New - what do you recommend for a minimal sand blasting set up

[Harry Radaza]

Hi all. I would like to add sandblasting as a new process to create artwork. Thanks to Rodne for his post which led me to do this.

I already have a compressor. I'm thinking of not buying one of those big boxed equipment types till I find if there really is a demand for it in my industry. I am thinking of just buying a sandblasting gun. Any recommendations (links) to what the must durable are out there?

I am thinking of sandblasting mainly glass to about 1 to 2 mm deep and wood to about 3 mm deep. Various other materials I will play around with.

Any help is appreciated.

[Scott T Smith]

I use this one for all-around blasting needs:

http://sandblasterparts.com//catalog/product_info.php?cPath=288&products_id=3999&osCsid=8b112169dac4e2a6b10f2ec4245a269a

It's not what I would consider to be a "minimal" setup though.

The problem with blasting outside of a cabinet is that the sand / glass beads go everywhere and can be very painful. There are health hazards as well due to the destruction of the abrasive media and potential inhalation. A blast cabinet helps in that the dust is either contained in the cabinet or sucked into a dedicated filter system.

No matter which route you go, you'll need either a lot of CFM or tank storage on your compressor. I use a 27 CFM compressor with the Trinco blast cabinet above, and it will stay ahead of the air flow requirements - barely.

[Mike Null]

Harry

More research is in order. Scott is right, you should not even think about sandblasting without a cabinet. Second, you need a pressure pot, otherwise you will have to use a siphon system and that is not worth messing with.

You need to take precautions to protect yourself and your environment.

You can get in on the cheap with buying most of your stuff at HF but I'd shop for a gun (nozzle).

[Keith Outten]

I ageree with the need for a pressure pot, it reduces the need for a really huge compressor and allows blasting at much lower pressure and flow rates. Also a cabinet is really a must, the savings in blast media wil pay for the cabinet quickly and the health hazards are certainly the most important consideration.

You can make your own sandblast cabinet from plywood, they don't have to be fancy to work well. My first cabinet was made from plans I got from a woodworking magazine, I used it for several years then gave it to a friend of mine. I recently purchased a pressure pot to use with my cabinet which will require less pressure and take a load off of my air compressor. Oh, I hope to use the new setup to blast with walnut shells :)
.

[James Stokes]

I started out using a cabinet, but my glass jobs got to big and I now do them in my back yard. Most of my glass jobs are comercial and to large for a cabinet. I need to build a new shop and have a dedicated sand blast room. It is not unusual for some of the glass pieces to be full sheets which are 10ftx12ft

[Harry Radaza]

I want to be able to go about 3mm to 4mm deep on wood. Is this possible? Maybe do some carving... vector cut the mask on the laser in different levels and take them out one by one sand blasting in between layers. To create a 3d effect? Am I on the right track? Does anyone have pics to share regarding this?

I bought a cheapo sandblasting gun but got minimal results. First off, I realized the nozzle was too big. Do guns have interchangeable nozzles? I was also using a 1hp compressor. I was told I need a 10hp compressor is this true?

Can someone provide me a link for a good sandblasting gun?

I am thinking of buidling a cabinet kinda like this..
http://www.sandblastinginfo.com/images/homemade-sandblast-booth.jpg

I'm assuming the e sand blast gun goes on the right where the hole is? And the bottom has to be funnel shaped right so it is easy to recycle the abrasives? Anything Else I should know? Can I just use acrylic for the top part?

[Mike Null]

Harry

Take a look at the better systems to see all that they include. A gun isn't likely to be something you need. You'll more likely want to buy nozzles which fit on the end of the hose and which are available with various size orifices. A foot pedal control is the norm for better systems.

[Bill Jermyn]

If I can jump in here, what is needed for a filtration system?