Abrasive/bead blasting system recommendations?

[Los Angeles]

What do you use? What have you tried? What worked? What didn't work?

I don't have any of the three necessary components, so recommendations and comments are welcome for all three:

1) benchtop blast cabinet (I've through about it and I don't think I'm going to spend my time building one, even if it is easy. I'd rather make knives with that time, so I just need to order a ready-to-go unit with gloves and a gun and it needs to be solid and reliable).

2) compressor that will last a few minutes of blaster use and won't destroy my bank account. Also, it's sad to say, but my studio is wired for 110 and that's it. Very limiting for both the grinder and the compressor, but it's what I've got and it's locked in.

3) Air filter/dust collector.

Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions!

Kent

 

[Hankins]

Don't bother with a Bench-top model unless you get a really good one. Had a HF one and all it did was leak at the seams. Now have a floor model (HF) with a side door and it was well worth the extra $s on sale.
Use a basic Wet Dry vac for the dust Pickup, I just stick the hose in the side hole. This creates a positive airflow that picks up the dust and not so much of the blast media.
Unless you want to spend half your time waiting for the compressor to catch up get a good one that is rated over what the Blast cabinet recommends. Note the PSI constant flow requirements when selecting the compressor.
Craigslist is a good place to start...

 

[P.Brewster]

I got a cheapo HF benchtop cabinet (the one with the side-door). It's true, the thing leaked a lot. But 10 minutes with a caulk gun fixed all that.

Also, the bottom of the cabinet is not tapered steeply enough to get the abrasive to 'flow' down to the pickup tube. I just switched out the supplied wire mesh with a smaller piece of mesh, with clearance on the left and the right. That lets me scoop the abrasive (by hand) to where it needs to be, every few minutes. No big deal.

I also thought that I could get by with a smaller 110V compressor. I got a DeWalt 4.5 CFM and the thing gave me about 30 seconds of blast time with 5 mins of re-charge time. You need about twice that. You could daisy-chain several small compressors to get the desired CFM, but you would need 2 separate 110V circuits... and if you have that, you could easily convert it into 220V.

You also will want an in-line water separator.

 

[Jack O'Neill]

you cannot get 220 from 2 different 110 volt circuits if they are feed from the same phase in the main panel .

 

[Los Angeles]

Thank you for the replies. Rewiring the building I'm renting space in is 100% impossible So let's not talk about 220 until I move out of there. Considering how perfect the space is in other ways, I don't see that happening soon.

Storing and or running a gas powered unit outside will also not be possible.

Looks like the compressor will be my most limiting factor. I'm sure a more powerful generator works on 110 somewhere on this planet, if not there must be a small enough jeweler's cabinet and gun that will operate continuously on the weaker 110 compressors, so it looks like I've got a lot of searching to do.

 

[P.Brewster]

you cannot get 220 from 2 different 110 volt circuits if they are feed from the same phase in the main panel .

You're right; thats what I meant by "separate" 110v circuits. I could have been more explanatory.

 

[Abrasive]

you cannot get 220 from 2 different 110 volt circuits if they are feed from the same phase in the main panel .

Not clear how y'all are talking about doing this. If it's replacing (2) 110 breakers with a 220, fine. Have at.

If you are talking about some sort of franken-cord that plugs into (2) 110 outlets, just don't. A trip on a 2-pole breaker will shut down both legs. The dual-110 arrangement will not do that, leading to Bad Things.

Dave