To go Cabinet or Pressurized?

[bkoenig]

I am performing my own personal due dilegance (a term I recieved prior to my layoff at my last job), and have started to shop around for a good sand blast setup. I have noticed that there is the typical cabinet, and then there is the pressurized tank. I currently have a small compressor, 30 g., and I am wondering which one would be better, until I can purchase the 60 gal. that I have been salivating over for awhile.
Thanks for the help

[Pearl-Jam]

That's a small air compressor motor if your planning on doing any type of media blasting. Its not so much your tank size you have to consider , its what you have as a constant running pressure. My compressor can maintain 110 psi running pressure with the motor on and the line in use before it kicks off in about 10 min. after filling my tank . That's about a $2500.00 air compressor. Tank size is only good if you have the motor to fill it back up. I would not go much below 90 psi running pressure to media blast anything of size. If you can , wire your compressor for 220v. That's only if it says so in the directions for direct wire. The motor will love you for it and you will save $ on electric because the motor will not have to work so hard. Hope this helps,

Drew Young

[Blademan]

I'm building a new, well another blast cab and now from some time in grade..this ones gonna be a presurized feed system...

Originally Posted by Blademan

presurized feed system...

That is what i use in my blast room ....... hey blademan i just could not stay away

[trsick]

Either way you still need a decent air compressor to supply the needed cfm
Bob

[bkoenig]

Now for the compressor question. WOuld you prefer a 60 gal. 7 hp. compressor single stage providing 12.4 @ 4 and 10.2 @ 90 OR 60 gal 7 hp, Two stage which delivers 9.6 and 9.0?

[tinbender722]

I rigged my small 100 pound pressure tank to run on low pressure - about 10 pounds or less - and use a siphon gun with it. It doesn't stop up like with a siphon setup and is a lot more contollable than a full pressure pot. Now, I just need to find a bigger pot and build a bigger cabinet or booth.
Leo

[trsick]

Hey Tinbender:
Can you tell me more about the low pressure set up? Is the media coming out at a high enough presure to work well?
Thanks
Bob

[tinbender722]

Basically, what you do is setup an air regulator on the media pot and set it for about 7-10 pounds. You will have to adjust it to get the media to the gun without surging. On the bottom of the pot, install a 3/8" ball valve to the pot, then a 3/8" tee to the ball valve. On one side of the tee feed a 3/8" air hose up to between the low pressure air regulator and media pot - so you have the same pressure to the tee as to the media pot. On the other side of the tee, connect a 3/8" hose and connect it to an adaptor to connect to the media feed barb on a suction gun ( it is usually 1/2" at the gun). Connect another air line to the blasting gun air port and adjust it to whatever pressure you normally blast at - 60# and up. What this setup does is the low pressure air in the pot and media hose from the pot pushes the media to the gun, then you blast with the higher pressure connected to the gun. I have only used this setup for a little while and only with glass bead, but it works a lot better (faster and no clogs) than the siphon feed in my small cabinet. It is also easier to controll the media flow than with an all high pressure setup that came with my pressure pot. I hope I didn't confuse it too much. If I did, just post back and I will try to clear it up.

Leo