Got a sand blasting cabinet? You need one of these.

[Downeaster]

I have the Horror Fright benchtop sand blasting cabinet. It's okay for what it is and fine for the odd project I do here and there.

Initially, I just hooked my shop vac to the vacuum port to keep the dust down. Problem with that was twofold:

1. The filter clogged REALLY quickly.
2. A lot of the talcum-sized fines blew right through it.

I knew a cyclone separator was the answer, but didn't want to spend the money. Then I found a Ewe Toob video on how to build one out of a 5 gallon bucket and a few PVC fittings. Seemed too simple to work.

I was wrong. Works GREAT! Virtually NOTHING gets as far as the filter/bag on the vac. I had the various pieces laying around so it cost me a grand total of about an hour of my time.

 

[thuban]

I'm so glad you took the chance to build this. I had seen this video but have been real busy. Now I got a new project!

 

[Downeaster]

The video makes it more complex than it needs to be:

 

[gggGary]

We used to etch (sandblast) glass, add some water to the bucket.
Trip to the electric aisle gets threaded adapters and jam nuts.

 

[Downeaster]

Speaking of glass...

The "window" on the cabinet is plastic. Original had tear off protector stickies that lasted about 30 seconds. The plexi etches pretty quickly too but I don't use it enough for that to be aggravating enough to do something about.

Yet.

I looked at options for glass but seemed pretty spendy for something that may or may not improve longevity.

 

[gggGary]

I just cut up old storm window glass to use for the window.
Score, snap, repeat.

 

[Norton7d]

I had thought, rather than vacuuming dust filled air out of the cabinet, could it be just as easy to "blow"fresh air in thus pushing the dusty air out and exchanging air quality.
The fresh air comimg in could be powered by a small fan, funneled down to size for the entrance.
The exit port would have a hose leading to a catch basin, being a bucket or somethimg like a filter sock.
I thought listening to a quiet fan for 15 minutes was nicer than listening to a vacuum...i have the larger stand up cabinet thus can do many parts at a single service.

 

[gggGary]

I had thought, rather than vacuuming dust filled air out of the cabinet, could it be just as easy to "blow"fresh air in thus pushing the dusty air out and exchanging air quality.
The fresh air comimg in could be powered by a small fan, funneled down to size for the entrance.
The exit port would have a hose leading to a catch basin, being a bucket or somethimg like a filter sock.
I thought listening to a quiet fan for 15 minutes was nicer than listening to a vacuum...i have the larger stand up cabinet thus can do many parts at a single service.

But that puts the cabinet at positive pressure?

 

[Downeaster]

I had thought, rather than vacuuming dust filled air out of the cabinet, could it be just as easy to "blow"fresh air in thus pushing the dusty air out and exchanging air quality.
The fresh air comimg in could be powered by a small fan, funneled down to size for the entrance.
The exit port would have a hose leading to a catch basin, being a bucket or somethimg like a filter sock.
I thought listening to a quiet fan for 15 minutes was nicer than listening to a vacuum...i have the larger stand up cabinet thus can do many parts at a single service.

Where does all that nasty dust go? Dust in general is ungood for breathing, silica dust from sand is double-plus ungood.

I have a long enough hose ( ) that I can set the vac outside the door, plus I use ear plugs.

 

[cra-z1]

You can modify the sight glass area to use all glass and get rid of the plastic

 

[chewblanca]

I use the cheapest glass at Home Depot and score and snap to size. Works fine, get quite a few hours out of it.
If you use a metering valve pickup you don't have to run at such high pressures and it also keeps the dust down.

I normally run mine at 60 PSI with a dust deputy and a shop vac. About every time I need to replace the glass I clean the shop vac.

 

[turbofan5890]

I have the Horror Fright benchtop sand blasting cabinet. It's okay for what it is and fine for the odd project I do here and there.

Initially, I just hooked my shop vac to the vacuum port to keep the dust down. Problem with that was twofold:

1. The filter clogged REALLY quickly.
2. A lot of the talcum-sized fines blew right through it.

I knew a cyclone separator was the answer, but didn't want to spend the money. Then I found a Ewe Toob video on how to build one out of a 5 gallon bucket and a few PVC fittings. Seemed too simple to work.

I was wrong. Works GREAT! Virtually NOTHING gets as far as the filter/bag on the vac. I had the various pieces laying around so it cost me a grand total of about an hour of my time.

I understand some people add water can you explain how I do that with the bucket deal. Have HAR. Freight central machinery 30lb cabinet.

 

[Downeaster]

I understand some people add water can you explain how I do that with the bucket deal. Have HAR. Freight central machinery 30lb cabinet.

Adding water is a whole other topic and quite involved. I haven't done that.

I just did the "turbo bucket" dust separator. There are multiple YouTube videos on how to make one.

I used this one.

 

[RC4MAN]

Looks like my next project DE, Thanks