Media Blast Cabinet Build

[linus6948]

I`ve been doing some scrap-art and seemed to be spending most of my time grinding rust off of scrap metal. I found a series of videos on utube on how to modify the cheap harbor freight 40lb cabinet into an excellent blast cabinet. I can now clean a rust encrusted Railroad spike to like new in about 20 seconds and in it`s altered form it just "sips" media and requires less than half the air pressure. 

 

 

Edited September 12, 2017 by linus6948

[Flatie46]

The problems I have experienced with blast cabinets in the past were. 

The media usually clotted up, usually due to moisture.

Or, you couldn't see very well due to the dust storm combined with viewing area being scratched and scuffed. 

We had a big one at work and I would bring parts in on Saturday's and use it, when it was working good, you couldn't beat it, ( prob 20% of the time) the rest of the time you fought it.

[linus6948]

So far it has been running great, I only keep 3 cups of media in the hopper at anytime so it is very fast and inexpensive to replace but so far no clotting issues, I think the heat the spotlights provide is helping with moisture issues. I replaced the miserable stock drain "valve" on the bottom of my 60gal air compressor with a ball valve plumbed to outside the base so dumping the water daily from the tank is now a pleasure and I have a decent water trap installed on the line for good measure. The shop vacuum system is doing a fine job of keeping the visibility clear, in fact I throttled it down by about half. The bottom pane of sacrificial glass is single pane window glass from Lowes, I got four pieces cut to size for $15. This cabinet has made dealing with rusty scrap metal much easier, a lot less time spent with the angle grinder and wire wheel.

Edited September 17, 2017 by linus6948

[ropaul]

Nice work! It looks more functional now.

[linus6948]

Thanks, I have to say this cabinet really does work amazingly well and I am still amazed by it`s performance on every piece of rusty metal I`ve put in the cabinet.

[linus6948]

Video now has over 14,000 views and 50 comments/questions. If any one is interested in building one Harbor Freight will be running the 25% off coupon for Mothers Day.

 

http://www.hfqpdb.com/

[JBNeal]

If I gave my mother a blast cabinet, she would "persuade" me to get into it to test it on me first...and she has a very persuasive wooden spoon ?

[austinsailor]

Mine is a bigger Scat Blast cabinet, similar to this, and it's probably the most used thing I have. From big parts to just nuts and bolts. Taking old rusted bolts and nuts out, if you can get them out without breaking, and 15 seconds to have them work like new.

[JBNeal]

A cautionary tale about compressor drain valves:  I installed the elbow and ball valve under the tank but with a long pipe nipple so the valve was easy to get to...within a year, that nipple developed a crack at the threads near the elbow, presumably from compressor vibration + cantilevered load, as the valve was protected from being stepped on or run into...I replaced the plumbing by locating the ball valve on a close nipple right next to the elbow under the tank (reducing the cantilevered load) then aiming the ball valve outlet into an old butter tub to collect the compressor sweat...I have to kinda crawl under the tank to crack open the valve, but that setup has lasted about 15 yrs