Cabinet sandblaster

[Graveyard1984]

Ive been looking at getting a cabinet
style sandblaster.
What size compressor does it take to
run it.
Ive got a 30 gallon air compressor that
runs off 110volt porter cable one from
tractor supply. Will it run a cabinet
style sandblaster.

Thanks

 

[Chris(WA)]

Just barely. You will find yourself stopping and letting it catch up. Depends on how hard you are working. I found that my 5 HP rates Two cylinder runs almost continuously when I am into a blasting project. Really thought about adding a second head and motor I have off a compressor that the tank went bad on to increase the pumped volume.
I also have an air dryer. That really improved the having to stop and clean the nozzle when it stopped up from moist blast media.
I also found that ground glass makes a great blast media.
Happy Blasting!

 

[WESnIL]

My Ingersoll Rand 3 HP compressor (about 17 to 19 CFM) runs about 40% of the time when I am sand blasting. The man from the sand blasting company that is about ideal. Too high of a percentage and one will be wearing out the compressor prematurely. Dollar signs helped dictate my compressor purchase decision as I would have liked a higher quality one and a higher capacity one, preferably a two stage. But I only have 50 amp service going to the shed so the higher HP would have eaten up too much of my electricity. I get by and it works good for my use. Sometime I use it most of a day but at other times just a little now and then to clean up some parts. On all of the cabinet style sand blasting cabinets I wish someone would make a better lighting kit for the inside.

 

[Goose]

I don't think you'd be happy. It takes a heck of a lot of air to sand blast. I don't have a cabinet, but I have a "bucket" type of blaster. I have a 60 gallon, 5hp, two stage compressor and I consider it only marginal for sand blasting.

 

[ldj]

(quoted from post at 10:36:54 05/20/18) Ive been looking at getting a cabinet
style sandblaster.
What size compressor does it take to
run it.
Ive got a 30 gallon air compressor that
runs off 110volt porter cable one from
tractor supply. Will it run a cabinet
style sandblaster.

Thanks

Probably if using a suction gun, no if using pressure gun

 

[Hobo,NC]

I have a 21 and a 27 CFM my blaster will give either a work out. If you are going to run a compressor long you will need a air drier of some sort I use a toilet paper drier/filter it works great.
Pix in this post

http://forums.yesterdaystractors.co...&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

 

[Steve@Advance]

The compressor will have a CFM rating. If not on the data plate, you can find it online if it's not too old.

The blaster will also have a CFM rating. Some have different nozzle sizes to choke down the air flow, but will also slow the blasting process.

Be sure to take the PSI rating in consideration so as to compare apples to apples.

I doubt the compressor you have will do much blasting. About 1 HP (real HP, not make believe compressor mfg HP) is all you can run on a 110v standard outlet.

So, if you are serious about getting a blaster, best shop for a compressor first, that is the expensive part. Then size the 2 together based on needs and funds. Remember you will also need a water separator, and a dust collector to be able to see what you are doing inside the cabinet.

Here is some compressor info, gets deep but best to know before investing.
Compressor Ratings

 

[44 massey]

You will be very disappointed if ur compressor won?t be able to keep up!!! Like Steve said the cabinet is nozzled for so much air volume and some use a pressure regulator too, however as u use it that nozzles gets bigger as sand passes thru it so the more u use it the more volume u need till u replace the nozzle!! I have a two-stage 220v 60 or 80gal compressor and I rigged up an older shop vac as a dust collector and works good on my medium sized cabinet!!! Once u get it set up u will definitely like it to clean up those smaller parts!!!! Good luck

 

[David G]

mine works the snot out of 5HP IR with 80 gallon tank.

 

[Dave Sherburne, NY]

Probably not. my son has a large Skat Blaster cabinet model with a vacuum attached to it He has a very large compressor providing the pressurized air which is just enough. He has 1" airlines in his shop.
When he uses the the pressurized bucket type blaster outside, he has another compressor he turns on to get enough volume.
Skat Blaster.

 

[kcm.MN]

Haven't made one yet, but have seen many Youtube videos of folks who use sand and their pressure washer for dust-free sandblasting. Some folks make their own rig, but kits (see link below) are available). Some setups use dry sand while others use wet, and some use only store-bought media while some of the DIY models simply use sand from their yard, driveway, or wherever they can get it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDtAgE9WWQg

 

[Harold Melius]

I run a 6' cabinet with a fairly large nozzle. I use a 2 stage porter cable 80 gal. at 175 psi., it feeds 2 other 80 gal. tanks in series. It works well and tends to knock out water real well. It will keep ahead of the bead blaster, but just barely.

 

[PopinJohn]

My preference for lighting in my bead blast cabinet is a twenty-four inch
Fluorescent light. Single F8 tube, Strip light.
Tried the fixture with the small bulbs, didn't last a month.
Catalog # TXFS120S
Strip S 120T12 Res-M
I use glass beads at 90 psi on the regulator/dryer with a 5 HP twin stage 80 Gal. tank.

 

[huntingreen2day2]

My cabinet takes 15 CFM. I had a 5 HP 2 stage and it ran continuously. I went to a 7.5 hp 2 stage and it runs 75 percent of the time. When sand blasting bigger is definitely better.

 

[Stephen Newell]

Your air compressor will work but if you keep it running continuously you will likely run out of air. All that would mean is you would have to stop now and then and let the compressor catch up. Then if you keep at it all day the compressor would overheat from the abuse. As long as you could let the compressor cool off periodically you would be alright. If you intend to do a lot of sandblasting you may need to get one that is in the 12 scfm at 90 psi or bigger range.

 

[El Hombre]

OP, the trick to getting a small compressor to work is to use the smallest ceramic tip you can find, I got a TIP gun with a small orifice and I can use a 3HP Sears with a 30 gal tank.

It's just little stuff, when I sandblast a car body, I fire up the 125 cfm gas powered Worthington trailer mounted unit and connect it to the TIP 60 pound pressure pot....

If I really want to use the blast cabinet, then I start the Curtis 80 gallon 7.5hp, that's 27 cfm at 175.

I added to the lighting in the cabinet with some small quart iodine lamp units I found at a home store. Plenty of light, they're tough, so I can bounce stuff off them and they won't break.