Blast cabinet... worth it?

Bmachine

Bmachine

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I am debating whether it is worth investing in a table top blast cabinet. But if you also need to get an air compressor that is up to the task (9+ CFM) and the various filters an accessories, you are quickly above $300-400 even for basic HarborFreight level stuff. Compared that to several trips and payments to the local machine shop to have it done.

If you're only doing one car, what does the collective wisdom say on the subject?
 
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25 years ago, I was restoring a car and really wanted a blast cabinet. Bought a fairly large one + compressor - probably spent all of $1,000 in 1991 dollars. It was unbelievably handy to have - practically the whole car passed through it, and nothing is more satisfying than seeing clean steel emerge as you work the nozzle. It's like painting on newness.

But sure, once the job is finished, the thing is just going to gather dust / take up space. And like owning a trailer or pickup truck, friends will come out of the woodwork once word get around that Bo owns a media blaster. I suspect that $300 is a low budget - you'll need a bag of blast media as well as a pretty big compressor.
 
I use mine for a bunch of household stuff as well as the car stuff. I already had a big Lowe's type compressor so it wasn't much of an investment delta. But it does often just sit and take up space that I don't have in my one car shop
 
jmackro said:
And like owning a trailer or pickup truck, friends will come out of the woodwork once word get around that Bo owns a media blaster.
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Haha, I can totally see that happening!

Bwana said:
But it does often just sit and take up space that I don't have in my one car shop
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Yep space is definitely at a premium here as well!
 
I had a a cheap table top cabinet from farmer's Supply I bought on sale, it worked quite well for what it was, but I lusted for a better and bigger one.. TP Tools has some very nice US made cabinets that are worth the asking price. Being a cheapskate, I came across a used Empire cabinet . Also US made and higher up the pecking order. I overpaid for it as when I got it home realized it needed quite a bit of stuff to make it work. New glass, top filter,light, gun and pedal. Now I have the cabinet I want though as I repainted it and adapted a cyclonic Dust deputy filter similar to this powered by a Fein vacuum.
https://www.amazon.ca/Oneida-Dust-D...1472320753&sr=8-2&keywords=dust+deputy+deluxe

It is very important to wear a mask and have the best filtration you can find when using a blast cabinet. It is the dust you can't see that will do the most damage to your lungs. I have an 80 Gallon 5 HP two stage compressor running it. I LOVE having a blast cabinet.
 
Thanks Steve and Nicad. Great info. It does seem tempting. A small unit like this:
http://www.harborfreight.com/abrasive-blast-cabinet-42202.html
would allow me to do all the small parts that keep screaming "Clean me", while the bigger ones would be sent out.

If I go ahead with this I would have to leave it outside. No room in our small two car garage. I'd find a heavy duty cover like those made for barbecues. Fortunately it does not rain much here although we do have a fair bit of coastal fog.
 
After a lift, a blast cabinet is pretty high on the list of stuff I would buy if I had the space. I need a bigger garage.
 
Can't go wrong with that for $119' especially if you are using it outdoors. The dust collection capabilities of these units leave a bit to be desired if I recall mine. Got the job done though.
 
Very important to keep your media dry. If you're going to keep it outdoors, consider storing the media in a humidity-tight container rather han in the cabinet, except when it's used
 
bfeng said:
Very important to keep your media dry. If you're going to keep it outdoors, consider storing the media in a humidity-tight container rather han in the cabinet, except when it's used
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second that

I also use a small filter on the air line that traps water, the air sometimes can have humidity inside that condenses around the nozzle.
 
Bmachine said:
If I go ahead with this I would have to leave it outside.
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Both the air compressor and the blast nozzle will make a bit of noise. I hope you have tolerant neighbors - if anyone complains, just tell them they're hearing peacocks. (For those who don't know, Palos Verde is infested with peacocks).
 
Oh and to second Nicad's point, most abrasive blast media produces harmful fine dust that will lodge in your lungs and can cause respiratory problems over time. You should ALWAYS use it with a HEPE level air cleaner (could be just a shop vac with a good filter). I used mine just once for about 1-2min without the vacuum hooked up (sealed the port) and it left a fine coating of dust on adjacent surfaces. Remember, your compressor is dumping 10 CFM into the cabinet, and without a vacuum, that volume of air has to escape somewhere (taking the dust with it).
 
jmackro said:
if anyone complains, just tell them they're hearing peacocks. (For those who don't know, Palos Verde is infested with peacocks).
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Haha. Very true. They are noisy buggers to be sure. But during mating season they are so magnificent they get a pass from (almost) everyone. Main problem, apart from the poop they leave, is when they walk on your roof. Good luck trying to get a good night sleep.
 
Great info on filters, noise and humidity guys. Thank you.

I will most likely use the 20% off Labor Day coupon and go for it.
 
I finally bit the bullet and took advantage of the various harbor freight sales to get a 125 psi 21 gallon compressor, the table top blast cabinet all hooked to my shop vac. For about $250 I have a decent system for cleaning small parts.

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It is all on wheels so it can be rolled in and out when needed.

The supplied gun had to be disassembled bc the trigger wasn't working right and I had to add a few things to it but fro the money I am really pleased but the ability to clean parts at any time.
 
congrats!!

you could put a dust collector bucket between the shop vac and blaster that would allow you to reuse some of the material and help keep your vac healthier


something like this

happy blasting..
 
I find that Bucket and cyclone works great in my system. I also wrapped the expensive Hepa filter in my vacuum with filter material from a furnace filter to act as a cheap to replace pre filter. Test your dust collection by putting a smoking piece of cardboard inside the cabinet and watch if all the smoke is directed through the vacuum when you are blasting.
If you use it enough to wear out the gun, a TP tools foot operated Gun makes it nice to use for long periods. I bought a cheap chinese foot pedal on Ebay and it has been great.
 
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