Anyone else own Sandblasting Cabinet - Slightly Modded Mine

[Bods]

I've wondered a few things since buying mine, got this cabinet off ebay from guy quite local he said he ended up buying 2 but with some story behind the mistake yet it had a label on the box i noticed when I got home with someone else's name and address on I'm not bothered as long as I got a good deal what the story is was brand new in box



It's fairly decent size though sometimes could do with bigger. What I'd like to know is am I doing something wrong, bearing in mind i've been using it for quite a few years now so it's bit late asking but bugs me when you blasting away stuff, the window has acetate sheets with double sided tape around edge that just about covers the inside of the window, in no time at all that gets blasted from the dust and you can't see anything much to carry on working, apart from holding the metal furthest away possible so less bounces off and probably doing tiny bits and letting it settle is this just normal considering the price they charge for the sheets, it would end up costing you a fortune if your changing them every day so I made some alterations to my cabinet to reduce the cost but wondered anyone else here had any experience and is this normal

I Don't know who came up with the design of this cabinets but I could make one a whole lot better to be honest. you can't use it without a dust extractor, originally I was using a big one for wood sawdust but there so noisy, bought one of the proper dust extractors to fit on these cabinets hoping that would be quieter, jeez it's like a bloody jet plane starting up, I bet the neighbours love it I have my ear defenders on lol

 

[Phils Arcade]

I've a large one, and that's all I'm going to say about that

I do have a large one, with built in filtration system and hopper, which runs off a 200 litre compressor. It has a hardened glass panel rather than perspex which works well, but even that gets worn and speckled over time. At least its a standard square pane so easy to get replaced. Would get 5 cut at any one time, but that'd last a couple of years, before I'd need more. Don't use it enough to really wear it out, though I really should get another set of gloves, mine have holes where they enter the cabinet.

 

[K1ngarth3r]

I've nearly bought that model quite a few times and always missed out on them on Facebook marketplace. I could do with one though, I have paint stripping and the mess it makes.

What compressor are you using?

 

[Bods]

I've nearly bought that model quite a few times and always missed out on them on Facebook marketplace. I could do with one though, I have paint stripping and the mess it makes.

What compressor are you using?

I was trying to get one second hand to start and with everything all ready to go as I knew nothing about them, always too far away if cheap or more reasonable distance they were selling for too much for used compared to new, can't remember what price these were new now, well I don't think they were anywhere near £400+
think I paid about £200


It's not too bad but problems I find
1. The side door media comes out so always ends up on floor around it and when you open the door loads falls out as it piles up in two holes I have not idea why they even there, on the ledge under where the botton of inside of door slopes out
2. The window gets misted up pretty quick so I just asked Google and An acetate sheet inside a shot blasting cabinet typically lasts anywhere from a few hours to a couple of weeks, depending heavily on how often you blast and the type of abrasive media you use
Factors That Affect Lifespan

• • Type of Abrasive: Aggressive and hard media like aluminum oxide or silicon carbide will frost, pit, and wear through thin acetate very quickly (often within a few hours of active blasting). Softer media like glass beads or plastic/organic abrasives allow the sheet to last longer.
  • Blast Pressure: Higher PSI accelerates the abrasive wear on the sacrificial layer.
  • Static and Dust: Fine dust can cling to the acetate via static electricity, reducing visibility even before the sheet is physically pitted through, prompting a replacement for clarity
  • Because acetate sheets are very cheap and easy to cut from rolls or overhead projector sheets, many operators treat them as a disposable daily or weekly consumable, swapping them out as soon as visibility becomes cloudy or fogged.
  • 

 

[Bods]

That was doing my head in with the dots
CHEAP this is why I wondered if I was doing something wrong as I wasn't gonna be replacing that every week at cost they are. probably save money if you can buy a roll, then need thin double sided tape and spend time cutting and sticking tape on them
3. try sticking the damn things inside the window on the left side when you only have door access on right, it was an absolute pain
4. the Light inside it is absolutely usesless, not even LEDs, comes with 12V adaptor I think

Also the inside I wonder why they design with flat what 3 or 4 cm area around edge where the top and the sloped bottom bolt together so all the media piles up around edge, thats the least of the issues though

So I had a thought to save replacing the acetate protectors, use some pallet wrap over the inside as I had a roll from somewhere and it stuck on quite good, but still quite hard work so came up with new idea based on the smaller cabinets

All nice and new but doesn't stay like it long, can see the ledge all around the edge


The mess when you don't have dust extractor, you can't use it for long either as you can't see anything after a few mins lol



And the mess when you open the door, be even worse if it gets wet as it's like a sandpit using crushed glass media

 

[Bods]

This was all doing my head in so was time to make things easier so lets make the window open save using the stupid side door and make it easier to stick new sheet on the inside
With some spare metal from a sega driving machine twin topper i used the metal for a frame to fix the window to




Hinge came from arcade machine, might have been of the bodged up Star Wars from the AfterBurner panel




Rivet Nuts around the sides to bolt the window frame back to this





Since fitting the opening window I hardly used the side door as it's much easier with top opening unless I need to get something bigger in

It's still not easy putting pallet wrap over the window, be better if it folded over flat so its upside down, but I just put it over the opening and then close window, the right hand glove is falling apart so I put my hand through the gap but I was thinking of making a little door between the holes to do it and also to use for small items save opening the top but not got around to that yet

 

[Bods]

The light I've been using rechargeable lamps sat on the window, anything inside it going to get mess up quick, either need to mod a lamp so I can plug into mains adaptor ideally or some led setup around inside of window on outside would be good



Lately I've been charging them up with solar panels which is good, need 850w of them to charge 10w lamps up on a crap day though lol, need to get the panels fitted on shed roof, another job on my endless list

 

[Bods]

What compressor are you using?

I got one of these Clarke https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/336715673454 got if from ebay only a few miles from me, I didn't realise it was gonna be quite so big I thought it was probably same size of the ones in my Rail Chase but it 'probably twice the size, there is one on ebay at the mo for £150 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/198595576852 which is better price, I paid £180 and it was in condition like the first one, came with regulator unit, massive long hose and tyre inflator, spray gun, air gun etc so it was proper decent price and amazing to get one only a few miles away for change, usually local means expensive for some reason
Good having decent size tank though, even better if you have the space lol

 

[Bods]

I've a large one, and that's all I'm going to say about that

I do have a large one, with built in filtration system and hopper, which runs off a 200 litre compressor. It has a hardened glass panel rather than perspex which works well, but even that gets worn and speckled over time. At least its a standard square pane so easy to get replaced. Would get 5 cut at any one time, but that'd last a couple of years, before I'd need more. Don't use it enough to really wear it out, though I really should get another set of gloves, mine have holes where they enter the cabinet.

200 litre that is a large one lol

You could put glass in this one, just seen this which isn't bad idea, stainless steel mesh

 

[Hurray Banana]

Nice modding

 

[SassMate]

This was all doing my head in so was time to make things easier so lets make the window open save using the stupid side door and make it easier to stick new sheet on the inside
With some spare metal from a sega driving machine twin topper i used the metal for a frame to fix the window to
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Hinge came from arcade machine, might have been of the bodged up Star Wars from the AfterBurner panel

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View attachment 64277

Rivet Nuts around the sides to bolt the window frame back to this
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Since fitting the opening window I hardly used the side door as it's much easier with top opening unless I need to get something bigger in

It's still not easy putting pallet wrap over the window, be better if it folded over flat so its upside down, but I just put it over the opening and then close window, the right hand glove is falling apart so I put my hand through the gap but I was thinking of making a little door between the holes to do it and also to use for small items save opening the top but not got around to that yet

That black and decker workbench looks like it's seen some action

 

[Flyback2021]

View attachment 64284

The light I've been using rechargeable lamps sat on the window, anything inside it going to get mess up quick, either need to mod a lamp so I can plug into mains adaptor ideally or some led setup around inside of window on outside would be good

View attachment 64285

Lately I've been charging them up with solar panels which is good, need 850w of them to charge 10w lamps up on a crap day though lol, need to get the panels fitted on shed roof, another job on my endless list

View attachment 64286

You are looking very well set up for when you take early retirement !

 

[Bods]

That black and decker workbench looks like it's seen some action

They were just some cheapo ones that I got from the tip lol, though they have seen some action over the last probably 20 years i've been using them

 

[Bods]

You are looking very well set up for when you take early retirement !

This is the thing, I was taking a fair bit of stuff to the farm to have blasted and then trip to the powder-coaters , but i tried to save quite a few bits up to take so i'd have stuff hanging around for a while, big stuff was okay like when I refurbished the monkey and parrot machines but when i needed Operation wolf parts doing they blast them with powerful one, if there is any pitting to cover that the power coaters do it too thick and I couldn't reassemble the gun, the door and front corner and other brackets look great and I was doing more and more work so thought its time to get something setup especially when doing the cars as well, I can't be waiting to get the parts up there so it is convenient when you have few small bits to do, At the same time though its very time consuming and it's nice when you can just drop stuff off and someone else does it all while your getting on doing other work, then you have the cost, having parts sandblasted would double the cost of having it powder coated which wasn't that expensive to start if its just satin black but I'm guessing cost of that have gone up a bit with rise in energy crippling businesses like the 106 years Ice Cream shop been going in Bristol think it was, 2012 yearly electric bill £14,000 and 2025 it was £78,000 so another business closed

Sometimes you need to weigh up the time you spend doing things yourself vs taking it to someone else as its probably better just paying someone like cost of powder coating over the hassle of buying all the equipment, hassle of mixing the 2k paint and only so long before it's going off, cost of the paint and the time spraying and even worse cleaning everything after which is horrible. it comes out decent and it's nearly as tough a finish as power coat but It's not so fun doing it, be better if I had some where like area of garden i could dedicate to blasting bigger items with pressure pot and spraying area it's far from perfect setup but yeah that's not so much of an option when your trying to live on a budget and you'll have more free time to do things yourself over the money to pay others so it will be a case of get on with it myself or it's not going to be done, well unless the other half pays keep asking her when can I retire but she says not yet I said I'll have more time to help you with stuff if you pay some of my bills but that didn't work either lol

Been really busy all week sandblasting loads of parts ready to paint with the black 2k epoxy, finishing this part i've been making for SR3 which i'm pretty happy with, just need day with not much wind and not raining now to get all the parts painted using the frame I made to hang parts on, i'm not looking forward to to it being honest but getting this finished for the cab is spurring me on
Nearly a month off work currently is giving me a taster and its pretty nice not caring what day it is

 

[Phils Arcade]

Been really busy all week sandblasting loads of parts ready to paint with the black 2k epoxy, finishing this part i've been making for SR3 which i'm pretty happy with, just need day with not much wind and not raining now to get all the parts painted using the frame I made to hang parts on, i'm not looking forward to to it being honest but getting this finished for the cab is spurring me on
Nearly a month off work currently is giving me a taster and its pretty nice not caring what day it is

What brand of paints do you use?

 

[Bods]

What brand of paints do you use?

I bought this for the car https://www.rust.co.uk/product/em121-epoxy-rust-proofing-paint-black/
I've been using it on Arcade parts and they do look good, though I guess any 2k expoxy will do the job, I was going to look if any cheaper products, annoyingly when I sand blasted all the rear suspension parts on the HRV while replacing the bushes, i then used this https://www.rust.co.uk/product/fe-123-rust-converter/ because when you sandblast any metal that is got the smallest amount of pitting it doesn't remove all the rust in the pits, if you leave it 2 weeks unpainted there are rust spots forming again, this is supposed to kill the rust yet within months of painting the car parts it had rust spots coming through all over even painted in the 2k epoxy which was highly frustrating https://www.rust.co.uk/product/fe-123-rust-converter/
Now i've gone to soaking anything pitted in rust remover so it gets to all areas to kill the rust but guy restoring CRX used the Built Hamber Hydrate 80 to paint all the bottom of his car before spraying so i'm using that on the arcade parts before painting and see how well that does oh and he used this to paint to underside after
https://www.asap-supplies.com/produ...MI1saApK7rlgMVXpNQBh0w2RzdEAQYBSABEgJL_PD_BwE

I was going to look if you can get some with textured finish to spray coin doors, would be nice to do them ya self to

 

[LawmanAUT]

I bougth an diy cabinet from a young guy, he did a decent job. But what I havent done is some ventilation / suction.

I have seen two different ways:
- a air filter connected to a pipe/hole, passive way
- a vacuum instead of the air filter

I´ll do the vac way!