Blasting cabinet

[roofman]

Ive got my blasting cabinet up and running. what is the groups opinions on the type of grit i should order, its for stuff like calipers, general alloy bits and brackets with flakey paint etc....cheers

 

[Pete.]

Dry or wet blasting? Waterjet cutters use garnet. I have a local place who says I can take as much of their spent media as I please as it's only waste.

 

[roofman]

Dry or wet blasting? Waterjet cutters use garnet. I have a local place who says I can take as much of their spent media as I please as it's only waste.

Dry Pete, its just the general generic unit but for small stuff works well.

 

[qwakers]

glass works well for everything and lasts longest.

 

[roofman]

I have the wet and dry vacume exhaust going through the door so get zero dust in the shop.

 

[mike 109444]

Look to the places local to you that hire blasting kit (down this way it's Brandon tool hire) If they are hiring kit, they will usually sell the consumables.
When I had to get some MM were doing a bucket for about £25 but Brandon done 2 sacks for about £34 !

 

[Robotstar5]

I have the wet and dry vacume exhaust going through the door so get zero dust in the shop.

and you tell your neighbours it must be Sahara sand when they find their cars covered in dust

 

[roofman]

and you tell your neighbours it must be Sahara sand when they find their cars covered in dust

Thankfully i live within a Bin Laden compound with the clucking and clanking i do around here...

 

[Erie Fred]

I use XXXX (the banned substance) in the most fine sized I can get.
I have tried to use "Black Beauty" or coal bottom ash, but while it works
on some things, is not fine enough to get into tiny pits.

Have not tried the crushed glass yet, however I am not seeing it available
in the very fine size.

Have a separate small cabinet with glass bead, but as you know it is not sharp.

 

[Erie Fred]

and you tell your neighbours it must be Sahara sand when they find their cars covered in dust

...and whatever he was removing with the blast, including RUST....

 

[Dcal]

Ive got my blasting cabinet up and running. what is the groups opinions on the type of grit i should order, its for stuff like calipers, general alloy bits and brackets with flakey paint etc....cheers

Garnet lasts well in a cabinet where it gets constantly recycled.
Aluminium oxide is probably better still.
Glass is softer so doesn't recycle well, but is great for single use.
I use Jblast and it is one of the softer media but when it breaks down I keep it and use it for aluminium.
I recycle 5 or 6 times before it's only good for cleaning or aluminium.
I always sieve it before putting it back into the pot.
For the stuff I do I don't care too much about the blast profile so I can let the grit degrade far more than if a good sharp etch was required.

I've a similar blast cabinet but I use a pressure pot and have it connected into the cabinet, it works very well.
A vacuum doesn't have the air flow to clear a blast cabinet, a 3 or 4inch chip extractor works far better and gives you a fighting chance of seeing what your doing, especially when the grit has turned to dust.