carmadmike Posted January 19, 2019 Share Posted January 19, 2019 Hi Been thinking about getting a sand blast cabinet and have seen them on the Internet for £79.99. This is a small bench top one so I won't be able to get much in it but does any one on here have one or know what size compressor they need to run it. I have a 3hp 50ltr compressor 14cfm. The cabinet says it needs 5cfm at 40 to 80 psi but I have been told my compressor is to small. Any one have any experience with these small cabinets and what size compressor do you have to run it. Mike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted January 20, 2019 Share Posted January 20, 2019 I made a simple cabinet years ago, and bought a sandblast gun etc. Like you a 3hp 50L compressor. Great, thought I would blast my wheels. 2 hours later and done a small area of one wheel I just gave up. I think it really needs a MUCH larger compressor, certainly to remove paint and grot. A light blast off of something like aluminium it may be OK. It is quite possible my setup was not right (I am older, but no wiser now. However, the power of teh internet is most helpful) Anyway, others may have more positive experiences..... Back then I paid a company £8 a wheel to blast them. Seemed rather easier. (prices must be much higher now) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrapman Posted January 20, 2019 Share Posted January 20, 2019 I wouldn't try wheels, but I have someone else's small blast cabinet and brackets and such like it is ideal for. Wheels always seem to have stronger paint on anyway, as note from the amount of blasting the professionals have to do on them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobPearce Posted January 20, 2019 Share Posted January 20, 2019 I built a DIY blast cabinet from a kit - I think from Frost - over twenty years ago. I still have it in the new garage and it still runs off the same 3HP 50L 14CFM SIP airmate that I bought back then. I wouldn't try doing wheels in it, nor anything really rusty like brake drums, and it's not big enough for door shells. However, I've successfully refurbished water pump housings and exhaust manifolds with it, and it's great for alternators, master cylinders, wishbones, heater boxes, UJ flanges... The biggest problem I find is that the syphon pick-up can very easily get blocked by bits of crud from the item being cleaned. It really needs an extra sheet of mesh in the return hopper to catch them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carmadmike Posted January 24, 2019 Author Share Posted January 24, 2019 Thanks for the replys I think I'll put it on hold for the moment unless a bigger compresser comes up at a reasonable price. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted January 24, 2019 Share Posted January 24, 2019 Mike, I do wonder if I expected too much from a home blasting cabinet. And you are unlikely to find a more powerful single phase compressor. However, a better option may be to buy a 2nd compressor, often they can be had for reasonable money. Then you would have a 6hp compressor, which should be plenty for most jobs, probably including wheels? Saying that, the place that did mine had a road-digger type compressor, but they did do some huge metal stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobPearce Posted January 24, 2019 Share Posted January 24, 2019 Wheels are a tough call for home blasting. As Clive says, the 3HP 14cfm is about the biggest compressor you'll find in single phase, and it will run a DIY blast cabinet quite happily. I've never felt mine was suffering from lack of air. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bitumen Boy Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 My compressor was second (or possibly third) hand so I'm not sure of the exact spec, but was told it was 14cfm. It certainly dims the lights briefly when it starts up! By eye I'd guess the receiver to be at least 100, maybe 150 litre - it's a bit too big for the space really and if I had the cash I'd probably change it for something a bit more compact. Anyhoo, I don't have a blast cabinet, but I've done a bit of open-air blasting with a cheapish gun from Machine Mart and it keeps up well enough with that, wheels wouldn't be a problem except for getting enough abrasive to use in a total loss system - I tend to use ordinary builder's sand dried in an equally ordinary domestic oven for economy's sake. IMO a better bet for wheel refurbishment - with steels at least - is to get a plastic drum or dustbin and set up a simple electrolysis tank. Takes a while to get the result but very little effort required and it will eventually shift all the rust and soften the sound old paint enough to remove it with ease. Another option we've used for wheels is to ask someone who does blast cleaning of stonework - there are a couple of small firms round here who do this as most of the old houses are built of stone, and their equipment makes short work of the job. It's a few years ago now but we paid £20 (cash, of course!) for 4 wheels, and that included a coat of primer - a real bargain price but a sound job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gt6s Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 I do not have a cabinet but I have just got a sand blaster pressure pot. The compressor a 14 cfm 150 ltr tank seems to run it okay, even for wheels. At present I am blasting items in a large wooden box but the medium still gets blown out. Need to build a large cabinet for it. Either that or get a road container to sandblast in. Bit OTT that ! Laurence Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bitumen Boy Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 I did toy with the idea of a small shed behind the garage to do blasting jobs in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gt6s Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 My sheds are too big and untidy for blasting. some with loose mortar falling off the walls A 20 ft road container would totally be the answer but funds do not allow. Can afford to build a cabinet but I have a body tub needs blasting too so I might need to do that total loss of the medium. BTW Sand should not be used. Cheap it is, but gives off silica dust. Not as effective as the proper medium either. Laurence Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrapman Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 I was surprised how cheap containers were. Some shipping companies are now using "Single use" containers which get sold on or scrapped after doing the journey from China, that's bringing the prices right down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gt6s Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 Quoted from thescrapman- I was surprised how cheap containers were. Some shipping companies are now using "Single use" containers which get sold on or scrapped after doing the journey from China, that's bringing the prices right down. Looked some up on Gumtree. You are still talking IRO £1000. £1000 buys a hell of a lot of sandblasting medium. 50 bags or more. At motor factor price. It can be got cheaper. Laurence Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppy916 Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 I bought my sand blasting medium from machine mart https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-coarse-grain-soda-blast-abrasive-7-5kg/ and cleaned out the green wheelie bin laid that on a couple of hop ups and shot the medium into that, ive done all my own apart from the body and chassis and i'm still using the same bucket of grit , the best tips i can give are DON'T chew gum and wear safety specs' I did bolt heads, brackets, every thing some bits had a wire brush first (the angle grinder type) washed in thinners dried and primed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gt6s Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 BJEASUS And I thought 20 odd quid for 1/2 cwt bag was dear. Laurence Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bitumen Boy Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 Quoted from Gt6s- BTW Sand should not be used. Cheap it is, but gives off silica dust. Not as effective as the proper medium either. Laurence No, it isn't ideal, but working outside on a breezy day is, I feel, unlikely to cause any problems in reality. Of course if I ever ran with the shed idea it wouldn't be a total loss system and the proper abrasive would become practical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gt6s Posted February 4, 2019 Share Posted February 4, 2019 A tale for those of you down on Hammerite. Sandblasting my 5.5 0val hole steel wheels today. Okay will need to start at the beginning. 1991 when I got my original Gt6 she had 4 Wolfrace wheels and an oval hole 5 1/2 steel spare. Anyhooo I cleaned up the steeley wih a wire wheel and painted it with Hammerite white smooth. Forward to 1997 I acquired another 4 freshly sandblasted 5.5 steels and these I painted with silver wheel paint, my white spare I overpainted in silver too. Fast forward to today blasting these steel wheels it came to my original spare. Took the tyre off found it had a tube in, other 4 were tubeless and the beads on the said tyre were rusted onto the rim. I started off blasting the rust off the bead areas of the rim, VERY VERY EASY three passes of the blaster and the rim was down to clean steel. Started to blast the centre. Was at that a solid ten minutes and wheel still looks like a spotty dog. So anyone who tells you Hammerite does not stick to steel I can testify different. It welds itself to steel. Finish it off Friday. On the cabinet front I remembered today That I have a rather large galvanised coal bunker, no longer in use. Will look into converting that into a blasting cabinet Friday too It is EASILY big enough to use for blasting Spit Gt6 doors, boot lid, tailgate. even Herald / Vitesse doors, boot lid. Or the like, even 5 wheels at a time. Laurence Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrapman Posted February 5, 2019 Share Posted February 5, 2019 1990s Hmmerite was great stuff. modern Hammerite not so good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gt6s Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 So much for my coal bunker blast cabinet plan. Looked at it today only to discover the arse and back are rotted out of it. Too long new. On the up side my brother in law has offered me an aluminium feed bin, not as big but it will work. Laurence Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gt6s Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 Update Thanks to the bay of much evil. Got me a pair of sandblasting gauntlets with mounting flanges also 10 screen protectors. A mate is going to cut me a piece of glass plate to suit. Then the plasma cutter will get brought out to cut some holes in the feed bin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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