Picked up a blasting cabinet

Was looking though the UasedVic tools and found an ad for a DIY blasting cabinet for $30,Thought it might have been long gone and the seller didn't take down the ad but I emailed the seller my cell # and asked to call or text me.Got a text a little while later and off we went to have a look.Found this when we got there:

It is pretty well made,the sides are old steel McDonald's sings and the frame has really nice welds.There was no front and for the last 2 weeks I've been kind of looking and thinking about just what to do.Asked my buddy the maintenance super at work if there was something that might work.Told him it needed to be 35 x
31 inches.He said he didn't have anything the whole 31" but had 2 that would be close.We went out to the scrap area and he showed me these :

Stainless AND a widow heck yeah I'll take that!Thought I might have to do a bit of cutting to fit them but when I put the window piece on the cabinet it was like it was made to fit.Still have to take off some easily removed bit from it's former life,grind some of the folded stuff to clearance the legs to.Oh and figure out someway to get holes so I can fit the glove ports on.Not quite sure how to do that,defiantly don't have a big enough hole saw :blink: Suggestions welcome!

You are going to want to modify the window set up. You need to have a way to easily replace it when it gets etched. Some laminated glass would be best. A single layer of plate glass or tempered glass doesn't cut it, the pressure differences and the high impact of pressurized media can wreck your day with your nose pressed up on the glass. It doesn't take much for things to get exciting. Get some thick vinyl you can put in front of it as well so you can keep the necessity of changing the actual glass to a minimum.

Oh yeah. Nice find.

Good score GKBO! Wish I had a cabinet a couple of weekends ago.. Would have kept the driveway beach I created under control! :laugh:

Thanks for the feed back guys,something in front of the glass sounds like a plan to me.Thanks Mod.Done the total loss blasting to WM,it's not only the mess it make where you're blasting,it's how you get covered to.I have a graveled area where I've done most of it so mostly that's not to bad.
Got the glove holes cut ,borrowed the plasma cutter from work(yes with permission) and did a horrible job with it.Thankfully the glove port rings will cover my sins :blush: A bit more cutting(with my angle grinder thank you) and I should be able to get things attached

Well drilling the SS doors is turning into a huge PITA.Getting 8 of the 26 holes needed has killed 3 drill bits including a step drill.Any tips or alternative way to do them?Carbide tip drill?
To mod's post on the window it turns out it is plexi to begin with.

You'll still want to conver it so it doesn't get etched.

you probably need a bit specifically for sheet metal. Cobalt would probably help as well.

Try using a slower speed if you can. Your drills are going too fast and that builds heat which work hardens the stainless. And use a lubricant.

GPzMOD750 wrote: You'll still want to conver it so it doesn't get etched.

you probably need a bit specifically for sheet metal. Cobalt would probably help as well.

Yes I agree covering the window would be a good idea,was thinking more about it being glass and shattering.Happy it's not glass.
Try using a slower speed if you can. Your drills are going too fast and that builds heat which work hardens the stainless. And use a lubricant.
That is defiantly the problem.Using a hand variable speed drill makes it trickier.Thinking of taking them to work and using the plasma cutter.

Finished it up finally :dry: Click on the sig link to see pics of the first piece though it.This is going to work out NICE!

Have been using the cabinet a lot.Did have to do some modifications and it's now working great.Just picked up some blasting soda to do the engine with.Getting that in should be real fun...........................NOT!