Sand Blasting Cabinet Modification

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warmstrong1955
Posts: 3568
Joined: Thu Mar 18, 2010 2:05 pm
Location: Northern Nevada

Re: Sand Blasting Cabinet Modification

Post by warmstrong1955 »

revrnd wrote: What did you use for hose from Lowes? Any idea on a SKU #? The corrugated hose I got is a VERY industrial grade type that wants to flex & 'move' the shop-vac where it wants the vac to be. Looking to replace the hose with something w/ less 'memory'.
Just noticed I still have the box for the hose....up on the shelf with a bunch of coiled up wire in it.
(I needed some wire....)
:)

Shop Vac part # is 90503. Lowes # is 71994

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Shop-Vac-8-ft- ... se/1099043

Bill
Today's solutions are tomorrow's problems.
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warmstrong1955
Posts: 3568
Joined: Thu Mar 18, 2010 2:05 pm
Location: Northern Nevada

Re: Sand Blasting Cabinet Modification

Post by warmstrong1955 »

CaptonZap wrote:A cyclone is a great help in removing the media and dust from the exhaust.
CZ
We had a big blast cabinet at a shop in Alaska. I don't remember the brand, but part of the reclaim & filter system was a cyclone.
Worked quite well!

On my cabinet I have now, I've never got anything out of the primary filter when I cleaned it, that was worth putting back in. Nothing but very fine dust in the bottom and on the filter.
No doubt because the Bucket Vac doesn't have nearly the CFM as my big Craftsman Vac.
I'm using glass beads, not sand.

Bill
Today's solutions are tomorrow's problems.
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BadDog
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Re: Sand Blasting Cabinet Modification

Post by BadDog »

Mine has a cyclone separator/hopper. The 1 HP Baldor sits on top of an iron casting that looks like huge turbo cold side about 12" in diameter (from memory). That creates negative pressure in the hopper, which is something like 8-10 gallons total volume holding about 3-4 gallons of media. This is connected at the top by a 4" tangential fitting coming from the bottom of the blast cabinet below the grate. In operation, the 1" diameter feeder line at the bottom of the main hopper (looks like a water tank on a giant funnel) keeps a smaller hopper filled with fresh media which then feeds the gun (commercial style, no trigger or valve). The big return line pulls in all the crap from the cabinet and shoots it in tangentially at the top of the big hopper tank. That spins the debris and separates the heavier stuff (mostly the media) which falls to the bottom, and the debris (fines, rust, paint, etc) get ejected out through the big impeller. That's why it ONLY runs outside pointed away from my shop when winds are favorable.

But not only are the fines in the exhaust a problem, but the 4" diameter stream of media swirling around inside the hopper (has to be at least 1/16" thick) literally turned the initial impact point into perforated tin foil over who knows how much use. I had to cut out a big section to replace anther previous repair (which was more like 1/8" wall or so). That's what I lined with silicone, hopefully it will outlast my use. And don't forget that the impeller casting is also worn to knife edges and has quite a few perforations in uniform patterns. But the point is that typical plastic vacs, hoses, and cyclone separators aren't going to last very long in an abrasive evacuation system.

Oh, and on the fines in the exhaust, if I used it more than I do, I was planning on running that through a liquid separators system sort of like the old oil bath filters from on cars from mid/early last century. Basically running that exhaust volume through a bucket (5 gal, maybe a barrel?) of water to capture most of the small particles for disposal.
Russ
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revrnd
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Joined: Sun Dec 18, 2011 10:38 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: Sand Blasting Cabinet Modification

Post by revrnd »

warmstrong1955 wrote:
revrnd wrote: What did you use for hose from Lowes? Any idea on a SKU #? The corrugated hose I got is a VERY industrial grade type that wants to flex & 'move' the shop-vac where it wants the vac to be. Looking to replace the hose with something w/ less 'memory'.
Just noticed I still have the box for the hose....up on the shelf with a bunch of coiled up wire in it.
(I needed some wire....)
:)

Shop Vac part # is 90503. Lowes # is 71994

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Shop-Vac-8-ft- ... se/1099043

Bill
I'll have to check into that. Thanks for the info!
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