modified cheap blasting cabinet

[chromeitout]

I may be the only one with a cheap cabinet that came from one of those budget tool stores (probably not) but I had two major problems with it... lighting and the junk of a gun it came with. So, I decided to do a little improving.
I can't find the post I read to give proper credit but someone mentioned cutting a hole in the top of the cabinet and using an old coffee can and a flood light. I went off of this and thought about using a recessed light fixture that you'd find at Home Depot for home use. I cut it at an angle and pop riveted the ring to it so that it would point straight down and I would have some way of mounting it.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...t/DSC00964.jpg After cutting the hole in the cabinet I cut a piece of screen to protect the light and a cardboard "gasket" to seal the fixture. I had to buy a small 75 watt flood light to keep it inside the fixture since I cut part of its depth out with the angle. A couple of sheet metal screws to hold it in place and some good old duct tape to seal off the holes in the fixture and its as good as mounted.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...t/DSC00972.jpg
I am using a shop vac for my dust collector so I decided to mount a switch on the side of the cabinet that turns the light and the vacuum on too. The lighting problem is fixed!!!
Now the gun. I went to a local industrial equiptment company an checked out some of their cabinets and bought a replacement gun for one of their cabinets. Here's the old on the left and the new on the right.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...t/DSC00934.jpg
The new gun cost about $60 and is meant to be operated by a foot switch controlled electric air valve instead of a trigger like the old one. Here's a close up.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...t/DSC00973.jpg
I'm going to put a ball valve just inside the cabinet in the air line to turn it on and off but for now I just plug and unplug the hose. I also replaced the cheap clear media hose with a braided rubber hose. No more kinking media hose. No more sticking trigger! No more internal leaking!
This post may be totally useless to most of you, but these two mods made it way easier to see and cut my blasting time in half. Anyways, about $100 later I don't hate blasting anymore.

[ShelbyCSXT]

Originally Posted by chromeitout

Anyways, about $100 later I don't hate blasting anymore.

LOL!! Nice job!!!

[tvsp]

That's excellent info for me! I quit blasting after a month of owning my (seemingly identical) cabinet & gun. This might just put me back in business for blasting - thanks!!

[chromeitout]

No problem. I'm glad I can finally be on the giving end of "help" instead of the receiving end for a change
I'll take pics tomorrow of the pedal switch my dad came up with instead of the ball valve. It is hooked up and working great!

[Mick40]

I'm very much interested in the pedal switch!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please post! Nice retro on the cabinet. My light sucks and it's a snap on cabinet!

Mick

[chromeitout]

Sorry for not posting the pics yet. My computer is being worked on. I'm using the one at my parent's house right now but I should have mine back tomorrow and I'll post them.

[chromeitout]

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...out/pedal2.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...out/pedal1.jpg
Here are the pics as promised. It's nothing more than a manual air valve sandwiched between two hinged pieces of metal. I don't know where to buy one... McMaster-Carr?