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Blaster Question

Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2014 5:32 pm
by jim burchett
I have a tabletop blasting cabinet from HF that uses pretty high pressure and leaks like a sieve...I am thinking about going to their freestanding Cabinet and getting their 100# Pressure Pot. Has anyone had any experience with the HF Pot? Really nice if I could afford the good stuff but on a budget for this one. I figure I can seal the cabinet while assembling and should be able to blast at lower pressure..I Think.

Re: Blaster Question

Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2014 6:19 pm
by Rick Wilton
Hello Jim,

I have bought several HF type pots over the years (we don't have HF in Canada but we have Princess Auto which sells the same pots). In my opinion they work just fine, I have changed them up a bit and put smaller diameter houses on them. I used to use 3/8" rubber air line hose but have recently switched to an even smaller hose that's made from urethane. The threads on the cap will wear out after 4-5 years of daily usage but that's fine with me. Beyond that I've never worn out anything on them.

Re: Blaster Question

Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2014 6:26 pm
by Tony Smith
Jim, I have similar experience to Rick. Be prepared to change the hoses and add a pressure regulator and water trap at the inlet before you use it. Otherwise, it'll work fine.

Good luck.

Tony

Re: Blaster Question

Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2014 6:58 pm
by jim burchett
Thanks

Re: Blaster Question

Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2014 11:21 am
by Joe Wokovich
Jim,
Currently I have two of the HF pots that look like propane bottles. I agree that the threads do wear but my main problem has always been moisture and clumping in the bottom of the pot. I have a moisture trap on the compressor outlet and another mounted on the pot right where the compressor hose attaches. These pots are a real pita to clean out and remove clumping.

My third HF pot is one that has the drop in lid for filling. Best of any HF pots.

Your comment on the blast cabinet is a typical HF complaint. It there is someplace for a leak you can count on it being there. I have had two of the metal cabinets. Learned by the first one that when I assembled it I chalked and then duct taped the seams. No leaks after that. I had given the first cabinet to someone that was just starting up and needed some equipment to get going.

Joe

Re: Blaster Question

Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 1:38 am
by Buttercup
Moisture and clumping under the valve at the bottom of the pot can be prevented by placing a 40 watt bulb under the pot. A trouble light could probably be used. When I lived on the rain coast of NA I just had an 'Early Edison' (primitive plastic light bulb holder,) screwed to a piece of 2 x 4 which was placed under the pot when the pot was not in use. (It does have to be electrified. :P ) The heat from the bulb is enough to keep the media dry. Depressurise the pot when not in use.

It does not replace the moisture trap. That collects moisture that accumulates when the air is compressed. Try it! I hope it helps. Jen

Re: Blaster Question

Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 8:54 pm
by KaCe
I use a HF pressure pot. I built my own blasting box about 40 years ago. It isn't high tech in the least. Plywood; caulked, sloping bottom, repurposed cold-air-return register grill for the base. I have had two air compressors in this time. I also did not use a pressure pot until 1990"s. I have two desiccant filters on my line to help remove moisture, but I am going to fit up a light bulb to keep the pot dry. Thanks for the good tip. I have found from time to time that my blasting media can fail to flow well, but I empty my pot and rescreen the material, which seems to help. The more I use the pot the less issue moisture is. Here in Western Washington is frequently damp, so moisture is always a concern. Good luck.

Re: Blaster Question

Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 8:23 pm
by jim burchett
Well I worked hard assembling the cabinet, all seams caulked..hooked up the vacuum to test it, a nd itpulled the darned glove off!..Now I'll have to take the glass back off the top, so I can reach the glove clamp to tighten it....aaarrrggghhh

Re: Blaster Question

Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 10:01 pm
by Buttercup
Same thing happened to mine....left glove detached so I pressed on with just a kitchen glove; the vac. sucks well enough to stop any grit leaking out the hole. I'm not in any hurry to fix it. If I felt confident enough that I wouldn't get an electric shock I would have replaced both the heavy duty gloves with kitchen gloves right from the start but the ground (earth) wire is connected to the right heavy duty glove. Does that make me 50% safe? I know nothing about electricity except that a 220-240v jolt is a lot more serious than a 110v tickle.

Does anyone else have a cabinet with a ground wire? Jen

Re: Blaster Question

Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 6:14 am
by Tony Smith
Having a strong vacuum is great, but if there isn't good airflow through the cabinet, you'll never clear the cloud of dust that is created every time you blast a piece of glass. Add a vent in the cabinet in the wall opposite the dust collector. Mine is in the back wall and it's just a 3" diameter hole with a sheet metal baffle over it.

Jen, the ground wire is there to dissipate the static charge that's caused by blasting in a dry environment. Most people attach the ground wire from the cabinet to the gun or nozzle.

Tony

Re: Blaster Question

Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 12:17 pm
by Rick Wilton
I don't have any gloves at all on my cabinet, I cut the removed the hands long ago. I have a ground wire in the arm hole that my arm rests against to deal with the static electricity. The heavy duty gloves are really only necessary if you are blasting at 90psi with a siphon system. If you have sufficient air flow then nothing will come out of your cabinet even without gloves, unless I aim the nozzle directly at sleeve area.

Re: Blaster Question

Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 3:52 pm
by jim burchett
Tony, I had the aor inlet blocked durong the test..will have to install a ground wire. Havent gotten the pressire pot yet, as HF only allows 1coupon per day..have to go back another day to get the 25%.

Re: Blaster Question

Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2014 6:03 pm
by S.TImmerman
Jim,
I too have the same standing cabinet, you might find this video helpful as he does some modifications of his cabinet. The issues I fixed right off was the poor lighting and the nozzle. Both of these are easily fixes. My next task is sealing areas where AO leaks a bit.

Good luck

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7llrNNrsS74

Shereen