Vapor Blaster

[Striker1423]

Well, I got sick of trying to find someone locally and took the plunge myself into vapor blasting. Harbor Freight cabinet, some essential parts and duct tape means i can at least start cleaning parts! This was done with armex soda in a slurry solution. Cabinet leaks and makes a mess, but I don't care. I'm getting awesome results so far.

[m in sc]

very cool indeed. man, you need to flex seal that biatch up. 

[Barto]

Wow!  That is very exciting!  I'm having similar trouble here.  It is great to see someone do it without spending anywhere near the $1300 the guy did that want's to sell you plans online.

I have a few questions, if you don't mind:

- Did the HF blaster nozzle work?
- What did you use for the slurry pump?
- Media?
- Any other essential tips?

Thanks in advance!  Chris

[Striker1423]

Wow!  That is very exciting!  I'm having similar trouble here.  It is great to see someone do it without spending anywhere near the $1300 the guy did that want's to sell you plans online.

I have a few questions, if you don't mind:

- Did the HF blaster nozzle work?
- What did you use for the slurry pump?
- Media?
- Any other essential tips?

Thanks in advance!  Chris

1. No, I used a vapor blast nozzle from Ebay. Pick your poison on size of nozzle etc. (Around $20)
2. I started with a cheap Ebay pump, but my slurry mix was too thick and I killed it. So, I switched to a Harbor Freight sewage pump ($112). As long as you keep it cool, it should handle some intermittent use.
3. Currently running Armex Medium soda. Going to switch to fine mesh glass bead, but can use whatever you want within reason.

4. An air compressor with external regulation to dial in PSI and and a high CFM rating is a must. Think 25 gallon or larger, 60 gallon preferred. Pump reduced to 1 1/4" with a threaded tee off at 3/4". Barb threaded in at 3/4 on the top and side. One hose runs into the bucket to mix the slurry and the other to the cabinet. I taped off the side hole of the cabinet on the bottom and hole sawed a large enough hole to add a basement tub drain and extension to try and avoid a mess.
Gonna switch to a better and bigger bucket for leas splashing and change media to this:
https://www.grainger.com/category/abrasives/abrasive-blasting/abrasive-blasting-media?attrs=US+Sieve%7C170-325&branchAvailability=232&filters=attrs,branchAvailability

Obviously do a better job at sealing the cabinet up. Mark, I was actually thinking flex tape would work well haha.

[quocle603]

I actually built my original vapor blaster for under 200 dollars. I added many upgrades that it needed and now its much higher but you can totally build one for under a certain amount. It's been a great build, I do not use it nearly enough as I should but it's currently at my buddy's shop that is 50 mins away because he has a large compressor.

I actually designed my own nozzles with my 3D printer for it for better flow and penetration from the gun. My buddy is now printing them and selling them, Lmk if you want some.

[dgorms]

Nice! I have the same HF cabinet. Took two tubes of poly caulk to keep "most" of the mess inside of it...............D

[m in sc]

after a bunch of attempted repairs, i finally in a desperate act, sealed the cowl of my old 76 maverick with liquid flex seal poured in through a funnel i made through the cowl vent.  it worked for the 6 years i had it till i sold it, still good w the new owner.  Just sayin.

 

[jradnich]

I had the same blast cabinet. Sealing helped. I ended up connecting a shop vac to a hole in the upper part of the cabinet. It helped a lot with dust leakage. Might not work as good with a vapor blast setup though, just an idea.

[Striker1423]

Here's a video, and a few pictures of the RD engine case after around an hour of work. Note to self, clean the part up as much as possible before you attempt this. But, the results are excellent. Still some leftover dirt and grime. But, it's working well.