Home sand blasting - is it worth the effort ?

[Montynut]

I might redo the seal on my small cabinet and place a bit of ducting off the filter outlet to outside.

I think that will be my next to Michael.  Just duct it straight outside and do away with the filter altogether.   It is fine when the filter is clean, but it doesn't last very long 
I have a vertical riser on my duct so the beads cant escape.

Had the same problem with my small cabinet. I put a 50mm plumbers pipe off the filter outlet (filter gone). Pipe this straight down into a 25lt plastic bucket (through the lid) finishing the pipe around 100mm from the bottom. The lid also has three 50mm exhaust holes covered with fly screen on the inside. I then cover the lid of the bucket with a cloth. The bucket collects 99% of the media and does not block up. Just empty the bucket back into the cabinet. Well it works for me

[vandy010]

I bought a compressor-driven sandblasting gun - on special at supercheep.  Never used it.  Are they ok? 

thats excactly what i use.
i shortened the hose and fitted a larger "jet" inside the gun as i found it sometimes was a bit slow to pick up the media.
although i am spoilt in that i use it in my lunchbreak at my work with a high powered compressor.

[huskibul]

   I use one of the  supercrap ones for heaps of smaller jobs ! they do struggle for air with a standard compressor on anything bigger or tougher ! i use a fish tub with a wire bench in it to catch and recycle the media and use it outside on the lawn-its a well worthwhile little unit for smaller bits and pieces and easy to setup :)cheers

[Freakshow]

I have a blast cabinet, but only use it for small stuff.  even a swing arm can be a pain in the arse to do if its strong paint.  So small stuff i do in  my with glass or garnet - easy to change as mine had a drop hopper in it so out with one and in with the other in under 3mins.

Frame and swings i send out coast me $50 and done in like 15 mins.  powder coat same in sating is another $50 so neither is worht the power or my time.   The only thing i would say is the industrial blaster can be a bit pitty on the finish so if its soft metal or somthing you want flat then you will have to sand the frame after you get it back to level out the bumps.  Also powder coater has a habit of missing the inside of tubes and gussets, so when i pick it up i always ask for his tounch up can for that paint and spray inside the front gusset and inside open tubes as i can always see shinny blasted metal and i wan it to all be covered up.  Also if its a frame im using i prime it with Spray on cold galv before i take it to the powder coaters that way its sealed if they have it sitting around before they can do it ( my pet hate was going back a week later and your frame sitting there still not done and steel rusting on its own - gggr ) and also if it gets a chips when riding it only exposes the grey prime galv so its still not going to rust spot on me.  They only let me use one brand on this as you cant paint over 'wet' paint, but the CRC blue can of galv has never been and issue and they love it too as it never lifts and seems to also fill in blemishes, while the powder coats sticks no problems and isnt an issue with the heat.  

[sa63]

I have a small cabinet, trade tool type, and the air filter is the issue.The filter that came standard was a total joke!Mine is connected to a 80mm PVC pipe and truck airfilter, but still blocks pretty fast. I think running it outside is the only practical option. Maybe a vac. bag would be better as i suspect the truck filter is too fine.

Very handy for small items though.
The supercheap type $20 full loss gun works well outside but i dont like how the sand gets everywhere , have to cover up pretty well..

where i am the sandblaster want $200 to a frame... so i dont use him...

[YZ250H]

Yeah, I gave the filter away altogether.  Even a large tractor filter filled up very quickly, so I tossed it.  I now have a 90mm pvc pipe coming off the side of the cabinet and a 600 mm vertical riser.  Just added another horizontal that takes it straight outside.

Bought one of those super cheap total loss things and a big bag of Garnet.  I'll give that a go.

[frostype400]

I have a small cabinet that I only use for glass beads I have it mounted on some legs so I walk straight up to it and I don't have to bend at all.

I removed the filter and I have just a 50mm pipe going about 600mm up then out and I used to get a fair bit coming out the seal as the cabinet would pressurize now there is nothing I lose a little bit outside each time but who cares the shed stays heaps cleaner.

[YZ250H]

It's the way to go michael.  If you want to save more beads just make the pipe a bigger diameter - even add a length of 90mm to the end of your vertical 50mm, reduces air velocity so the small dust particles stay suspended in the exhaust air and the heavier beads stay on the bottom 

Once the cabinet pressurises those bloody beads go everywhere and geez they make the floor slippery