Technical Sandblasting - Thinking inside the box

Years ago we got the plans to build a sandblasting cabinet out of plywood and it has served me well for many years, It has a vacuum system and I installed a flood light to illuminate the inside while blasting, I also use the Grizzly stick on film to help keep the glass from getting too pitted.

I was blasting some small parts this afternoon and had to stop and reach inside and wipe the dust of the glass because it was getting to the point where I couldn't see, it's normal and is a common part of sandblasting and I suspect it's common.

When I went back to blasting the mind started wondering and then I had a epiphany - Why couldn't I use a simple single blade windshield wiper made for hot rods and mount the motor on the outside of the cabinet with the shaft going through to the inside of to keep the dust from building up on the glass.

Do you guys think this is nuts or does it actually make sense? HRP

 

Go for it Danny, it just might work.

 

The dust would be abrasive and most likely scratch it. How about an airline bleed off facing the glass to blow it off.


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Modern fireplace have a glasshield to prevent sparks and burning wood beiing ejected in to the livingroom.
These glaspanels are streamed by air ( sort of aircurtain ) to prevent soot to build up on the glas.
I guess you could invent something similar with a long slim nozzle.
A wiper will scratch the glass.
Actually i have a safetyglass outside my Sandblasting-Cabin and in the same frame a very thin glas facing to the inside, which goes blind by the time but can be replaced inxepensively, the old glas gets recycled with commen glas waste.
I usually buy a pack of thin glas , cut alredy to the correct size, they come in 50 pieces per pack.
I have one cabinet for very abrassive things with corrund, things like rusty steele, and a second one for delicate things with plastic media and the like, where only paint and dirt needs to blast of .
Easy, cheap, convinient, no trouble and no inviromental harm, in return, one can burn as much gazoline as it pleases.
Just my two cent.

 

I cover the interior side of the window with wide shipping tape.
Strip off and reapply as needed.
Remove when not in use.
I also shine the light thru the window.

 

on mine I have clear plastic that I attach with double stick tape to save the glass. I can't see how a dry windshield wiper would not scratch the plastic worse than what the sand does.

 

Two thumbs up from me!

 

This is what I use to keep the glass from being abraded. HRP

 

If you do use the wiper motor setup, I would not use a rubber wiper blade. I would borrow the head off the wifes cleaning Swiffer and deny knowing anything about it's absence.

 

I cut to fit and use a clear face-shield lens. They do a good job. But you stimulated my thought juices......wonder if the race-driver face shield tear off would be cost effective?

 

I think you should put a swiffer on the wiper blade. Would work better. A dry rubber blade would just smear. Also clean the glass with pledge. It repells dust. If it works on a wood table, it should work on glass too.

 

This, and instead of the aftermarket wiper motor use a junk yard motor and switch so you can use the long delay intermittent setting.

 

The ones I use from Grizzly have a peal and stick tape around the perimeter, once they get so bad I simply pull it off and replace it with a bew one

5 of them cost about 15 bucks shipped. HRP

 

Think about it for a minute, if I replaced the rummer blade with a cloth type material such as a swiffer don't you think it would hold sand and be more abrasive rubbing back and forth? HRP

 

if you do it Danny, use a hand wiper, no need for a motor.

 

https://www.carparts.com/details/Wi...VzrrACh0DwgorEAQYASABEgJm3PD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

That's a thought and it would probably work fine but I would have to take my hand out of one of my gloves.

I my mind I was thinking about using a push button momentary on/off switch that could be attached to the side or near of the foot control and activated by using the left foot and keep the hands free to continue holding and sandblasting.

Again, all this is just thinking inside & outside of the box. HRP

 

Just saw a Wheeler Dealer show this morning and his blast cabinet had a wiper cleaning the glass. Got me to thinking also.

 

Saw WD also. Seemed to work for Ant.

Phil

 

I picked up a second-hand blast cabinet, which had an air duster permanently attached to the air supply inside the cabinet. Not sure if they come like this when new, but I just aim it towards the window and blast away.

 

Now you got me thinking... LED lighting would be a serious game changer I believe... As mine has a crappy florescent

 

I tried it with led light, these go blind quite quick too.

 

when i was a kid, i drove a truck in rock quarry. turning on the wiper with no water was a sure way to ruin the windshield.

 

Really? so this has already been done? I'm going to have to find that show and see if I can figure out what they did.

Thanks guys. Danny

 

I want to know how you keep your shop so clean! Do you have a garage wiper? Joe

 

Run a manual then just put an extended lever inside so you won't have to take your hand out of the glove.

I'm interested in trying a small tube running the length of the window with just a few small holes in it and run a small manual on off adjustable valve with air running thru it. Just adjust up or down to blow a soft breeze across the glass to keep it clean.

Put it on top the glass that way you have the weight of the sand working with you to blow it down away from the window.

 

The gloves in my cabinet are long enough that I can reach up and give the window a few wipes.

 

I have an air hose with a blower attached to the end to blow off parts when I’m done, hard plumbed inside the cabinet.

I use the plastic sheets as well Danny. When it gets dusty I just put the blast gun down and grab the air nozzle and blow down the window and then keep blasting.

 

You made me spit coffee on my keyboard!

I built the new shop in 2007 and when this photo's was taken I had just moved the truck in for disassembly
that was the only photo I could find that you could actually see the sandblaster, I can assure you it looks nothing like that today, it's a mess!, the floors are almost black from over spray, the was are dingy and I need to get serious and do a major clean up and get rid of a lot of junk.HRP

 

That makes sense. HRP