 60 gallon 2-stage, upright air compressor!

 

[Basil]

I have a 22gal 5hp upright compressor. It is adequate, but only just. I may end up getting a bigger unit down the road, but for now, this is sufficient for the small bits and pieces I'd doing.

Basil

PS: I am using #5 glass beads and it does a great job of removing the crud and polishing the metal to look like new! I love it!

 

[Zer]

If you don't mind me asking what are the things worth?????
Zer

 

[tony barnhill]

Trying to remember...mine was on sale...a few hundred but not $300...think somewhere arouns $200 or less

 

[Basil]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Zer:
If you don't mind me asking what are the things worth?????
Zer

<hr></blockquote>

Mine is a bench-top model that I picked up on sale for $69.00. It is plenty big for most of what I need it for (brake calipers and such small parts).

 

[MGFever]

Boy, you guys are making my day! I built mine out of scrap wood! It's 3'wX3'LX2'D. I have a hinged cover in front with a plexiglass window and for the hand holes, I cut off the arms of an old sweatshirt! Looks like a real shade tree job but it works great! I can even dismantle it whenever I decide and stow it away. Just sign me cheap in Minnesota!

 

[Steve]

I am nowhere near handy enough to make my own, but I am tempted with the idea of a cabinet and compressor. I do actually have a share in an industrial 3-phase compressor but I can't use that at home. How hard would it be to have service just to my garage upgrade I wonder? Hmmmmmmmmmmm.

 

[Bugeye58]

Steve, getting three phase dropped to your garage would be expensive. At least it is here in Michigan. Plus, you would probably be billed at commercial rates.
A phase converter can be had for between $100-$300, depending on the horsepower of the motor. A friend has two in his garage, one for the compressor, and one for the Bridgeport, and they have been trouble free for the last ten years.
Jeff

 

[63&66MGB]

Has anyone tried useing the sand blaster on sheet metal body parts? If so how does it work and any recomendations?

Scott

 

[Steve]

Thanks for the information Jeff. A phase convertor might be the way to go. I don't even know the horsepower of this unit, suppose I'd better find out!

 

[Basil]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by 63&66MGB:
Has anyone tried useing the sand blaster on sheet metal body parts? If so how does it work and any recomendations?

Scott

<hr></blockquote>

I had my entire car bead-blasted (glass beads - very fine, not sand! ) Worked great! But of course you can't but a car into a cabinet

They just do it in an open bay designed for such purposes. (Cost me about $300 to have the entire car bead blasted top to bottom).

Basil

 

[Basil]

By the way, did I mention that I'm having a "blast" with my new blasting cabinet?

 

[Ghrrom]

Yes, you did.

 

[63&66MGB]

So what would you all recommend for a full body shell? What medium should I use? glass beads, plastic beads? different beads for rust removal and paint removal?

Scott

 

[tlthorne]

Steve,
for a phase convertor you can build one easy, a 3 phase motor larger than the motor you want to run and a few old run caps out of a/c units at the junk yard or a/c repair place(how many depends on the size of the motor) check out
www.metalwebnews.org for more detailed info. have had mine runing for 8-10yrs now 5 hp that runs
a pullmax machine, B/p, lathe, grinders.

now my opinion on sand blasting sheet metal"DON'T"
if properly done using plastic medium it will not
work harden. why i say this? when the sand/ glass
/etc is shot at the metal too hard it causes
heat build up in the sheet metal, this is different than someone warping the metal from too much force. How do i know that? well when trying to straighten pcs that have been blasted rather than chemically dip are much harder take alot longer to smooth/metal finish.

now off my soap box( homemade lye soap) by the way
the stripper most places use in tanks is lye, you can do this at home, i have a tank set up with a
water heater element, about 120 degrees lye works
real good, when it get dirty/greasey add a little
TSP cuts the grease, every 5-10 years when it slimes up drain water off, put the solids in the trash, EPA says its ok.
i also have a tip cabinet i bought for 1/2 the price, the guy used it a month and it didn't work
very well anymore, well i paid the guy and cleaned out the old sand and put new in and works like new! when it quits cutting time for new media

Take care!

tt
clueless near st.louis