Compressor requirements for blasting cabinet

[shand]

Cheers all. I've looked at the kits, the Anglo-Scot, the Frost etc but to be honest, I'd rather be building bikes than blast cabinets. I suspect that I'd lose 2 or 3 days frame building time on one of those kits.

S

[Doug Fattic]

I'm a painter as well as builder and need to use a sandblaster a lot. I would be very, very frustrated by the almost-big-enough-but-not-quite cabinet you are thinking of buying to comfortably sandblast an entire frame. You will always be lifting up the the back part of the frame on the back wall in order to sandblast whatever area you needed to reach with the nozzle. Every little movement of the frame to access another place – which is all the time - requires effort with your left hand (if you are right handed) to balance and hold the weight of the frame to constantly keep it in the right position for the nozzle to comfortably reach a new area. It is a constantly moving target requiring constant effort. When I first got back to the US after learning to build in England I found a place that made sandblaster cabinets right around the corner. I ordered one that was 5' wide and 3' deep. I hated always having to lift up the back of the frame every time I needed to move it (which is literally all the time). I eventually sold it and bought one that was 5' wide and 4' deep. What a relief it was to have that extra depth! I consider it one of the best equipment improvements I made. The entire frame can sit on the bed without having to be tilted up the back side. Of course I'm a pro that requires pro equipment and I don't want to waste my time with equipment that slows me down in order to make money. I can guarantee you I can sandblast a frame a lot faster in the bigger cabinet with less effort. Keep in mind that because I'm a painter I'm using a sandblaster more than just a builder. Now if I was a hobbyist that only made a frame or two a year I wouldn't mind that compromise at all.

This reminds me of builders that buy less expensive fixtures that require more fussing around with protractors and rulers to set it up properly. They waste time and energy getting things set right (and maybe it still isn't quite right). This is not a problem for someone with a different day job because extra time isn't lost money for them. They are at play. It is even okay as an intermediate solution for those on tight budgets until a better one can be bought. But it doesn't makes sense for a real pro. I've got good fixtures that are easy and accurate to set so I can focus my time on making a quality product with less effort at greater speed.

Another tip that really saved my time when I am sandblasting a painted frame is getting a pressure pot blaster rather than a suction type. That allows a lot more media to come out at much lower pressures. Of course it is a much more expensive unit but it does the job much faster too. This type of blaster is much more important if one is a painter removing old finishes. Mine was made by Vacu-blast which is a UK based company.

[Eric Estlund]

I've never known anyone to go out and buy a smaller blast cabinet (in a one cabinet shop). I know lots of guys that have gone the other direction.

[Erik B]

Having used Mr. Fattic's blast cabinet, and my fathers barely big enough to fit a 58 cabinet I'd echo the sentiment that bigger is most assuredly better in terms of both cabinet and compressor sizing. Both are worlds better than the alternative but making dad's cabinet bigger is definately on the to do list.