How are you filling in your day in lockdown?

[onetrack]

Hare and Forbes currently have a range of sandblasters on special, and they also have the grit on special as well.

 

I picked up a 25kg bag of 30-60 medium grit garnet for my sandblaster a few days ago. Added to what I had left in the sandblaster means the grit will take longer to become degraded.

 

https://www.machineryhouse.com.au/search?s=sandblasting+grit

[old man emu]

Why pay $200-odd for something that you can build yourself for under $50? Not only do you get the tool you want, but you also get the satisfaction of making something with your own hands.

[willedoo]

Why pay $200-odd for something that you can build yourself for under $50? Not only do you get the tool you want, but you also get the satisfaction of making something with your own hands.

A bit like spotwelders. You can pay $700-$900 for one or jump on Youtube and learn how to make one for less then $50 using an old microwave.

[old man emu]

I've just had a great idea. What are the two most common things you'll find put out for a council clean-up? Exercise bikes and gas bar-b-ques. The hooded bar-b-que would make an excellent sand blasting cabinet. All you have to do is cut a window in the hood and ditch the burners.

[onetrack]

I don't see how you can stick to a budget of $50. The long gloves and the handpiece and nozzle, plus an air regulator, will set you back nearly $100 alone.

 

But if you buy a used unit (for the likes of $60, as in the Gumtree one), all those items come with it.

 

The ditched BBQ idea sounds like a scheme. But just make sure it's a 4 or 5 burner, so you can get a decent useable-size outfit.

[willedoo]

On 04/06/2020 at 8:32 PM, old man emu said:

I've just had a great idea. What are the two most common things you'll find put out for a council clean-up? Exercise bikes and gas bar-b-ques. The hooded bar-b-que would make an excellent sand blasting cabinet. All you have to do is cut a window in the hood and ditch the burners.

Good idea, ome, and while you're blasting, you could pedal the exercise bike to run the air compressor. But poor jokes aside, how's the blaster cabinet coming along?

[old man emu]

1 hour ago, willedoo said:

how's the blaster cabinet coming along?

 

Slowly, slowly. All the panels are cut out. Holes for the arms cut out. Vent hole cut out. I am going to use one of these quart oil bottles as a holder for the blasting medium

 

Given half a chance I'll start fitting the 1/4 quad to the edges of the panels. These will both support the joining of panels and seal the joints to prevent leakage of medium.

[old man emu]

Slowly but surely. Step by step he approached the finished product. 

 

Here are the panels cut out with the quad glued down. I am going to drill screw holes through the edges of the panels so I can insert screws so the panels will be glued and screwed.

 

The pale coloured frame above the panel with the two holes is the frame of the window. The frame will be screwed down onto a backing panel. Between the backing panel and the frame I'll put clear PVC sheet that I got from Clarke Rubber for $5 per metre. The sheet that I got today might be a bit thin, but they do have thicker stuff. Using PVC sheet is way less expensive than using acrylic sheet or window glass and will be easy to replace when necessary. For $5 I got  a piece 1370 x 1000 mm.

 

Here is a picture of the way I'll fit the gloves.

 The flange goes through the panel and there is enough of the flange on the other side to fit the end of the gloves over, and secure them with a hose clamp.

[onetrack]

What's the total bill so far? And where are you going to get cheap, long, tough gloves?

Gloves are like gold at present, half the suppliers are reporting no stock, and plenty are making a killing on the stock they have got.

 

Those flanges look a little on the "lean" side for the amount of material projecting, to secure the gloves onto.

I have enough trouble with my sandblaster with the gloves pulling off the flanges fairly regularly.

 

I'd suggest you pop-rivet (or screw) the PVC collars onto the inside (with some sealant against their mating surface), to give you the full depth of flange.

I'd also humbly suggest a bit of double-sided tape on the flanges will assist in retaining the gloves in place (along with tight hose clamps).

Edited June 20, 2020 by onetrack

[old man emu]

So far I'm still under $50. Don't forget that the plywood was free.

 

Gloves

Just on $5 a pair. Don't forget that this cabinet will be in a DIY situation so that it won't be used so much. I've already got the gloves.

 

I'll examine your suggestion about fitting the flanges on the inside, but the idea was to protect my silken skin from the edges of the holes in the ply.

 

Double-sides tape might be a bit untidy to use, but it's worth considering, as is velcro.

[onetrack]

Are those chemical gloves long enough? The proper sandblasting gloves are a lot longer, and tougher. Flying sand is pretty abrasive, even when it's not directed at the item. These are the cheapest sandblasting gloves I've found, they've come down a fair bit in price recently.

However, these ones are two-piece, could be the reason they're cheaper than the last pair of one-piece gloves I bought,

 

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Sandblasting-Cabinet-Protective-Gloves-Industrial-Glove-Blast-Cabinet-Durable-/324175700220

Edited June 20, 2020 by onetrack

[old man emu]

The cabinet is only 400 mm deep. The gloves are 450 mm long.

 

Proper sand blasting gloves are about $35 - $40 a pair. The ones I got are $5. Therefore I can go through at least seven pairs of PVC gloves for the price of on set of proper ones.

 

Don't forget that this project is built to a price, and not to a standard😁

[red750]

Still bashing away at the Showcase profiles. Re-doing a lot of the ones which were on the old software, and could not be converted electronically.However, the missus is tired of me on the computer all the time when I should be doing things around the house, like looking after the garden. Due to her ill health, I also have to do many of the household duties.

 

I am missing the Men's Shed, which closed in early March due the the covid-19 quarantine. It was due to re-open about now, but the Co-ordinator texted us all today to say that the management of the Health Service which runs the shed said "Not yet" due to the number of new cases each day here in Melbourne. A number of country sheds have re-opened. I said to one of the guys shortly after it closed that I thought we may not re-open until early July. Looks like I might have been right.

 

It's been almost two months since my wife had her thyroid removed, and she has not regained any voice to date. Still talking in a whisper. That makes things very difficult. When combined with my poor hearing,it makes communication very difficult, which frustrates her no end. Her temper is very short, and getting shorter. If she wants me to get her anything, she has to ring my mobile, and hang up when I call "Coming." A missed call. Even two feet away I sometimes find it hard to make out what she is saying, and she hates repeating. She has a consultation with the specialist on Thursday. I hope it's not that this is how it's going to remain.

[old man emu]

It's very hard looking after a sick wife. There are not enough hours in the day to do the household chores, shopping, cooking etc. I hope your wife can still operate the kitchen. Mine can't and it seems that I don't make the "family favorites" the way she does. I have arranged the kitchen cupboards to suit me, so she is threatening to come into my workshop and rearrange my tools to suit her.

 

I think that the worst part is seeing your Beloved knocked around by long term illness. It makes them depressed and they show it by increasing anger. You know that their angry comments are said to you, but not directed at you. You are just the visible target for an invisible menace. Just remember to keep loving the person not hating the things they do. And we are not "without sin" ourselves. My wife doesn't like my Dad jokes, or my farting in the kitchen.

 

Go to her and give her a kiss and a cuddle. That is what she is asking for.

[ClintonB]

if you needed longer arm reach in the cabinet, would an old welders jacket sleeves(leather) cut off and attached to gloves with a collar of PVC and clamps give you longer length cheaply. I have wurth chemical gloves like those-not cheap to buy, that were hopeless in cleaning fluid cause they went so hard in fingers you could not flex your hand after a weeks use. Your use for them is much better, no contamination. If your cabinet is not doing industrial amounts of work it seems like a better cost effective way to do it. I would like to build a stand in small room out of black film ply and stud frame to use my soda blast kit in for large items, with a hood and breathing set, some overalls, you could shovel up the media and use again. I have a hare and forbes portable extractor for the planer and saw table that should take the dust out of room. I recon 8 foot by 8 foot cubed would take guards, doors, diffs etc with out wasting media

[old man emu]

To make a small tent for either spray painting or sand blasting, make a frame from 40 or 50 mm PVC stormwater pipe and fittings. Then get plastic drop sheets to make walls. Get some air conditioning duct and put it through a hole in a wall. On the outside, put a fan heater to blow air into the tent to pressurise it. The drop sheets are a lot cheaper than black plastic, and easier to handle because they are lighter.

 

My sandblaster cabinet sits nicely on my Triton saw table and it is at the right height for me. I got a 1000 x 1370 mm bit of clear plastic sheeting from Clark Rubber and was able to cut 6 window panes from it. That comes out at 83 cents per pane. Cheaper than glass or perspex. The stuff I got was thin, so I'll see how it lasts. Thicker stuff would cost $10 for the same amount.

 

I need to get around to find the Council collection areas. I need to grab a barbque grill to put parts on while I'm blasting them. Failing that I'll have to weave some magic with chicken wire.

[red750]

4 hours ago, old man emu said:

I hope your wife can still operate the kitchen. Mine can't and it seems that I don't make the "family favorites" the way she does. I have arranged the kitchen cupboards to suit me, so she is threatening to come into my workshop and rearrange my tools to suit her.

I have operated the kitchen for well over 10 years. While we were working, the daughter would put the dinner on to cook, but it was up to me to serve it. Since retiring nine years ago, I have done most of the cooking, my daughter cooking the occasional meal when we have her specialties - lasagne, pasties, Shepherds, pie. Roasts, casseroles, pasta, etc. and anything in the air fryer - rissoles, parma's, fish & chips are my domain. I have the kitchen organised the way I want it, so I can reach out and find whatever I want. The good lady gets up in the middle of the night and re-organises things so I have to hunt for them. She hasn't cooked a meal for 15 years. Things around my computer desk go missing, and they have made their way to a bottom drawer or somewhere. Likewise my TV remotes. I also do all the dishwashing.

[old man emu]

Red, You are a man after my own heart.

[nomadpete]

Peter, your story about kitchen duty sounds normal, are you telling me that all that is unusual? I thought it was in the fine print at the bottom of my marriage certificate.

[old man emu]

Well, I've got the carcass made. 

 

It's glued and screwed. The window is not fitted, but you can see how the clear plastic gives you a good look inside.

 

Here's a view of the interior

 

You can see foam at the edges of the beading. I used a polyurethane glue that foams up if you wet the mating surfaces. The foaming makes for a good dust seat.

 

Here's a shot of one of those red gloves inside the cabinet to show that they are long enough to work.

 

 

I was lucky in that when I cut the panels. I seem to have cut them oversize, so that as I have been assembling the cabinet I have been able to cut the panels more to get a tight fit. 

[onetrack]

You're on a roll, and cooking with gas! 

[old man emu]

Today I made the  sandblasting hand piece. The gun cost $10, and you can guess the cost of the tank for the medium.

.

 

The first step was to put a hole through the neck of the container. It had to be on the centreline so that the whole thing would be closer to its fore/aft balance point. Also there had to be space blow it for a sump where the medium could accumulate.

 

 

The next step was to mark and cut a slot in the tube so that the medium could be picked up by the venturi effect. The slot had to be on the bottom otherwise the medium would clog it. You can just see the slot marked in green.

 

 

 

 

A bit of hot glue keeps the container in place.

 

[onetrack]

I hate to to tell you this, OME, but that Ozito blowgun nozzle won't last 5 mins with the abrasiveness of blasting media. You need a ceramic nozzle, and even those wear out surprisingly fast.

[old man emu]

 

4 hours ago, onetrack said:

that Ozito blowgun nozzle won't last 5 mins

Maybe, but I have spares.  I might have saved up enough by then to buy a proper nozzle.

[facthunter]

Make them of carbon steel and quench them in water from cherry red. The ceramic might not be available that small .Nev