[4 speed]

I just bought a blast cabinet ,It works great,but Iam using sand right now and the dust is so bad after a minutethat you cant see.
I have an old vacum cleaner that I am thinking of hooking to it to pull the dust out anyone ever try this?

thanks!

[Racer#00]

I got a bench top blast cabinet for my birthday from Harbor Freight tools. The instructions said to hook up a shop vac to keep down the dust. My shop vac is small and the opening in the cabinet is larger than the hose, so I don't use it. I'm using silica, and it does get dusty, but I end up stopping for awhile and letting it settle.

I think you could get away with using a shop vac type vaccum.

------------------

Dean

Racer#00

67 Camaro (Almost done!)
76 Trans Am Stock Car
68 Dodge D-100 P/U

[4 speed]

I was thinking of using my wifes old dystney(keeps throwing beater belts)but if thats not enough I do have a large shop vac I could rig up.

[paulm]

I built a cabinet out of sheet metal. It's about 3 ft by 4 ft. The top is made from glass/plywood. On one end I cut a hole just big enough to fit the end of the shop vac hose though so it has a good tight fit. Whenever I use it it fill the shop vac about half full of water, stick the end in and turn it on. I never have any dust, it all gets sucked up by the shop vac. I was so impressed with myself that I had to show my wife......she said I was a geek.

[4 speed]

thats O.K. my wife calls me an ass(whole lot worst than a geek)

thanks! think I'll just go with the shop vac!

[wacky174]

I have three blast cabinets. My bench top cabinet uses a shop vac setup. But be aware that if you use this type you better spent a few extra bucks for the fine particle dust filter for it or you shop vac will be history. I bought my setup with high efficient filter at Sears. $65.00. Works great.

Wacky

[davidpozzi]

I would not use sand, it bounces back on the window and pits it.
Use something lighter like glass bead, or use Garnet that is more aggressive than glass bead but won't damage the window.

Regulate the air pressure to get max suction on the media. Too much air can reduce suction. If you have a vac guage, try that to set pressure. Keep moisture out of the air flow or the glass beading will get wet and clump.
David

------------------
Check my web page for First Gen Camaro suspension info:
David's Motorsports page
First Gen Suspension Page
67 RS 327 Origonal owner. 69 Camaro Vintage Racer 65 Lola T-70 Chev 350 Can-Am Vintage Racer

[PitStop]

I have a cabinet from Tip and have used sand,glass beads,coal dust and ground glass. I have to disagree with david here, it all will take out the glass as well as creating dust. Some more,some less, sand is by far the worst. My glass has a piece of mylar plastic on the inside of the glass, held on with double sided tape, which has to be changed quite often. I was told at Tip that if you attach a piece of window screen on the inside of the glass, it will greatly extend the life of the protective plastic. The particles hit the screen and bounce off before they can cloud the glass. The screen is so close that your not suppose to have any problems seeing through it. The Tip store is about 10 miles from my house and I go there often. I haven't tryed it yet,too cold, but the guys at Tip have always been helpful and generally know what they are talking about.
Also if you a shop vac with out a fine particle filter, you will destroy the vac motor in a short time. They just can't handle that fine sand.
Bill

i too have a cabinet type, and what i did was took out a heater motor assembly out of a THOMAS built school bus [ i am a school bus mechanic] and cut a square hole in the back of the cabinet mounted the assembly on the back of the cabinet and hooked a dryer [like in your house] hose to it and let it run outside even used a dryer vent on the outside that blows open when you turn on the heater motor. i use a old battery charger to juice up the motor, i tell you man it is like a factory job . if anyone is interested in this i will be glad to email you some pics of the set-up.i might even be able to find some more old heater assemblies.i tried the shop vac and i have a good one but this seems to do a 100% better job, i also did away with the small fluorescent light and put in a flood light,my eyes aren,t what they used to be.

[18436572]

The shop vac fine filters are sold as drywall or something to do with drywall filters(for cleaning up after sanding drywall mud)...I can't remember exactly....but they work good and are usually with the regular filters at the stores...

[Jeff H]

Speaking of blast cabinets, I have a brand new TIP 780 cabinet with the light kit, scat blast media, shop vac hose and the fine dust filter that I'm not going to use so I'm trying to sell it to raise cash for my restoration which the shop is doing. If anyone is interested, please contact me. I'd like to get $400 for everything, it cost me over $500 for it all and it's brand new.

------------------
Jeff H - 93 Indy 500 Pace Car(supercharged) & driven daily, Hugger Orange 69 Z28 with JL8 brakes, cross-ram & GM fiberglass hood, TI setup, heater and radio delete, being restored

[KevinW]

I recently bought a El Cheapo table top cabinet (Jeff, you should have called me! ) and tried the sand and shop vaccuum. It did not work in the least.

Then I switched to glass beads, much better, but still dusty.

I took some old box fans (4 computer type, 4x4in) and made a filter box out of them. I went to the auto parts store and measured air cleaner filters. I found a retangular one and put it all together. Works pretty good. Plus you can clean the filter and buy a new one at any auto parts store (save the number! )

My next peeves are the plastic window (leaks beads) and cheap flouresent light. I'm going to make a top out of plywood and put some glass in that is easy to replace (I have some old storm windows) and get some small track type lights from Home depot to put in each corner of the cabinet.

That should do it!

Kevin

------------------
69' SS-350 Convert, M20, 3.55 posi. Totally Disassembled & in boxes (I'm working on it!)
69'(Hugger Orange -originally, Burgundy now) Z-21 Convert 327/PG, Driver

[Rondteal@bellsouth.net]

I hope you guys don't rig your cars like your blast cabinets, Just Kidding.
I use glass beads, Little dust but tolerable I think you would loose all the media if you suck it out with a vaccum. I just open the garage doors and blast away. But I hose the garage out at least once a week also.

[KevinW]

Ron, nope, the Camaro's get a numbers match build including correct nuts and bolts.

[Jim McGregor]

For bigger jobs, the Aluminum Oxide works great. Less dust and does not have problems when the moisture builds up. As well, the view plate doesn't pit as fast.