Compressor recommendations?

[Rick Wilton]

There are some questions this thread raises for me:

Why is 220V not a readily available alternative here? For all the money that's being spent on equipment, is an electrical upgrade to 220V in order to maximize the investment possible? I upgraded my primary service and ran a 220V line for <$2000 with 2-3 additional 220V outlets still possible. Is the available service already maxed out?

Is it possible to use a selector switch on a 220V line? My clothes dryer backs up to my shop wall; can I use a selector switch to make that service available to my shop when not using the dryer?

How is blasting medium reclaimed when using a pressure pot? If the medium is not reclaimed and filtered, seems to me that the cost of the medium would rapidly exceed the cost of a full blasting cabinet installation. Space availability and cost are big concerns for me so the pressure pot would be the most attractive alternative considering those issues.

What are the safety considerations when using a pressure pot? Using a respirator is probably only the start.

Is it recommended to wear long-sleeved clothing +/or gloves when using a blasting cabinet? Wonder about MERS, MRSA and god-knows what other contaminations that could lurk in rubberized sleeve materials used in some cabinets. I'm not a germaphobe just thinking realistically especially as I rent time on the sand blaster at a glass store.

Is renting time on a blasting installation an alternative? As mentioned above, I rent time locally but my need is sporadic. Renting time to others could help cover costs but I don't like other people using my equipment.

What about noise? The installation I rent is very loud; insulating the compressor and filtering system or having a unit that can be 'charged' when I am not in the shop would be a big plus.

Why spend the money if it's not necessary?

As for safety, I don't wear anything as my dust collector does not allow anything out of my cabinet except once it has been filtered through a hepa dust collector system. I have removed the hands off of the sleeves and only wear latex (nitrile) gloves when I blast as I like to feel the glass and have the dexterity to remove mask material inside the cabinet.

The most noisy thing on most peoples cabinets is the dust collector, the noise from mine is almost nonexistent as it is in a separate enclosure as I don't care for noise (especially when I am not the one making it) The air compressor is also fairly quiet but at least it doesn't run constantly when someone is blasting.

[Buttercup]

Jerry, here' a post regarding using a pressure pot in a cabinet:
http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/thread ... n-a-garage

I have both a walk-in booth with a pressure system and a siphon system and a cabinet used with the siphon system (same system actually, just switched with quick disconnects).

From my own experience it would seem that any project requiring the potential cfm of a pressure system would be too large to fit in the cabinet. I can carve quite successfully in the cabinet with the siphon system. The simplicity of the siphon system media recovery more than makes up for any potentially faster blasting with a pressure system. The used grit would still fall to the reservoir at the bottom of the cabinet but would have to be drained out and returned to the pressure pot. Messy.

I also like the instant on/off action of the trigger on the sandblasting gun without having to have a foot switch or a spare hand to grope around for a shut-off valve.

It would seem that the dust storm created by blasting with a pressure system at its potential capacity in a small cabinet would create a dust storm an ordinary dust collector couldn’t cope with. A really strong extraction system in that confined space would suck out your good grit as well as dust, before it had a chance to fall to the reservoir. If you’re not using the pressure system at its full potential it seems excessive.

If you’re cleaning auto parts and control isn’t an issue that might be different.

When I lived in NA my 220v kiln was hard-wired to the same circuit as the oven. The only caveat was to not use both at the same time.

That’s just my opinion based on my experience. Others may shed more light on the cabinet questions. Hope that helps, Jen

[Valerie Adams]

There are some questions this thread raises for me:

Why is 220V not a readily available alternative here? For all the money that's being spent on equipment, is an electrical upgrade to 220V in order to maximize the investment possible? I upgraded my primary service and ran a 220V line for <$2000 with 2-3 additional 220V outlets still possible. Is the available service already maxed out?

I have 220v but with five kilns, all electrical is spoken for. After paying for a new roof and installing 30 solar panels, the panel on the house is completely maxed out. I've just bought the contents of a friend's glass studio, then spent a small fortune on this blasting unit, so I'm financially not in a position to upgrade power.

Two of my 220v kilns are already sharing the allocated fuse, so I don't want to add a compressor to that load.

Because the blasting unit is self-contained with a pressure pot, the manufacturer assured me I only need a 110v compressor. But since I've had conflicting info, that's why I became confused and needed the input of my peers.

Now, I'm certainly happy to have the panel upgraded if anyone wants to send me some donations.

[Buttercup]

Just curious, as I'm not planning to do it, but how does one get the used grit from the blasting cabinet back into the pressure pot? With the siphon system it just stays in the reservoir and recycles? Started to look it up on-line but got side-tracked at a uTube video on making a pressure pot out of a used propane tank! Too much time wasted already. Can someone satisfy my curiosity, please? Jen

[Tony Smith]

Just curious, as I'm not planning to do it, but how does one get the used grit from the blasting cabinet back into the pressure pot? With the siphon system it just stays in the reservoir and recycles? Started to look it up on-line but got side-tracked at a uTube video on making a pressure pot out of a used propane tank! Too much time wasted already. Can someone satisfy my curiosity, please? Jen

There's a trap door at the bottom of the cabinet. Place a five gallon pail under the trap door and open it until the pail is full. Place a screen on top of the pressure pot and pour the grit through the screen.

Repeat as required.

Tony

[Marty]

Make sure you can lift the pail- you may not want to fill it too much.
Set up a HEPA vacuum close by as the grit empties into the pail, and also as you pour the grit into the pot. There will be airborne dust.
Wear a mask while doing this.

[Buttercup]

Thanks Tony and Marty. I suspected as much but thought the problem may have been solved by some clever technology that recycled it without human intervention. Jen

[charlie]

[quote="Jerrwel"]There are some questions this thread raises for me:
[list][/list]Why is 220V not a readily available alternative here? For all the money that's being spent on equipment, is an electrical upgrade to 220V in order to maximize the investment possible? I upgraded my primary service and ran a 220V line for <$2000 with 2-3 additional 220V outlets still possible. Is the available service already maxed out?
[list][/list]Is it possible to use a selector switch on a 220V line? My clothes dryer backs up to my shop wall; can I use a selector switch to make that service available to my shop when not using the dryer?
[list][/list]How is blasting medium reclaimed when using a pressure pot? If the medium is not reclaimed and filtered, seems to me that the cost of the medium would rapidly exceed the cost of a full blasting cabinet installation. Space availability and cost are big concerns for me so the pressure pot would be the most attractive alternative considering those issues.
[list][/list]What are the safety considerations when using a pressure pot? Using a respirator is probably only the start.
[list][/list]Is it recommended to wear long-sleeved clothing +/or gloves when using a blasting cabinet? Wonder about MERS, MRSA and god-knows what other contaminations that could lurk in rubberized sleeve materials used in some cabinets. I'm not a germaphobe just thinking realistically especially as I rent time on the sand blaster at a glass store.
[list][/list]Is renting time on a blasting installation an alternative? As mentioned above, I rent time locally but my need is sporadic. Renting time to others could help cover costs but I don't like other people using my equipment.
[list][/list]What about noise? The installation I rent is very loud; insulating the compressor and filtering system or having a unit that can be 'charged' when I am not in the shop would be a big plus.[/quote]

1: cost. also normally there is no great need for 220 outside of dryer, water heater, kitchen, or workshop.
2: yes, but why? can't you tell when the dryer is running? if so, don't blast.
3: depends upon the cabinet. most times, there's a hole out the bottom so it falls into a bucket. i built my cabinet without a hole, so when the pot runs out, i just scoop it back.
4: safety is the same using a pressure pot or a siphon setup. i wear a respirator, and you probably want a dust extractor.
5: if the gloves dry out in your area, not much will live in it. we have <10% humidity here most of the year, so that's not a problem
6: depends upon how much you're going to use it, and convenience. when you're looking at a thousand to start with, that's a lot of rental time if you only have 10 minutes/week need. of course, if it's 30 miles away rather than downstairs, that's a pain too. i wouldn't rent out time, unless you want people to stop by your house a lot.
7: the compressor is noisy. put it in another room, or outside, if you can. i don't have room to do so, so wear good ear muffs when blasting.

[Kevin Midgley]

so wear good ear muffs when blasting.

Wear ear plugs in ears as well as the ear muffs.
That way you also don't hear any interruptions such as door knocks or phone calls or the compressor.