TSC Sand Blast Cabinet

[Dave Lehnert]

Been wanting a bench top sand blast cabinet for a long time and picked one up yesterday at Tractor Supply for a good price.
There has been discussion over the years on here about the different types available and just wanted to pass along a change to this cabinet.
The main complaint with this cabinet if you read the reviews or watch YouTube videos is the pickup tube and blast media sat in a trench. You had to push the media around at times to allow it to be picked up.
I was surprised to find when I got home they did away with the trench and now the base is shaped like a funnel much like larger cabinets. (photo attached) looks like it will work much better. I say " Look" because TSC was out of the blast media I wanted.
One word of caution if you are looking to pick one up. The box still shows the old trench design in the photo. Not sure how you tell what you are getting if you don't open the box and see.

Any sand blasting tips?

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[Jeff Monson]

Dave, I'm no sandblasting expert, but I would be curious as to how that pickup is going to work. I have a harbor freight cabinet, the media tends to "pack in" at the bottom of the cabinet on mine. This will keep my unit from having enough suction to pick up the media. I believe that is why better cabinets have a vibrator? Also mine has a vacuum port on it, I did not see one on yours? I would highly recommend putting on a port so you can hook a shop vac up to clear the dust. Otherwise it gets tough to see in there. I use mine mainly for blasting small metal pieces and motorcycle parts. For the price I paid its been a very valuable tool.

[Keith Weber]

A few tips..

1) Never use actual sand. It contains silica, and when it gets into your lungs, you get silicosis. Google that and you'll happily pay extra for proper blasting media.

2) Wear a respirator. Despite not using sand, you don't want whatever you're blasting in your lungs (and it will find a way there). A lot of old paint contains lead, which...well...you know!

3) Aluminum oxide is probably the best all round blast media. It's fast and aggressive, so it removes paint fast and easily. It also lasts a lot longer than other media. The payoff is that it leaves a rougher finish than other media. That may be fine if you're blasting some rusty steel parts that will be painted, but not so great if you want a nice finish on aluminum.

4) Glass Beads leave a nicer finish (especially on softer aluminum), but is slower and breaks down easier, so it doesn't last as long as Aluminum Oxide. You have to resist the temptation to crank up the psi to speed it up because you'll pulverize your pricey beads in no time with too much pressure.

5) I'm not sure if your blaster came with them or not, but I'd recommend a disposable shield for your cabinet glass. If it gets blasted, you won't be able to see what you're doing. Direct blasts will quickly kill your cabinet glass, but so will bounce back from the part being blasted. My blaster uses plastic sheets with double-sided tape on the edges. You stick them on the glass on the inside of the cabinet, and then peel them off and replace when you can't see what you're doing anymore.

6) My cabinet has a light inside. If it didn't have one, I'd surely be wiring one in there. It's all about seeing what you're doing. On that note, Jeff already mentioned extracting the dust if you can. Mine has a built-in vacuum with a filter. The filtered air ends up in the shop. I still wear a respirator when I use it.

7) Try to keep your air dry. Moisture in the air will cause clumping in your media. Putting more media in the box also helps the media flowing downhill to the pickup resulting in less sputtering at the nozzle.

That's all I got off the top of my head. Have fun, and remember tips number 1) and 2).

[Peter Aeschliman]

I have the harbor freight floor-standing cabinet. If yours is like mine, you'll need to caulk all of the seems and definitely use a shop vac with a HEPA filter to keep the air clean in the cabinet. Be prepared to have to clean the filter often.

I replaced my harbor freight gun with one of these after researching quite a bit. It made a big difference for me:

http://www.tptools.com/USA-Cabinet-Gun-and-Pickup-Tube-Upgrade-Kit,2320.html

You need A LOT of air to operate it. I have an 5 HP 80 gallon 2 stage compressor, and I still find myself waiting quite often.

Agreed with others about keeping the air dry. I recommend adding a trap right at the machine in addition to one near your compressor. I have a good trap right at the compressor, but still got quite a bit of moisture right at the machine.

Also, put the machine at a comfortable height. I'm restoring an old land cruiser FJ40, and there are times when I'm standing at the blast cabinet for long periods of time... Your back will thank you!

Lastly, lighting in the cabinet. Looks like you have a decent light in there... my cabinet is a bit bigger and has a similar light. I found it pretty lacking. To reduce glare on the window, I like to turn the lights off in the shop when I'm blasting. One of these days maybe I'll upgrade the light in there.

Have fun!

[John K Jordan]

I have a good trap right at the compressor, but still got quite a bit of moisture right at the machine.

If the moisture trap is too close to the compressor, the air heated by the compressor doesn't have time to cool and any water vapor in the air passes right through the trap. If the water trap is placed further away from the air compressor you may not need one at the end of the line.

The recommendation with an industrial dryer I bought said to put it at least 24 ft down the line from the compressor. I read in another place that a dryer/trap "should" be 38 ft downstream. The difference may be the type and size of the line and the volume of air moving. A small metal line (in a cool room) with the air in the line moving slowly should cool in a shorter distance than a larger diameter line with high volume inside.

My air compressor is in a 4x8' closet so I run the line from the air compressor, up to the ceiling and around the room, then through the wall to my dryers, filters, regulator, and valves. I use a water trap then a desiccant cartridge drier. Air downstream to my plasma cutter is bone dry (whatever that means) even without a secondary desiccant dryer right at the plasma cutter. (Plasma cutters need dry air.) When I plumbed the shop for air I put a drainage valve at each air outlet. I have never gotten a hint of water from these valves.

JKJ

[Tom M King]

I use that same little cabinet for golf club heads, and other small stuff. I did have to tighten it up a bit. With the thirty some year old refrigerant dryer on the air line to that shop, it's never clogged on me using Alumina Oxide.

[Harry Holzke]

Like some have already said, keep the air dry. I came up with a zig-zag contraption to cool and dry the air. I put this together years ago and can't remember just how long of a run you need but think it is 24' and didnt want to run it all around the garage. Never have any water in the trap.

Harry

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[Dave Lehnert]

Thanks to all for taking the time to write your post.

My cabinet did come with a disposable shields. Looks like TSC also stocks them in store, Nozzles too. As little I expect to use it, sure I wont need to replace very often.
The cabinet does have a port, with filter, one could hook a vac to. Hole is the same size (2 1/2") has my hose so I will need to add a fitting to the cabnit to hook it up, I have one like this someplace in the shop I will use. http://www.rockler.com/universal-dust-port
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I got to use the cabinet tonight for the first time. Works great. Did not have any leaks of blast media. I used Black Diamond without a vac and did not have any problem seeing as I blasted the tin snips in the photo. I did half so you could see before and after. I used a 5hp 30 gal Craftsman compressor and did not have any problem keeping up.

With the $89 sale price every shop should have one.

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