Sandblasting Cabnet, Media,Dust,ect!

[rooster]

Just got a sandblasting cabinet from harbor fraight , its a small one with the gloves and a
light inside. I hooked it all up and tried it out yesterday on a alternator case and a exhaust
manifold worked well! My concern is controlling the dust in the cabinet, unable to find
silca I settled for fine Mermac sand! its to dusty. The side of cabinet has a filter where I
attached the shop vac from the outside ,  when I turned the vac on it sucked 1 of the
gloves off my arm in to the cabinet. The design of the cabinet does not allow for the
return of additional air to enter the cabinet with the vac running , to clear the way for
seeing what your working on. My guess is that a filter would have to be installed on the
other side of the cabinet. I have never used any media other that sand to clean stuff up.

:?:  How well does the other media work and whats out there?

[Bruce Dorsi]

...The design of the cabinet does not allow for the
return of additional air to enter the cabinet with the vac running , to clear the way for
seeing what your working on. My guess is that a filter would have to be installed on the
other side of the cabinet.


How well does the other media work and whats out there?

-----------------------------
You are correct that the cabinet needs a source of "make-up" air to replace the air exhausted by the vac. (While blasting, your compressed air will provide a source.) ...However, I don't believe a filter is necessary since the flow of air is INTO the cabinet.  ...On my cabinet, the air enters near the top of the cabinet, and the opening is baffled to deflect any media away from the opening.

If the interior volume of your cabinet is small, and your airflow is great, you may find that your shop-vac may will pull much of the airborne media out of the cabinet, along with the dust.  .....You could start with a small opening, or put a moveable cover over the opening to adjust the airflow.

There are several blast media available, including sand, glass beads, garnet, walnut shells, plastic, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, etc.

I have only used glass beads in my cabinet, but I find them useful for all my needs.  ....They will strip paint, remove rust, and they're OK for steel or aluminum, as well as many engine parts.  

I usually blast at 80psi with the glass beads.  ....If I am doing something delicate, I will either increase the distance between the nozzle and the work, or I can adjust the air pressure lower.

You will find the choice of media will be influenced by the size of the nozzle, and your cfm available.
....Large media particles will have a tendency to clog small nozzles.

[rooster]

The sand that im useing  is just to dusty! Im going to try some suff called black beuaty that enjenjo told me about the nozzle sixe are samll 4.5,5,6,7 MM! I started with the 7MM! I just hated drag all the stuff out in the drive way to do just one small thing and half to clean the mess up, and waisting time, the small cabinet should do me just fine!
Thanks for the input

[58 Yeoman]

I built my large cabinet years ago, out of a sheet of aluminum (first and last time I ever welded AL).  The cabinet plans were from TIP for plywood, but I had this sheet of AL, so I used it.  I've got about a 2" hole in the rear wall, covered with a piece of denim for the inlet, and the same size hole for the outlet.  I used shop vacs up until last year when Menard's had a dust collector for $99.  The best thing I ever used; it doesn't clog up with dust.  I used to have to bang the vac on the floor to knock the dust off the inside bag.  I've used silica sand the whole time, but after I use up my supply, I may go to glass beads.  Be sure to not breathe the silica dust, as it can cause silicosis.  I also mounted a water trap/regulator on the air inlet.

[rooster]

...The design of the cabinet does not allow for the
return of additional air to enter the cabinet with the vac running , to clear the way for
seeing what your working on. My guess is that a filter would have to be installed on the
other side of the cabinet.


How well does the other media work and whats out there?

-----------------------------
You are correct that the cabinet needs a source of "make-up" air to replace the air exhausted by the vac. (While blasting, your compressed air will provide a source.) ...However, I don't believe a filter is necessary since the flow of air is INTO the cabinet.  ...On my cabinet, the air enters near the top of the cabinet, and the opening is baffled to deflect any media away from the opening.

If the interior volume of your cabinet is small, and your airflow is great, you may find that your shop-vac may will pull much of the airborne media out of the cabinet, along with the dust.  .....You could start with a small opening, or put a moveable cover over the opening to adjust the airflow.

There are several blast media available, including sand, glass beads, garnet, walnut shells, plastic, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, etc.

I have only used glass beads in my cabinet, but I find them useful for all my needs.  ....They will strip paint, remove rust, and they're OK for steel or aluminum, as well as many engine parts.  

I usually blast at 80psi with the glass beads.  ....If I am doing something delicate, I will either increase the distance between the nozzle and the work, or I can adjust the air pressure lower.

You will find the choice of media will be influenced by the size of the nozzle, and your cfm available.
....Large media particles will have a tendency to clog small nozzles.

Im learning quick! I found some media, but none locally! Yet! So far 21.00 for 25 pds. 12 shipping, 7.95 handling!

I haven't tryed any of the local shops around here yet maybe they can point me in the right direction.
Thanks for input!

[58 Yeoman]

I had gotten my silica sand at a local lumber yard, plus they threw in two bags that were ripped open.

[purplepickup]

Brick supply places sell silica sand too.  It's a little less than $3 for a 100 lb bag around here.

[rooster]

Brick supply places sell silica sand too.  It's a little less than $3 for a 100 lb bag around here.

Silica is all I have ever used, I thought it might be a good idea to try the other kinds of media because work work will be indoors. Re-thinking this will be a short trip!!!!!!!!

The Silica mines are about 5 miles away, when I was working I used to stop the truck and fill a couple of 5 gal buckets where it leaked out of railroad hopper cars sitting along side the road. Had to get it while it was dry out though!

[Crosley.In.AZ]

Don't be breathing that dust from the blasting!