Sand blasting cabinets pros cons - Smokstak

:shrug:Hello,

I am thinking of buying a sand blasting cabinet and would like any comments from ones you have used or seen... pros and cons.

I would not be blasting anything really heavy, but I've seen a used one that has an expanded metal floor. Which seems a bit flimsy. The floor was quite dented. It also would be hard to load because you have to lift things quite high and put them thru a lid at the top, or a door on the side.

I have seen some on the internet with an inside turntable and rails to roll things inside. Those features seem good ideas. I have also seen one that opens something like a clam shell. Let me try to explain...In the theater of your mind picture a box with a hinged lid. Now turn the box upside down and open it. What was the lid is now the floor. A cabinet like that should be really easy to load.

Thanks for any suggestions and comments.

Dan Re: sand blasting cabinets pros cons

I have had 2 of the cheapies, and they are really handy. In no particular order:
1. As noted above, watch the air requirements. ALL of them take a lot of cfm.
2. Make sure the funnel section in the bottom has steep enough sides that the media slides down to the pick up tube consistently.
3. Get a light inside.
4. Make sure you can get replacement nozzels for the gun. Ceramic lasts longer than steel but they all wear out fairly quickly.
5. Check that the door is large enough and strudy enough to seal well. My current one uses a plexiglass top that hinges open. It flexes too much to seal well.
6. Use a dust collector or at least a shop vac if at all possible. Re: sand blasting cabinets pros cons

The two most important features that I can think of are lighting & dust removal.
Having at least two good lights in the cabinet is a must. Before I installed additional lights, I was constantly taking a part out, finding spots that got missed and putting it back in. If you can actually see what you are doing it is a big advantage.
Dust removal plays a big part in seeing what you are doing too, but once you get that dust out of the cabinet, you want to make sure it is not going to destroy the vacuum or your lungs. Get the right kind of vacuum that will trap the dust properly. I recently upgraded the vac that came with my cabinet to include a HEPA filter that can be washed off & reused. I have a T&P Scat Blast 960 cabinet.
Always use glass protectors. These are clear plastic sheets that stick on the inside of the glass with adheisive strips around the edges. They take the stray, bounce-back blast to keep the real glass clear. Re: sand blasting cabinets pros cons

I took an old five gallon plastic bucket and drilled two holes in the lid for a couple of pieces of pvc pipe that my shop vac hose would fit on. on the inlet side, feeding from the cabinet, I let it extend to the bottom of the bucket and into a few inches of water. the outlet side is just to the top of the lid so that the vacuum pulls the exhaust from the blaster through the water and the water abrorbs the dust. ..Works like a charm, but the lid has to fit tight for it to work properly....when you get through, just pour out the water and wash out the bucket for the next session....
Two points to remember. 1. ALWAYS wear a particle mask when blasting...You just can't stop all af the dust from escaping and you don't want any "Black magic" in your lungs. And B. Don't put but a few inches of water in the bucket or the vacuum will pick it up! Re: sand blasting cabinets pros cons

Well, if I had the bucket here I would snap a few photos of it...I'll do that when I get to my shop tomorrow.
I used a cat food bucket that has a lid that seals tight, and cut holes in the top for the hook up pipes...I just glued them in with some epoxy. I bought a small 1/4 horse shop vac from "wal-mart" so I could just make it a dedicated fixture. It cost every bit of ten bucks! and it doesn't pull as hard as a big shop vac...just enough to keep the dust evacuated. You can vary how much suction there is at the cabinet by how much water you put in the bucket....I have never changed the little paper filter in the vac, because the water does such a good job of catching any dust and debris. Plus, I don't wind up with a shop covered with dust! Well I've been blasting parts everyday for 20 years and I can tell you that
the information given on this thread so for is well meaning and very helpful from one amature to another.
With experiance you will find many different kinds of media that have different
resaults.
You can start with a used under performing cabinet and throw good parts at it until you get the desired effect or you can start with top of the line high
performance equipment that really works.,costs about the same in the end.
The first choice comes with a lot of angst, grief and wasted money.
If you're willing to spend for a quality setup let me know and I'll put you on to the company that made my job easy. I would not buy a siphon blasting set up. I instead, purchased a quality pressure pot from what was formerly TIP mfg, and is now BRUT mfg. ($350 or so when I got it) I built my own cabinet from plywood, that is attached to the side of my shop wall. I have a small sealed bearing motor exhaust fan right thru the wall that will clear the cabinet in about 10 seconds under the dustiest conditions. I cut two holes in the cabinet and attached some inner tube material to them with a hole I could stick my gloved arm thru. It seals around my arms and is handy to stick small parts in and out of. My cabinet is lined w/ some rubber matting that I got from an old newspaper office, ( it was used in the printing process) so the wood lasts forever. I have a expanded metal floor over a tapered plywood cone to run the used media into a bucket for reuse. The entire top of the cabinet is hinged and lifts up to put things in or take them out.
The pressure pot is my preference because it requires less air than a siphon system to do a good job, and, if I have a large item to do outdoors, I an run it outside and use it there. I have a quincy 60 gallon, 4 cylinder compressor that performs flawlessly (about a grand). I prefer to use the tungsten nozzles, as they last a very very long time. ($37 each)
The largest "downside" is that I have to periodically refill the pressure pot, which means emptying the cabinet into a bucket and running the sand thru a screen into the pot.
MOISTURE is the enemy, no matter what you do, and the best thing I've found is to run the air thru a coiled copper tube submerged in a bucket of coldish water, before it goes thru a moisture trap. That way, the moisture all condenses and can be trapped and removed. Works VERY well for painting too. IT is the BEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD for cleaning castings up, bar none. Beats pulling wire wheel strands out of your leg! Just my two cents. Kelley I have a blasting cabinet I bought about five years ago from harbor freight. It works great for me, I run it on craftsman air comp's. I bought this perticular one cause it only takes 5 cfm at 903's of air to push it. I have up graded the hand held gun in it so I could get nozzles for it a little easier. I have a shop vac hooked up to it. I have blasted everything from car parts to cast iron pots. Would not trade it for nothing under the sun. works just has good as them high dollar ones in my opinion. I have done used just about all brands out there with work and friends who have them. just my 2 cents. I have a blasting cabinet I bought about five years ago from harbor freight. It works great for me, I run it on craftsman air comp's. I bought this perticular one cause it only takes 5 cfm at 90#'s of air to push it. I have up graded the hand held gun in it so I could get nozzles for it a little easier. I have a shop vac hooked up to it. I have blasted everything from car parts to cast iron pots. Would not trade it for nothing under the sun. works just has good as them high dollar ones in my opinion. I have done used just about all brands out there with work and friends who have them. just my 2 cents.

I am interested in trying some sandblasting. I have a newish Husky 20 gal compressor, 4 cfm @90 psi, 165 max pressure. Can I use this for blasting? Recommended equipment? How long would it take to blast a basic cereal bowl, just for general reference? Thanks, all.

Yes, but…. No one ever complains about having too large a compressor.

That compressor will get you started. I use a similar style compressor for a while and in quite a few demos.
I suggest you get a cabinet. It will let you recycle the media and keeping it in one place.
I recommend coarse ground glass as the media.

Blasting with a small compressor is a bit like hollowing. In hollowing you often spend more time blowing chips out that cutting. Blasting with a small compressor you spend more time waiting for the compressor to recharge than blasting.

There are many things you can do with sandblasting and sand carving.
I wrote an article on sandcarving for the journal - December .

Woods all blast differently
Bill Luce, deceased, created a fantanstic skeleton series blasting Doug fir

This is a video clip from a demo. Uses the harbor freight table top cabinet and a small compressor
Also shows application of a resist. The minutes of recharging of the compressor is cut from the clip
sandcarved painted disk -
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9HPtoI3Z5A

Recommended equipment? How long would it take to blast a basic cereal bowl, just for general reference?

Blasting the out side of 6” Bowl 4-10 minutes of blasting
Waiting for your compressor to recharge 8-20 minutes making the total time 12-30 minutes

This will give you insight into what I do as well as equipment.

You should be able to find enough coupons get this cabinet for under $150.

Benchtop Abrasive Blast Cabinet

Amazing deals on this Abrasive Blast Cabinet at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.
A few examples of sand carving.


Be careful. There are many opportunities to spend money once you fall down the sandblasting rabbit hole.

Sandblasting is like cutting the end off your hose and expecting the compressor to keep up. How long can you keep a blow gun open before the compressor can't keep up? That is the best evaluation for you to make.

How long would it take to blast a basic cereal bowl,

Use Richard’s suggestion to get a pretty accurate timing for your compressor.

Find the minutes for the compressor to come on, then time the recharge time.
Then see what the wait times you would have for 4 minutes of blasting and then for 10 minutes of blasting.
An 1/8” nozzle on the blast gun will be close in air use to a blow gun.

Blasting the out side of 6” Bowl 4-10 minutes of blasting
Waiting for your compressor to recharge 8-20 minutes making the total time 12-30 minutes

A small compressor makes you wait a lot. I used a small one until I wanted to do lots of blasting.
Still use a small one in demos but do very little blasting in demos..

I got a 60 gallon Quincy. When it comes on it adds air faster than I use it so it recharges.
I also added a pressure pot which uses a little less air and is a bit more consistent in media delivery than the siphon feed.

I also bought a vinyl cutter to cut masking.

Once you find out if you want to do a lot of blasting the you can buy a bigger compressor
If you want to blast 1 piece a month you little compressor may work just fine for you.

If you go the chimera arts route it makes this discussion moot.

@hockenbery in the images above you shared I like that wooden globe on the 2nd very much, do you own this?

I think that one was one I had in the instant gallery at the Florida symposium a few years ago. I ended up gifting it to a longtime woodturning friend who saw it and wanted it.

The globes got me into sandcarving. My attempts at making globes with pyrography were ok but not crisp enough.
Using google to find a company that I could pay to cut masking led me to uscutter.com - bought a tabletop cutter.

It’s easy to reproduce a similar one.
If you are interested in making one start a conversation - you need a ball and access to a blast cabinet.

I am interested in trying some sandblasting. I have a newish Husky 20 gal compressor, 4 cfm @90 psi, 165 max pressure. Can I use this for blasting? Recommended equipment? How long would it take to blast a basic cereal bowl, just for general reference? Thanks, all.

I have the same husky you have. a few years ago Our club had a remote demo by on sandblasting. I was very interested until we got to discussing compressors and I realized that no one in our club of 60 members had a compressor capable of doing justice with sandblasting. I figured you'd need to spend $800-$1k to get enough preassure. But I've never tried it so if someone else here tells me it can be done with our 90 psi husky I'd love to give it a try

I have the same husky you have. a few years ago Our club had a remote demo by on sandblasting. I was very interested until we got to discussing compressors and I realized that no one in our club of 60 members had a compressor capable of doing justice with sandblasting. I figured you'd need to spend $800-$1k to get enough preassure. But I've never tried it so if someone else here tells me it can be done with our 90 psi husky I'd love to give it a try

You can sandblast with any compressor, it's time that you won't like with a small compressor. With a small compressor you will have working time in seconds, big may give you a minute, and a properly sized compressor to match your blasting system will give you full time sand blasting. The old saying about hot rodding, speed is proportional to money spent.

was very interested until we got to discussing compressors and I realized that no one in our club of 60 members had a compressor capable of doing justice with sandblasting

You are basically correct. But a small compressor will let you blast. And wait and blast. And wait.
It’s like hollowing little bit of turning lots of chip removal. It isn’t as obvious that the chip removal is down time in the hollowing process until you turn pieces with chip evacuating voids.
The small compressor will let you know if you want to go down the blasting rabbit hole. You can spend lots of money on blast equipment.
If you blast 4-5 pieces a year a small compressor will might suit you.
The 60 gallon Quincey compressor I have is now $ from northern tool delivered to your driveway.

I started with a 27 gallon hausley-Cambell. 4cfm
Have used this compressor in demos many times.
The demo video above is with the little compressor.
You can see what it does. Following up on this thread. I landed a barely used HF cabinet for a decent price. I've tried it out on several test pieces. Here's what I'm finding so far:
As predicted, the compressor runs a lot of the time, and/or I pause to let it catch up a bit. But it seems to be basically okay. Using the smallest of the supplied nozzles.
The drain at the bottom of the hopper is utterly useless. The only way I can trade out media is by vacuuming it out.
Glass beads were too fine (already in the cabinet when I bought it). Crushed glass 30-60 grit was still too fine. I really wanted to get some material removal. Now trying 70 grit aluminum oxide, and it seems to be more aggressive, but it also seems to be lodging in the wood and leaving some residue. The stuff is black, alas. (As I recall, the grit scale for the glass vs the adalox doesn't translate directly, hence 70 grit adalox being more aggressive than 30-60 grit glass.)
Type of wood/grain orientation really affect the look. Long grain/side grain redwood gave me really gorgeous ribbing. End grain hardwood barely showed any effect at all.
So - any suggestions for aggressive media/supplier that doesn't embed/leave a residue? Someone recommended garnet to me. I'm all ears.
Thanks, team!

any suggestions for aggressive media/supplier that doesn't embed/leave a residue?

You probably know that blast media gets dull with use. I go to new media after 3-5 uses.
i added a pressure pot so I know how many times I put it through the pot. With siphon feed it’s hard to know how many times it was reused Sort of a guessing game.

as you noted - lots of variation with different woods and grain orientation. I like the pebbly look really hard woods like citrus or red gum eucalyptus get from blasting.

here is what I use



Here is chart on Raptorblaster.com showing the ballotini 3





this was an experiment with different grits on a camphor disc for a box top insert
the back ground was blasted with coarse ground glass
the pink wing panels were blasted with fine ground glass.

While I'm at it, I would like to clarify: The blast cabinet has a side port into which I can jam my 2 1/2" shop vac hose end. It also has a baffled port at the back that is larger, and was supplied with a stopper. My impression is that I should leave it open while the vacuum is on to allow air flow in, but that if I weren't running a vacuum, I would stop it to prevent media leakage to the outside. Is that correct? (The cabinet manual doesn't address this.)

While I'm at it, I would like to clarify: The blast cabinet has a side port into which I can jam my 2 1/2" shop vac hose end. It also has a baffled port at the back that is larger, and was supplied with a stopper. My impression is that I should leave it open while the vacuum is on to allow air flow in, but that if I weren't running a vacuum, I would stop it to prevent media leakage to the outside. Is that correct? (The cabinet manual doesn't address this.)

Funny you should bring this up.
I use my fein shop vac on my cabinet.
last week i was doing a short 5-10 minute blast. Forgot to remove the baffel plug before turning on the vac.
sucked both gloves inside the cabinet. But one glove was secured less tightly than the other and it pulled the hose clamp off.
It added 10 minutes to re-attach the glove. Of course it was the far one.

i Leave that baffle plug in when I blast without the vac. Which I could have done last week.
I also leave the plug in when I’m not using the cabinet because my shop has lots of small visitors I don’t want in the cabinet.
Skinks, anoles, mud dobbers. Glad I saw this thread. I'm starting to shop around for a new compressor and blasting cabinet. I was thinking about a full size compressor like the Quincy 60 gallon, but I wonder about the noise level when it's running. I haven't found any noise level specs for those. If it's anything like the big compressor they had where I used to work, I wouldn't want to be in the same room with it.
I have hearing issues, so things like loud compressors are really uncomfortable for me. I've got a mid size California Air quiet compressor that I just use for a blow gun at the lathe and workbench and it's fairly quiet, but runs a lot just for single blow gun use. They make some big ones capable of 10cfm, but all they do is put 2 or even 3 compressor/motor assemblies on it. That's a lot of extra parts to wear out or break down. Still, if I don't find any better choice noise-wise, and don't find enough negative reviews to take as a warning, I may have to consider one.

Glad I saw this thread. I'm starting to shop around for a new compressor and blasting cabinet. I was thinking about a full size compressor like the Quincy 60 gallon,

I got my 60 gal Quincy about 10 years ago planing to put it outside and enclose it.
first thing I noticed was it was much quieter than my smaller one (27 gal??)
measure it with my Apple Watch
79&80 db. right at the compress
67 db at the blaster about 15 feet away.

here are the spec from the northern tool. Says 80 db

I got my 60 gal Quincy about 10 years ago planing to put it outside and enclose it.
first thing I noticed was it was much quieter than my smaller one (27 gal??)
measure it with my Apple Watch
79&80 db. right at the compress
67 db at the blaster about 15 feet away.

here are the spec from the northern tool. Says 80 db
View attachment View attachment

Hey, thanks! I guess I wasn't looking in the right places for more specs. I don't mind normal machine noise levels and at my typical usage level, a full size compressor will probably come on a couple times a week.
I have a 30 year old Craftsman oil-less compressor that makes a really annoying, super loud buzzing, and I can't wait to put it out by the road with a "free" sign on it. One of the advantages of living in a rural area. If you put something in any way useful out by the road, someone will grab it.

I got my 60 gal Quincy about 10 years ago planing to put it outside and enclose it.
first thing I noticed was it was much quieter than my smaller one (27 gal??)
measure it with my Apple Watch
79&80 db. right at the compress
67 db at the blaster about 15 feet away.

here are the spec from the northern tool. Says 80 db
View attachment View attachment

I bought this model last summer and have it right next to my blaster. I agree that it is much quieter than I anticipated. I wear hearing protection while blasting just because the combination of the shop vac and the compressor running together is a bit much, plus it’s a great activity to do while listening to music. My lathe is across the shop and when the compressor kicks on while blowing shavings out of a hollow form, it is not bothersome at all.

Use Richard’s suggestion to get a pretty accurate timing for your compressor.

Find the minutes for the compressor to come on, then time the recharge time.
Then see what the wait times you would have for 4 minutes of blasting and then for 10 minutes of blasting.
An 1/8” nozzle on the blast gun will be close in air use to a blow gun.



A small compressor makes you wait a lot. I used a small one until I wanted to do lots of blasting.
Still use a small one in demos but do very little blasting in demos..

I got a 60 gallon Quincy. When it comes on it adds air faster than I use it so it recharges.
I also added a pressure pot which uses a little less air and is a bit more consistent in media delivery than the siphon feed.

I also bought a vinyl cutter to cut masking.

Once you find out if you want to do a lot of blasting the you can buy a bigger compressor
If you want to blast 1 piece a month you little compressor may work just fine for you.

If you go the chimera arts route it makes this discussion moot.

When doing the math don't forget to factor in the duty cycle of your compressor, which in your case is likely not more than 50%. Try to run it continuously and you will be shopping soon. I have a 5hp 80 gal Champion compressor that I picked up used for $400. It's a commercial pump and is more like what you want for sandblasting, it keeps up with my blast cabinet just fine. Good deals are out there!