My Princess Auto Blast Cabinet! Lots Of Pictures!!

[Sahara]

I use one similar to this:

View attachment 928648

I have that exact unit. It’s excellent. You still need to use a fine particulate filter, like a drywall vacuum filter.

 

[gkent]

Warning: Aluminum oxide is quite expensive - but it pays for itself in the long run. Whereas glass beads burst and get sucked in the vacuum, the aluminum seems to have enough weight to fall back into the hopper. So all that's going in the vac is the **** you're blasting off the part.

Also, put the entire contents of the bag in the hopper. This ensures the siphon is never uncovered AND the weight helps feeding it.

Here are a couple tips -
1) The pickup tube can sometimes get blocked or partially blocked. Every now and then hold your hand over the nozzle and hit the trigger. This blows everything backwards out of the siphon tube. On more than one occasion I've seen a piece of the media bag or a paint chip get blown out.
2) Since my unit is home-made the hopper walls aren't quite as steep as they should be so the media collects up the walls. A good couple bangs on the side shakes everything down. TP Tools actually sell a vibrator to do exactly that so it must be common in other units as well.

 

[Islandkent]

TP tools Stan for the carbide?? Please and thank you. Did you try the Amazon ones??

 

[Islandkent]

I used a palm sander on the table top version to vibrate the media to the siphon plus a switch to slow the speed of the sander down. FAIL Sander not designed to slow down burnt it up. Cheap PA one but 20 bucks down the tube after a couple of hours just the same.

I find it the same way with that copper slag. Really heavy but I open the valve full blast and use a #7 nozzle and it's been working.

Yes, this afternoon I clogged the #4 nozzle with a piece of dum dum off the quarter extensions. I put in a # 5 and worked fine. But I will have to sift the beads before I reuse them.
That's what takes the time cleaning out the hopper and valve between medias. Ok to go from fine to course but not ok to go from course to fine . Right??

 

[gkent]

Never thought to look on Amazon. I grab the TP Tools ones when I go to Carlisle but I don't think I've changed it in five years and I use my blaster a couple hours a week. If you're going to be using it a lot carbide is the way to go - otherwise the ceramic tips are just fine. The ceramic will outlast a steel nozzle.

 

[gkent]

One thing I been procrastinating about doing for years is putting a dedicated air nozzle in the cabinet to block the parts off. As you'll notice if you have a bunch of pieces in the cabinet, by the time you're done they all have a pile of media sitting on them. It would be nice to blow them off BEFORE opening the door.

 

[Islandkent]

Right on Stan. What is TP? Sorry for my ignorance.
I only have a few hours on my ceramic and I can see a difference in the #4. It's the same one I've been using from the table top version from Canadian Tire. I also changed the gun out from the little cabinet to use it works better that the one from PA. Even bought a Campbell Hausfeld gun after reading all the reviews. The CT one works the best. I do have the foot valve and plan on making a gun to use with it. But the CT one works pretty good.

 

[gkent]

Oh, here's another tip !! Call up a local plastics supplier (I just happen to be one) and buy a 4 x 8 sheet of .020" PETG - should be under $40/sheet. Cut it to fit between the outer glass or plastic lens and the inside of the cabinet (12" x 18") . This is a lot cheaper than buying the shields from Princess. You should get 16 out of a sheet. They a little more labour intensive to change but it ain't like you have to do it every week !!

 

[gkent]

https://www.tptools.com/

 

[gkent]

I'll post some pics of my "gun" tomorrow. Easy to make and I know you already have all the parts.

 

[Islandkent]

I did that. I think you can see it and the block I custom made to work with my cabinet. I machined off the hook on the blow gun kept hooking on the screen. I also moved the air and sand lines as per the internet mods.

 

[dadsbee]

You know if you'd stop modifying blasting cabinets you'd have that car done!! LOL.. Like I'm one to talk...

 

[gkent]

I see the block and it works for you because the trigger on the media gun closes that off. But my gun has no trigger - step on the pedal and the media shoots out - so I can't run off that line. I need to run a seperate air line in and that's what I've been procrastinating about !!

 

[Islandkent]

Oh, here's another tip !! Call up a local plastics supplier (I just happen to be one) and buy a 4 x 8 sheet of .020" PETG - should be under $40/sheet. Cut it to fit between the outer glass or plastic lens and the inside of the cabinet (12" x 18") . This is a lot cheaper than buying the shields from Princess. You should get 16 out of a sheet. They a little more labour intensive to change but it ain't like you have to do it every week !!

Whoa whoa Stan. No such thing down here. Is that like plexi glass from Home Depot and the like. Depot 40 miles away. Plus I think that stuff is pricey. I just plan on replacing the glass from a buddy of mine that owns a Standard Auto Glass. Just cheap glass. Like I said earlier I geared up a quick change glass replacement set up. Change the glass out in around two minutes. Put the glass on the bottom and the factory plexi on top for safety.

 

[Islandkent]

Right. That's right. Oh well not a big job but a job just the same. Yes you would need two air lines from the supply side of the pedal. A tee and a flexible rubber hose.
I just picked up a cheap pedal off of amazon. Going to get a 45 degree elbow and make up some holders for the nozzles once I get around to it.

 

[Islandkent]

You know if you'd stop modifying blasting cabinets you'd have that car done!! LOL.. Like I'm one to talk...

I hear you Wayne. Lol that's the truth. Roger my body man got hurt playing hockey. He's been on the mend for the last month or so. He's just starting to ease back to work. 64 and still playing with the young bucks.

 

[gkent]

This is my home-built unit. Pulled the metal out of a dumpster $0. Had it cut bent and welded by a local shop $50. Foot "pedal" $5. Cheapo gun and some fittings $25. Gloves $30. Swapmeet water separator and regulator $10.. So under $150. at a time (early '90's) when there were no cheap units on the market ! Of course the blaster only, not the vac unit etc. If you're wondering why its so dirty its because its in my welding area. The blaster generates a lot of static so its a magnet for grinding dust, etc.

 

[gkent]

A few more shots ... that's a shorty florescent light in there with an expanded metal shield. Same bulb for over 25 years !! The gun is one of those cheapies you can buy anywhere but I chucked the handle and trigger and made up a direct air inlet since the air is controlled by the pedal. I splurged on a carbide nozzle because it gets a lot of use. As with most of my equipment, this baby owes me nothing.

 

[dadsbee]

AHHH Static ! Nothing like a good jolt to the nuts! A couple times of that and the unit quickly got grounded to my water hydrant in the corner of the shop.

 

[gkent]

LOL !! Actually the cab isn't grounded, just the lines into the vac. I never really had an issue but watching some Youtube vids it looked like a good idea. I imagine in a woodshop static could result in a fire.