Blasting Cabinets

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SirHumphreyAppleby

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#240214 27-Aug-2018 10:09

I am in the market for a cheap blasting cabinet, and am seeking any suggestions or feedback on the units I have been able to find, or anything I should be taking in to consideration when buying/using these tools.

I have a house full of window handles I intend to repaint as the old powder coating is in a poor state. After investigating the cost of new handles, it appears the cost of the handles alone is almost as much as the potential costs of purchasing the additional equipment needed to complete the job myself.

I have a small gravity fed sandblaster, but that's too wasteful for such a small project. I also have a 3HP compressor since that's obviously going to be relevant when blasting.

So far, I have been able to locate three units that would do what I need.

SB-100 from Machinery House (Internal 59x50x30-36cm) - under $200
SB-200 from Machinery House (Internal 83x51x36-55cm) - around $300
ToolPro 100L cabinet from Supercheap Auto (Unknown internal dimensions, but somewhere between the Machinery House units) - around $200

Prices are what I expect when these units are on sale. Machinery House seems to have a sale every September, no idea when Supercheap Auto might have their cabinet discounted again. I think I may have once purchased something from them years ago, but otherwise I'm not too familiar with their products, although I do know their air tools all have Nitto fittings... they'll be swapped for ARO.

I'm inclined to think one of the larger units is the best way to go as it will give me more options in the future. The SB-200 unit looks like the Harbour Freight model, and there is plenty of video online regarding assembling and improving the functionality of those cabinets.

Would a vacuum be advisable for small blasting projects, or can I get away without one? If not, I will look at also getting one of those cyclone extractor thingamajigs.

Is there anything else I should be taking in to consideration? (Obviously this is Geekzone, and I'm mainly here for the IT stuff, but I've been getting a lot of satisfaction out of using my growing collection of air tools. I wish I'd purchased an air compressor years ago.)

neb

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#2079603 27-Aug-2018 11:12

Possibly a slightly obvious answer, but apart from the window you could build most of it yourself out of e.g. a sheet of 12mm non-structural plywood (under $40, that's the cheapest stuff you can get) and some scrap timber for bracing.

SirHumphreyAppleby

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#2079669 27-Aug-2018 12:54

neb: Possibly a slightly obvious answer, but apart from the window you could build most of it yourself out of e.g. a sheet of 12mm non-structural plywood (under $40, that's the cheapest stuff you can get) and some scrap timber for bracing.

I must admit, I was wondering why people with more tools and experience than myself don't just build their own. I figured they must have good reason, even though the cabinets aren't exactly complicated, and many of the 'upgrades' I've seen seem to be over-complicating things more than necessary. I have PETG sheet that I could use for the window.

On the other hand, I don't have the tools I'd need to make one, but I could borrow them from the neighbour.

neb

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#2080352 28-Aug-2018 17:01

If you've only got access to hand tools you can get the hardware place to do the bigger cuts for you and then finish it up with hand tools. I usually do that, mainly to deal with the problem of transporting 2400mm pieces of timber around.

As for the window... would PETG stand up to the wear? You're going to end up abrading away the surface of whatever you use, I don't know how PETG would stand up to that, I imagine it'd go pretty opaque fairly quickly. Maybe a plate of glass fronted by a sacrificial layer of something that you can swap out when it gets too scratched?

SirHumphreyAppleby

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#2080360 28-Aug-2018 17:26

neb:would PETG stand up to the wear? You're going to end up abrading away the surface of whatever you use, I don't know how PETG would stand up to that, I imagine it'd go pretty opaque fairly quickly. Maybe a plate of glass fronted by a sacrificial layer of something that you can swap out when it gets too scratched?

PETG is rigid enough to be self-supporting, and cheap enough to be a sacrificial layer, so I was just thinking of replacing the whole window, and not bothering with stick-on sheets. I may be able to use something cheaper, but 2.4m sheets of PETG don't cost very much.