Sandblaster!!!

[Sparky_SC]

I have the Princess auto sandblast cabinet, I got it on sale though, so cheaper than current pricing.
I'm using a $10, 10 watt Aliexpress floodlight and I still have only the siphon gun that came with it. The biggest issue I have with it is that the angle of the hopper is much lower than the angle of repose for even new media, and crushed shells, forget about it, my plan is to make the legs longer and a new hopper with a much deeper bottom that will increase the angle, at least enough so new media will slide into the bottom. By the time I'm finished, it will likely be the same price as yours. BTW, on mine, the screen is fairly easy to remove if you have to push the media down, so kind of a plus and the hopper is bolted in, no pop rivets!

I have read reports how some that had problems with media returning to the bottom mounted a "vibrator" to the outside to the hopper.

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Sparky---That does work, and works very well. During my design career I did a lot of pit and quarry work, and when all else failed to make a bin discharge, a bin vibrator generally solved the problem.----Brian

 

[ddmckee54]

Sparky---That does work, and works very well. During my design career I did a lot of pit and quarry work, and when all else failed to make a bin discharge, a bin vibrator generally solved the problem.----Brian

In pit or quarry work, I'll bet you dollars to donuts that those bin vibrators were a LOT bigger than you'd what need for your blast cabinet.

 

[Brian Rupnow]

I've hit a snag!!! The viewing panel is held into the cabinet sheet metal with a special rubber molding. The one I have is totally rotten. A phone call to Harbor Freight tells me they no longer have this part available as a replacement part. I have tried a couple of places in Barrie that deal in glass, and they have never seen this type of rubber before. Next trick will be to see what can figure out for a replacement.

 

[Sparky_SC]

I've hit a snag!!! The viewing panel is held into the cabinet sheet metal with a special rubber molding. The one I have is totally rotten. A phone call to Harbor Freight tells me they no longer have this part available as a replacement part. I have tried a couple of places in Barrie that deal in glass, and they have never seen this type of rubber before. Next trick will be to see what can figure out for a replacement.

How about a picture of the rubber molding in question?
My harbor freight cabinet does not use a molding, yours appears to be a older model.

 

[Brian Rupnow]

I called Harbor Freight this morning, and they said that model was so old they no longer supported it.--No Parts. So, I came up with a different way of doing the job, just means more work for me.

 

[Ghosty]

I've hit a snag!!! The viewing panel is held into the cabinet sheet metal with a special rubber molding. The one I have is totally rotten. A phone call to Harbor Freight tells me they no longer have this part available as a replacement part. I have tried a couple of places in Barrie that deal in glass, and they have never seen this type of rubber before. Next trick will be to see what can figure out for a replacement.

Brian,
Try the automotive industry, they do the type of rubber you will need.
Cheers
Andrew

 

[ShopShoe]

Brian,

You may know this firm from your hot-rodding days:

https://metrommp.com

They say "Worldwide Shipping."

The following is my source for sandblast information: They also say they cover Canada.

https://www.tptools.com

I've been following along on your sandblaster project, as I do all your projects.

--ShopShoe

 

[Brian Rupnow]

YEAH!!! My gloves are installed. Great big nasty ugly gloves--(I may borrow them at Halloween). They fit up very nicely to the adapters I have tuned on my lathe, and both are secured to the adapters with a big gear clamp.

 

[NapierDeltic]

How about windows sealing rubber profiles?

 

[Robsmith]

I've hit a snag!!! The viewing panel is held into the cabinet sheet metal with a special rubber molding. The one I have is totally rotten. A phone call to Harbor Freight tells me they no longer have this part available as a replacement part. I have tried a couple of places in Barrie that deal in glass, and they have never seen this type of rubber before. Next trick will be to see what can figure out for a replacement.

Brian, I use a glass panel. Two tracks to hold it in place on the outside of the cabinet and the vacuum keeps the dust from leaking past .

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Yes, after searching locally I have decided to do the same. I will use 1/8" Lexan and some milled aluminum strips to hold my viewing panel in.---Brian

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Here it is Sunday morning and all the stores are closed today. Can't buy Lexan nor aluminum strips to go around it to build a custom framed viewing panel. Can't buy any 2 1/4" o.d. steel tube to make up part of the vacuum dust extraction system. Can't really do anything buildwise. However, yesterday while I was in Rona, a local hardware store, I did manage to grab a 5 gallon plastic pail with vertical sides and a snap on lid. This will form the main part of my cyclone dust collector. I will start a separate thread for the dust collector.

 

[Sparky_SC]

Most use pvc piping for the vacuum/cyclone plumbing. Lexan is expensive, they come with just cheap plexiglass but many have used plain window glass saying it does not scratch up like plastic. My harbor freight blaster has glass on the outside of the cabinet and plexiglass on the inside sandwiched. My plexiglass isn't real bad yet but I will switch to window glass when it does.

 

[werowance]

the harbor freight blasting cabinets i have seen use the same rubber gasket that garage doors with windows use. not sure if you looked around the hardware store in that department to see if you could come up with anything

 

[ddmckee54]

If you are using anything other than soda as a blasting medium you will scratch up your window - it's just a matter of how long it will take. You need to put a sacrificial layer between the glass and the inside of the blast cabinet. If it were me, I'd put the glass in a hinged frame and then put a layer a cheap plastic between the window and the cabinet. When the plastic gets to the point you can't tolerate it any more just change it for a new piece. You probably need something thicker than cling-wrap, I'd think that the media bouncing around in the cabinet would just rip it to shreds. Maybe some clear vinyl, the kind used for temporary storm windows?

 

[Sparky_SC]

If you are using anything other than soda as a blasting medium you will scratch up your window - it's just a matter of how long it will take. You need to put a sacrificial layer between the glass and the inside of the blast cabinet. If it were me, I'd put the glass in a hinged frame and then put a layer a cheap plastic between the window and the cabinet. When the plastic gets to the point you can't tolerate it any more just change it for a new piece. You probably need something thicker than cling-wrap, I'd think that the media bouncing around in the cabinet would just rip it to shreds. Maybe some clear vinyl, the kind used for temporary storm windows?

Plastic sheets made for the purpose are widely available.

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Tonight I'm a very cranky guy. For the last six hours all I've done is crank the mill table back and forth. The frame I have made up from 1" x 1/4" aluminum flat bar is about 23" x 11" with a 1/2"wide x 0.127" deep recess all around the side which sets up against the cabinet. Tomorrow I will buy a piece of window glass to fit my frame and assemble it to the sandblasting cabinet. The aluminum flatbar cost $11. This brings my total cost up to $256 overall.

 

[Sparky_SC]

Tonight I'm a very cranky guy. For the last six hours all I've done is crank the mill table back and forth. The frame I have made up from 1" x 1/4" aluminum flat bar is about 23" x 11" with a 1/2"wide x 0.127" deep recess all around the side which sets up against the cabinet. Tomorrow I will buy a piece of window glass to fit my frame and assemble it to the sandblasting cabinet. The aluminum flatbar cost $11

Looks great !
Cranky guy? Wait till you have to reach in for those furthest mounting screws.

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Sparky---Those are all going to be self tappers.