My blasting cabinet is from TP Tools, model # 780-TL and it is made in the USA. The cabinet costs approximately $300 but in reality you have to expect to spend about $500 with extras.
I made a base from 3/4" plywood and four pieces of 4" x 4" cedar post material. Drywall screws and glue fasten the wood pieces together and more of the same screws were used to attach the cabinet legs to the four posts. I used small casters so that the cabinet would not be so high that it would be uncomfortable to use for a six footer like myself.
Using a vacuum cleaner is a must. Without one, the dust that is created by the blasting process would make it impossible to see inside the cabinet. I used a small Rigid (Home Depot) shop vac so that it would fit on the base under the cabinet. That makes the whole blasting station easy to move around.
I find a top loading cabinet to be very convenient. The drawback is that you cannot add an extension to a side to allow for blasting longer items.
The small shop vac comes with a filter that allows small abrasive particles to pass through the filter, ruin the motor and make their way out of the exhaust. So, I changed the vacuum's included filter to one from the Home Depot that traps fine particles. The combination of small shop vac and fine filter is a very inexpensive alternative to a large dust collection system. The downside is that the vacuum has to be emptied and the filter cleaned more frequently.
About abrasives.....TP Tools sells abrasives at reasonable prices and I get them within two days after placing an order. The abrasive material that I use most of the time is Silicon Carbide which is pretty expensive....$75 plus shipping for a 50 pound box. Silicon Carbide is fast cutting, long lasting and very low dust producing. I occasionally use glass beads on items that require a smoother finish. TP tools sells Glass Beads for $35 for a 50 pound box.
I use about 16 pounds of material whenever I change the abrasive material so a 50 pound box lasts a pretty long time.
Do not think that you can save money by using sand in a blasting cabinet. Sand doesn't last long and it produces so much dust that you cannot see what you are blasting. Also, sand dust is quite dangerous to breathe. Think silicosis!
Notice the switches and receptacles that I mounted to control the vacuum cleaner and lights. Having the switches close by really helps.
For very large items that will not fit into the cabinet I use this sandblaster. You can buy them from Harbor Freight, eBay etc for about $80 to $100 and they use real sand.
The sand must be screened before use to prevent clogging and it is not recycled as the blasting media in a cabinet is. These sandblasters are not to be used indoors and don't forget to wear long sleeve shirts and full head protection! They also use a large volume of air so a large and expensive compressor is necessary.
As always, you can see larger versions of these photos at my Flickr site. Make sure you click on your browser's "Back" button to return to this page.
