Ryoken's DIY Blast Cabinet Build

[ryoken]

I thought I would move this project from my build thread to it's own for future searching and to not drag that thread any more off topic than it already gets..

as most will remember, I ordered this kit from TP tools..

http://www.tptools.com/Skat-Blast-M...binet-Kit-24-Standard-Lens,7194.html?b=d*8042



I started building the cabinet 48" wide last weekend..

today I snuck in a bit more progress... cut the glove holes and door opening, and built the frame that the expanded steel screen will sit on..

during the week I'm gonna see about getting the hopper together and mounted to the cabinet.... also picked up lumber for the leg's this morning too...

 

[ryoken]

shelf, screwed and glued.....

 

[76zimmer]

is this a media recirculating type, or refill the supply type?
never seen one out of wood but why not?

 

[woodchk502]

I seen a kit like this years ago but never seen one in use. I'm curious how much the price tag will be when complete. I into harbor freight last night specifically to look at the band saws that have been discussed in your build and to look at blast cabinets. Saws up to $799 and all be danged if I can remember the cabinet price.

 

[ryoken]

is this a media recirculating type, or refill the supply type?

recirculating, like this, but out of wood..

mines a foot pedal setup, which is MUCH nicer than the handheld guns...

the media sits down in the hopper.... when the media wears out, you change it out by draining it out the bottom, than refill the hopper...


here's a couple I saw on google out of wood... doesn't look like there's a hopper on this one.. basically some people build a cabinet and run our HF style sandblaster into em.. but that has to suck visually.. let alone the refilling aspect..

these look pretty good with a hopper, etc..

mine will be running my shopvac hooked up to it... I'm hopefully it's gonna work real nice....

 

[ryoken]

I seen a kit like this years ago but never seen one in use. I'm curious how much the price tag will be when complete. I into harbor freight last night specifically to look at the band saws that have been discussed in your build and to look at blast cabinets. Saws up to $799 and all be danged if I can remember the cabinet price.

comparable, but smaller, foot pedal operated steel ones are in the $1000 to 1200 range...

the foot pedal is a pretty expensive option on em..

 

[ryoken]

oh, and "all in" price on this, including 50lb's of media, lumber, shipping, etc, etc is about $500... and that was with $90 in nice ply.. not cheap $20 stuff, which is doable too, to lower the cost even more...

 

[76zimmer]

We have one about the size of those at work, it automatically recycles the media into the hopper somehow. It pretty much looks just like what your building, but with a large hopper tank on the side and a 4" return to the hopper top...

 

[ryoken]

yeah, your talking commercial grade stuff there... TP has all that too.. but ya start talking 3, 4 g's for that stuff...


I have a few things I've had waiting around the shop to get blasted in a cab that I'll try it out on when done....

very, very busy these days, but hopefully I can have it up and running in the next 3 weeks or so... once I finish the carpentry, I'll coat it in and out.. than install all the parts, window, gloves, yada...

 

[76zimmer]

beats the hell out of a driveway blaster!!!!

 

[ARAMP1]

Awesome work (as usual)!

How does the media recirculate?

Also, what are you using for lights? I have a cheapo HF cabinet and I have to turn out the lights in the garage to see in the cabinet. I was thinking of bolting in some halogen work lights.

 

[ryoken]

the media recirculates by gravity.. it falls back down thru the grate (expanded steel), into the hopper... the gun is fed by a pickup tube

that feeds off the bottom of the hopper... which holds about 50 lb's of media..


the kit comes with the light and box on the left

the box mounts to the outside, hole in the wood, and the light sticks thru inside... I can also add the light fixture to the right, to the other end of the cab if I want.. it's $8..




the power supply and switch is nice because you can just power up the light, and plug the shopvac into the plug.... I should have outstanding visibility with the vac system on it...

 

[ARAMP1]

the media recirculates by gravity.. it falls back down thru the grate (expanded steel), into the hopper... the gun is fed by a pickup tube

Ahhh, I thought it was something else. Yeah, that's the way the HF unit works. For some reason, I was thinking that the vacuum recycled the dust back into the hopper somehow.

 

[runamok151]

You could also use rope lights inside the cabinet. They're low profile, totally sealed, bright, no chance of breaking them. One or two strands of these linked together around the inside of the window would put great light on your work piece.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Hampton-...-ML-2W-6-120V-C/100210050?N=bvm7#.UX6LBHBtJEg

 

[ryoken]

hmmmmmmm, neat. yeah, I've seen those on the boats.. definitely a possibility....

 

[4X4HIGH]

Looks good BUT, be prepared to keep replacing the wood structure under the steel grate. If you haven't used a blast cabinet before you'll soon understand what i'm talking about. When I had my shop I owned a 48" wide Universal brand blast cabinet and wore out the STEEL structure under the grate many times from the bead blasting towards it over time.

 

[ryoken]

most job's I've had, had a cabinet.. honestly, I'm not overly concerned about that kinda wear.. it's not like it's a production shop, just occasional home hobbyist use.... pretty sure I'll be long dead before I need to worry about that..


one thing I forgot to get that I wanna get was peel-aways for the glass.... might as well try to keep the glass in good shape...

 

[cuervo]

That's pretty sweet man.

 

[ryoken]

starting to look like a blast cabinet...

tomorrow I'l build the lower leg bracing, make the door and fit the trap door... pop in some holes for the intake, exhaust and light.. than sand any resin boogers off and the woodworking should be done...

tues I'm stopping at my welder bud's place to pick up the expanded steel screen... hopefully by next weekend, I'll be coating it inside and out..

 

[y5mgisi]

Looking good!