Just bought a new blast cabinet for my shop. I've never used one before so I thought I'd seek some advice on the best media to use for all around, general part cleaning. Would appreciate hearing about your experiences.

 

I have aluminum oxide in mine and works great on everything.
Not sure what brand cabinet you bought but mine was a Harbor Freight unit. Was terrible at first due to the small feed siphon hose. Swapped it out for a larger hose and it runs like a champ now. CFM and volume is everything. Also make sure you have enough blast media to keep the siphon pick up covered. It will tend to make this huge cone shape like a sinkhole so I load mine up.
You'll need a vacuum of some sort also to remove the dust to be able to see clearly at all times.

 

TripDeuces,


That's the same cabinet I just bought. Thanks for the suggestion on the hose. I will make the cahnge

 

I use Black Beauty in mine.


Good general purpose abrasive.

 

It's really good but you really shouldn't use it on engine parts like intakes and valve covers.

 

Tractor Supply, cheap. That little piece on top is a horseshoe hoist bracket
that mounts up on the left front of a stock intake, 1st 2 bolt holes. I have basically the same cabinet as yous guys painted different. I agree on filling the thing, 2 of these will do that with leftovers. You need a big enough compressor too. I just vented mine out the back with a dryer vent, (propped open), and hose.

The last 2 pics are finished pulleys and brackets. On valve covers I clean the insides with solvent 1st, let dry, cover the grommets with newspaper stuffing and a spot of duct tape and blast away the outsides. Works well.

 

i use the tractor supply glass bead as well works well and leaves a good finish.

what i havent had good luck w is the vacuum, i tried no vac (lots of dust), vac hooked up (gotta clean the filter evry 10 mins or there is to much media stuck in it) and vac blowing in and vac sucking out (didnt seem to make a difference or similar to no vac)

my best luck was move the cabinet outside w no vac and use in bright sun

how do you guys have yours hooked up to a vac

 

I went and got a 2" pvc tee. take some screen material and cover the opening in the middle and point it up. I had to sand the inside a little on one end to fit the opening in the cabinet. Now hook up your shop vac. hose to the other end. The opening with the screen allows just the right amount of vacuum on the cabinet to suck the dust out and not so much of your media. I use the glass beads from Harbor Freight.

 

I'm using walnut shell media in my Harbor Freight cabinet. It's not as aggressive and Aluminum Oxide but seems to get the job done without damaging the part being blasted. It looks just like sand. I plan to add some small LED lights inside the cabinet on the side walls to help see thru the dust.

 

Trip, how big of a hose did you go to? My HF unit has the same issues.

 

I think it comes with a 1/2 inch inside diameter hose that was prone to kinking. I just went to the hardware store and got the next size up clear reinforced hose. I think it's 9/16th or 5/8 inside diameter now. No more kinking