Great news, we have located a new LED Retrofit Light Kit supplier for the Blast Cabinet and Toolbox mod videos. These are available from Home Depot and will be shipped FREE to your door. They also include the covers so the LED's will be protected in the blast cabinet environment. Have fun on your builds and feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns. Blast Cabinet LED Strips Dual 2 ft. 22.62 in. 34-Watt LED White Strip Light Fixture Magnetic Linear LED Retrofit Kit 4000K thd.co/41fQEnS Blast Cabinet video - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-BiuGZusZYts.html Toolbox LED Strips Dual 4 ft. 44.72 in. 64-Watt LED White Strip Magnetic Linear LED Retrofit Kit 4000K thd.co/3TgERE2 Toolbox video - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-A9DCoLNLjS4.html Happy Modding, Cheers!
Hey man you have about $35 of wasted parts hanging from underneath that thing it's not clean whatsoever. The door swings open to empty it so why would you need another tea and a plug in the bottom of it which is a waste and the rain hub which is a $20 part a waste only to have to buy the extra nipple come on man clean it up spend your money on media instead of that crap. Other than that 👍
@@Brrrap743 Thanks for the comments. We chose to add the plug in the bottom to drain out 90% of the media since it makes less of a mess than just flinging the door open with a full tank. The 1" watertight conduit is about $7 currently which is overkill but we felt it was the cleanest method. You can easily just add a nipple and an elbow and let the door fly open. Glad you enjoyed the video, Cheers!
I just bought one of these cabinets to use on our channel doing some cerakote projects. Like you, I believe the latest generation of these cabinets are a step above the older ones. That being said, I chose not to use caulk as well but still wanted the other mods i've seen on multiple channels. None of them however come close to yours. Your instruction, common sense and step by step method along with your finely detailed craftsmanship make this, BY FAR the best blast cabinet modification video on RU-vid. Outstanding job my man!
Thanks for the kind words, appreciate the feedback. Had a great time doing this upgrade with my son. We really wanted to take all the ideas out there along with ones we thought would be good and create this video. It was a bit of work to get everything sorted but the video makes it look pretty easy. Glad you enjoyed it and I hope it gave you a couple ideas for your cabinet. Cheers!
Even with a vacuum and the weather stripping, I was getting a ton of media seeping out. Caulking, for me, was absolutely necessary. Great job on all other aspects!
Thanks for the comments Antonio. We agree 100%, while the foam tape does a good job, after using the blast cabinet for the past few months, media still finds a way through the cracks. If you are just building one from scratch, it's definitely a good idea to seal all the joints with a Polyurethane Sealant. Appreciate the feedback, thanks for hanging out, Cheers!
This is awesome !!! Great ideas !!! I have been using a Harbor Freight Blast Cabinet in my shop since 2009 rebuilding aviation fuel nozzles and pumps. I have had the typical issues with siphon tube clogging and other issues, I have just dealt with it all. I am gonna give my blast cabinet an overhaul and upgrade !!! Thank you for this informative video.
I bought one of these and put in new heavy-duty gloves, a ball valve and dryer for the air and took out the plastic window and put in tempered glass and a high-grade nozzle and hose. Works great. I use 5-gallon buckets for different media and cut a hole in one top, i got a large funnel with a screen , put in the hole of the bucket and dump the media into it, you can then put in a different media in about 1 minute.
Best mod video I’ve ever seen for this unit. Phenomenal. Thank you for putting the easy links to each mod in the comment box. This is a game changing video.
Thanks for the feedback Matthew, glad you enjoyed the video. Hopefully this provides some encouragement for you on your blast cabinet. Have fun on your projects, Cheers!
Great video, I like your spin on the mods: Using the electrical conduit fitting on the bottom of the trapdoor is creative. On the base frame, it seem to make sense to put the angle frame on the outside of the legs? That way, the weight of the cabinet bears on the bottom horizontal flat of the angle, not putting the bolts stressed in shear. Also, safety note: Try to cover as much of your grinding/wire wheels as possible on a bench grinder with a guard, and use a tool rest. Working with rotating machinery (like grinders and drills) while wearing gloves is also not recommended. Getting a workpiece jammed in a wire wheel flings it across the shop. Ask my motorcycle tank how I know. 😐Wire breaking off a wheel can find it's way into an eye.🙈 I couldn't see, but I'm sure you were wearing safety eyewear.🤓 I saw them on your forehead earlier. Thanks!
Thanks for the feedback Phillip. When we were sourcing parts for the blast cabinet we came across that conduit fitting and thought it would work out great. Turns out it was a nice addition to the build. We didn't think about the distribution of weight on each leg but you make a valid point about putting them on the outside. Our goal was to make it easy for anyone with a drill to add the casters. If you have the option, welding them in place would be the best but we were trying to keep costs down. We do have an old bench grinder so the plastic shield is long gone from it. That being said we definitely are wearing safety glasses and I do use leather gloves just in case I get a little close. For all the smaller parts we typically use Vise-Grip pliers to hold those pieces. Thanks again for hanging out, Cheers!
I want to thank you for the hard work you put into the making this video. It is the most comprehensive of it's kind on You-Tube. My "Modzilla" HF cabinet is done thanks to you. Turned out super clean and I love the LED lighting. I also added a diy metering valve and Eastwood pedal. All hoses were 1/2". Keep up the good work. Bryan
Thanks for the update Bryan on your cabinet. Glad our video helped motivate you to create a custom blast cabinet of your own. We are looking into getting a pedal setup as well since the hand does get tired on those long blast projects. Appreciate the feedback, have fun blasting. Cheers!
When I did my cabinet lighting four years ago, I used mini floods, one on each side. Works great! But your LED idea is MUCH brighter and a cleaner install. Guess what upgrade I'm going to re-do! 🙂 I also did the lower angle iron braces and casters, but I had used galvanized, pre-drilled angle iron used for mounting brackets, braces, etc., and did not do the lower shelf. After the LED upgrade, I'll do the lower shelf, and replace my sketchy vacuum and feed setups with yours - MUCH cleaner! It's been a few years since I was researching and upgrading my cabinet, and just stumbled on your project, totally SANO! Thanks for posting.
Thanks for sharing your blast cabinet adventures. We looked at a bunch of ideas before settling on which ones made the most sense for ours. The LED's are amazing, crazy amount of lumens and the simplest install you could ask for. The shelf on the bottom is perfect for storing the media. At first we were just worried about the vacuum bucket but then though, why not cover the entire thing. Have fun with your future upgrades, glad we could inspire you. Thanks again for hanging out, Cheers!
Great job! The only suggestion I would have is, power your light switch from the top of your gfci outlet. This way your light circuit is gfci protected also.
Thanks for the comments. Appreciate the advice on the electrical stuff, that's the one area I have never really felt 100% about. More comfortable with all the mechanical stuff. Thanks again for hanging out, Cheers!
You also made a possible fatal error of not grounding your metal box you should have a green screw with a wire to the ground and all the grounds should be hooked together
Thanks for the kind words Charles, glad you enjoyed the video. We have been very happy with the upgrades as the cabinet keeps working great. The only thing we need to upgrade is our compressor, it's just too slow and can't keep up with larger projects. Cheers!
A lot of cool mods. I wish I would’ve seen this video when I bought mine two years ago. It would be a lot easier to install them when it was new and clean. I will more than likely modify the glass, foam seal and retaining ring and plug those indents on the door and maybe even add the LED lights. Thanks for sharing.
Hey Scott, thanks for stopping by and checking out the video, appreciate the feedback. I think the LED upgrade is by far the best one since having the ability to see clearly what you are working on is paramount. The glass upgrade also helps with this as well since that plastic film is not very clear and is actually impeding your vision. Good luck on your future upgrades, Cheers!
Thanks for the comments Mark, glad you enjoyed the video. We are happy you were able to get the LED kit before they sold out. Appreciate you hanging out on the channel, Cheers!
I have had one of these cabinets for about 12 years....I still use the original internal media pickup(I use medium grade crushed glass for restoring Tonka toys etc.)I modified my light using a flourescent type lamp head off an old desk lamp and have it taped to the top outside of the glass.I also made up a plywood hood that sits around the edges of the glass surround.....and over your head as you look into the cabinet so you don't get as much glare from around your room. My dust extractor uses a sealed bucket similar to yours,I have an old vacuum cleaner hose running from the plug on the back of the cabinet down to the side of the bucket with a 90 degree fitting through the side of the bucket to create a swirl effect....I have a centrifugal air filter pre cleaner off a tractor( the one with a clear bowl and removable lid).It is mounted on a hose coming up through the bottom of the bucket.This hose then attaches to a bagless vacuum cleaner.I have blocked off over half of the inletflutes on the underside of the pre cleaner to create a better swirl to account for the lesser flow of the vacuum cleaner.Works a treat!! I also use a sacrificial cellophane sheet taped to the inside of the glass...and I cut the previous used sheet into 4 pieces and tape that to the inside of the new sheet separately...so you only use 1/4 of the size of your glass to look through originally and as the view gets obscured you peel off the next 1/4 sheet for a fresh clear view...and this continues until all 1/4 sheets have been removed...then you put a fresh full sized sheet on the glass and start again.I still have the original glass sheet in the cabinet!!!j
Hey John, thanks for sharing all the details about your cabinet. It's great to hear that after 12 years of use it is still going strong. Appreciate you hanging out and providing your wisdom. Cheers!
I done mods to my blaster a few years back, and I used the iron fittings, after using for a while moisture started stopping up my syphon system. I replaced the metal fittings with pvc and haven't had a stop up yet. My hoses are routed a little different than your hoses. I like the regulator position, mine is mounted on the back leg, and for the light mod, I used the old mason jar trick, and framed the bottom with casters just like you did. Awesome job on your mods.
Hey Rick, thanks for sharing your ideas, it's always good to hear what people have done. We considered the PVC option for the metering valve but decided to go with cast iron since we are constantly changing media and have to unhook the hose and clean out the trap door, we figured it would hold up against the abuse better. We are very happy with the LED light mod, with that many lumens we can see every hidden aspect of the part being blasted. Have fun with your cabinet, glad you enjoyed the video. Cheers!
I did most of the same mods to my HF cabinet. The differences are, I'm using a foot switch for air and I'm using rope LED lights. The foot switch for air eliminates muscle fatigue you get with a trigger on the gun, I highly recommend it. The rope LED lights work for now, I have about 24 feet. This is a recent addition that I haven't used much so time will tell if I keep it or change to something else. I was running 4 outdoor floodlight swivel sockets but it didn't cover enough and were pretty hot. Great job on the video! All of your mods are (sadly) necessary for this blast cabinet if you want it to be really useful at the job for which it was intended. These mods will transform a pretty useless blast cabinet into a nearly pro level tool. I used mine for several years as sold by HF until I saw similar videos on YT. Once I installed the upgrades the difference has been night and day.
Thanks for sharing your cabinet upgrades and the kind words on the video. We will definitely be looking at a foot pedal upgrade in the near future as the fatigue is a factor for bigger/longer projects. You should really check out the Optilumen LED lights we used in ours. They perform great and are very bright in relation to other options on the market. Agreed that with a few small upgrades, it can really transform the HF blast cabinet into a great tool for the value. Cheers!
Easier way to get grommet in with hose in: wrap a piece of string in groove 1½-2 times around. Leave a good 12" tail. Feed tail through hole. Hold grommet flush to surface. Reach around and pull string.
I followed your setup and only changed a few things like welding the base together. When I do my motorcycle build tutorial I’ll link this video in there. Thank you so much for this step by step!
Hey Jacob, thanks for the comments, appreciate the feedback. Glad the video helped you with your project. It sounds like you got all the right stuff ready to go. Let us know how your motorcycle build goes. Cheers!
Just picked up a Harbor Freight Blast Cabinet and was looking up what mods people recommend. Thank You for all the work you put into this video. This is awesome.
Congrats on your purchase, glad you enjoyed the video. You will spend some time and money with the upgrades but you will be much happier with the blast cabinet afterwards. Keep us posted on how your upgrades go. Cheers!
I've had that box for about a year and a half. First thing I did was add the metering value to it, but I have the ball value in line with the feed hose. Walnut is so light no matter how much air you give it, it still would clog up the hose. Being in line I can now adjust the amount of medium entering the hose. Works perfect. I have been looking for another light and yours is perfect and easy to install. Will go online today and order it. Thanks.
Thanks for the info Robert. Curious if your setup works with the Walnut Shell media? Don't use it that often but would like to get it working better. Also be sure to use our discount code at ProLighting.com for the savings on your LED light purchases. Cheers!
@@BradleysGarage Walnut is all I have been using so far. Works perfect with the ball value. I'll take a picture of it later and send it to you. The ball value is the key. And being it's vacuum and not pressure it will not destroy the ball value.
I watched this because I have been thinking of buying this cabinet in hopes of saving a few bucks on my next rebuild. A few thoughts are try nut-serts (threaded inserts) in the cabinet to mount the glass frame. 3M VHB double sided tape will hold the permanent glass piece in the frame so you do not have to juggle two sheets of glass. When drilling with the hole saw , slow your drill speed way down and use some cutting oil as well as securing the piece you are cutting. This will save your hole saw and your drill won’t have to work so hard. I loved the expanded metal shelf idea and will definitely go with it for the full length of the frame and think it would be great for holding work pieces.
Hey Dan, thanks for all the great tips and tricks. Another subscriber recommended the Nut-serts as well. I didn't realize that the price of the kits has come down so much. Pretty affordable to have in the shop at around $40-50. The tape idea sounds good to hold the top piece of glass. It's not that difficult to wiggle it around but making it that much easier is a plus. Good luck upgrading your base with the expanded metal, I know you will be happy with the shelf on the bottom. Cheers!
I bought one of these cabinets, and did some upgrades also . I love it. The cabinet is heavy duty, so making the best upgrades are very well worth it!!!
Hey Eric, glad to hear you were inspired by the video. I am confident you will be pleased with the results once you get it wrapped up. Have fun with your "modded" blast cabinet, Cheers!
Congrats on finding a good used Harbor Freight cabinet. That alone will save you hours of assembly work! Now you can focus all that time on making it the best it can be. Good luck on doing all the mods on your box. Feel free to let us know how everything goes. Cheers!
Great job thanks for not cutting the video off every few minutes to put another part off a week later, all in one, great attention to detail and nice job, I really enjoyed your video.
Thanks for the kind words Kim, glad you enjoyed the video. Of course everything is more expensive today than when we made the video but the blast cabinet is still working great. It does come in handy to clean up all sorts of items. Thanks for hanging out, Cheers!
Thanks for the comments, glad to here you are taking the plunge on picking up a blast cabinet. You might want to keep an eye out for a New Years deal, I've seen it go for $199 a few months ago. HF is getting pretty stingy though on discounting this blast cabinet. Good luck on your future upgrades, feel free to check back in and let us know how your build goes. Cheers!
Thanks for the heads up on the deals. I’ll hold off to see if they discount it. I’m planning on trying their 20” drill press too and it seems like they never go on sale either. Anyhow, great channel, great videos and again, I appreciate the information. Take care!
The manufacturer's must be watching these videos, mine came corked, doesn't have holes in the side, window screws are welded in with wing nuts to replace the glass, pickup tube mods done, has a vacuum system. I haven't had a need for a metering valve as the modified pickup tube works fine. It also came with very bright led lights. The most important thing is the air supply making sure it is more than adequate to supply the cabinet and dry. Just a few water drops will block the gun. I have a number of filter systems. Copper tube cooling, a AT1000 filter they use on plasma cutters and Indicating Silica Gel Beads filter plus the usual compressor micron filter as a last line of defence.
It would make sense to watch them but I don't know if they are. Curious what brand of cabinet you are referring to that has a few of the necessary mods already done from the factory? Sounds like a pretty sweet setup you got for keeping moisture out. I will have to look into that AT1000 a little more. Thanks for stopping by and checking out the video. Cheers!
Thanks for the comments, appreciate the feedback. We will post an update on the blast cabinet and what we have learned over the past 7 months soon. Still have a couple more tweaks to finalize beforehand. Stay tuned, Cheers!
Hey Paul, appreciate the feedback. Everything is working pretty well with the cabinet upgrades. I think the only issue we had was trying to run walnut shells through the factory gun. All of the other media haven't given us any issues. Purchased a Skat-Trak gun from TP tools to give that a try to see if it functions better than the Harbor Freight one with walnut shells. Cheers!
i have no intention of ever buying one of these, i’ve no use for one, but i greatly appreciate the ingenuity in the mods you made and mad props to you for open sourcing your work… i’ll make sure to share with my friends who do have a use for a blasting cabinet.
Thank you for the comments and for appreciation of the work. I know the blast cabinet is not for everyone but thanks for sharing it with those that might be, Cheers!
Excellent video. I brought the exact same unit here is Australia and was greatly disappointed in the way it worked. I am now looking forward to doing these modifications. Thanks and much appreciated your time and effort.
Thanks Laurie, glad you enjoyed the video. Hopefully it will help you get your cabinet upgraded and working great. Good luck with your project, Cheers!
Great vid. I definately need to get some air flow into my sand pick up, and better lighting. Instead of expensive glass , I just use 1/4 inch plastic , it doesnt frost as much from the sand but from wiping , using a window spray and clean soft cloth lessens this. The other thing I have found beneficial is running metal insect screen across the platform , this prevents paint ,scale etc from clogging the gun. Biggest issue I have is air flow even though I have a fairly large two cylinder compressor
Great suggestions Bruce, appreciate the feedback. Getting those LED's are a must have. Be sure to use our discount code for 5% off sitewide from ProLighting. I do like the idea of the metal screen to minimize the debris contaminating the media. Since we don't use very much media with the gravity feed setup, I usually just toss the couple scoops out after a dirty job. Thanks again for hanging out, Cheers!
@@BradleysGarage Setting the bolts in with knurled nuts is a great idea also, I will definately be doing that , next time I change the screen. You can also minimise the wear on the screen by directing the sand away from it. Another channel suggested changing the gun tips to suit the compressor
Bruce, a lot of suggestions in the comments below recommended using Nutserts in lieu of the Knurled Nuts we showed in the video. It seems like the kits are pretty reasonable these days with most being around $40. I wasn't aware this was an option otherwise I might have made the investment in the tool. Either way, being able to replace the glass/plastic quickly and easily is the key. Cheers!
I have no use for a Blasting Cabinet other than a toy. And I watched the ENTIRE VIDEO!!!! I want one more than ever now...and a pole barn to put it in. LOL
awesome guide guys, well done! the best and clearest I've seen so far. I think the only mod you missed was making the whole top a lid you can lift up. Really appreciate the parts list and links to everything, and that you explained everything to a beginner level. those of us that are a little more advanced can easily see where to take it from there. (ie - I can easily weld up the angle iron & expanded metal base).
Hey Brian, thanks for the feedback, glad you enjoyed the video. We really wanted to create the mods so that anyone could perform them with just basic tools. Most people have a drill and a hack saw, but maybe not a welder....lol In regards to the top becoming a lid, that is something we thought about but realized that if it's too big to go through the door then it's probably too heavy to lift through the top. We just use the regular sand blaster for all the large/heavy parts. Thank again for hanging out, appreciate the support, Cheers!
Awesome to hear! Glad our video will help you complete your modifications for your HF cabinet. Just a heads up, I know we mentioned to not worry about caulking the seams, but after months of use we ended up going back and filling up the cracks just to prevent small bits of media eventually seeping through. Other than that this thing really does come alive once these mods are added. Cheers!
Thanks for the comments Joseph, glad you enjoyed the video. It's a bit of work but you will have a blast cabinet that will theoretically last your lifetime. Thanks again for hanging out, good luck on your project. Cheers!
First and foremost I appreciate it when you take the time to go through step by step procedures explaining what and why your doing things, 99% of youtubers don't do that and they just assume everyone knows the answers and how they got there. Now, here's a crazy one for you, I bought this blast cabinet about 2 1/2 yrs ago and moved from Stockton, CA to San Antonio, TX and now back to Stockton and I/m just now getting around to building it... Crazy I know, but I bought it when it was on Sale back then and Just knew I would use it eventually. OK, Can you tell me what the purpose of the 2" port next to the light switch box is that is just capped off? Thanks
Thanks for the kind words Pat, glad you enjoyed the video. The one thing we would change is that you should use some polyurethane caulking as the foam doesn't do a good enough job of sealing the cabinet. That is the only thing we would change from the mods we did on our cabinet. The port next to the light switch is the intake for the incoming air. We just leave the cap on to prevent dust and inspects from getting inside when not in use. The rear port in now the vacuum port where the air is being sucked out of. Good luck on your blast cabinet mods, let us know how it goes. Cheers!
Seriously great video. I need to do some of these modifications on mine but I rarely use it... though when I DO need to use it, it frustrates me because I haven't got nearly the ability this box has. Great work.
Thanks for the kind words, glad you enjoyed the video. You can slowly chip away at different mods as you find the time. Just focus on what has been frustrating you the most and work up from there. Good luck on your blast cabinet project. Cheers!
Hey Donald, I haven't seen the JEGS cabinet in real life yet but sorry to hear that it's not good. I was under the impression the HF was a copy of the JEGS unit since they look very similar but maybe not. With the upgrades we have done, it has turned this basic $150 cabinet into a blast cabinet that would cost well over $1000 if purchased already complete. Cheers!
I would love to see a cost comparison of this Harbor Freight cabinet plus all the parts and time and labor costs to mod it, vs just buying a proper unit, not being rude, just seriously asking as I've been down these rabbit holes in the past where the end result still is a Harbor Freight tool
Thanks for the question Good Enuff. We have invested about 8 hours into the mods and around $450 in parts, including the original cost of the cabinet. There are a few blast cabinet options out there but I don't think you will find a more complete unit for that kind of money. The first one is the Eastwood B60 which starts @ $617 for a 36"x24" sized cabinet, the same as the HF cabinet. This unit will hold a lot more blast media 120lbs vs. 40lbs but it still uses the siphon tube style setup so you typically need a lot more media in the tank versus the metering valve setup like we added. The siphon tube style is more prone to clogging. Also, the LED lighting is not even close to the lumen output of the Optilumen LED kit. It also does not have any vacuum setup or a way to remove debris while blasting. They offer a vacuum setup for an additional $270. So we figured a normal unit from Eastwood is already @ $617 and lacks a lot of the upgrades we performed to the HF cabinet. www.eastwood.com/eastwood-b60-abrasive-media-blast-cabinet.html The next option is from Grizzly which is a step up in price but also comes with good features out of the box. The G0707 24"x37" is @ $1,084 + $229 shipping. so you're already @ $1,313. It does come with a foot switch, a vacuum system all ready to go, a built in regulator, plus it has doors on both sides. Based on the description using "Fluorescent" lights, I doubt they have the same lumen output as the Optilumen Kit. So while it has a few of the upgrades we did to the HF unit, it is quite a bit more money (almost 3 times!!!). www.grizzly.com/products/grizzly-24-x-37-sandblast-cabinet/g0707 Keep in mind that ALL 3 unit are still made in China so there is really no difference in quality. Plus neither of them have casters so if mobility is important in your garage, they would need to be added. It's up to you how much work you would like to put in and how much you would like to invest on a blast cabinet. You can definitely spend more and not have to spend time doing upgrades. At the end of the day, we felt that spending $450 on the HF cabinet was the best option for us. We could tailor the upgrades to suit our needs. The next upgrade for us will be the foot switch assembly, since your hands do get tired while doing larger more complicated pieces along with a more powerful compressor that has a larger tank. Outside of that we have been pleased with how the upgrades perform and the overall functionality of the blast cabinet. Hope this sheds some light on our thoughts when building the cabinet, Cheers!
I could say the same to you with your way of thinking. You think spending more money always gives you a better tool? Is your tool box full of snap on? lol. It’s a blast cabinet and it’s the best bang for your buck for a cabinet. All the other brands still have the same cheap gun included etc. with a few hours put into the cheaper cabinet it will out perform even the $1500 cabinets. I have just over $400 usd in mine and I modified the gun, put better hoses, metering valve, vacuum system, led lights, fully sealed the cabinet, added high flow fittings and new glass. It’s ready to rock.
I started putting mine together, just a note: the bolts and nuts for the glass trim that came with my unit are M5 not M4 as stated in your video. I purchased longer M4 bolts and M4 knurled nuts to use as you suggested but the M5 nuts that came with my unit will not work. So now I have to either purchase M4 nuts to fit the bolts and knurled nuts that I bought or use the existing M5 nuts and bolts and purchase M5 knurled nuts to fit. Just thought everyone should be aware of this.
Thanks for the comments. I just went out to the shop and double checked the Knurled Nuts on ours and they are in fact M4. It's possible that HF have changed the hardware since we got ours but I'm not sure that an M5 will even go through the plastic trim easily. I would double check all the bags since the instructions are terrible and it can get confusing on what goes where. If everything looks correct then I would get the M4 nuts and use what you already grabbed. Just save the top glass for the final step and see what hardware is left over after the build. You might be surprised with what you find. Cheers!
bro, no grinding plastic with grinding tool. you should use milling tool in dremel or just use countersink bit in drilling machine. Usual drillbits tend to bite deep in the plastic.. And for most people (right-handed) I recommend leading the suction hose through the left side (Side, not front) of the cabinet, so if you need to have gun closer to the right side, you are not braking the hose (which is leading from the right side in your case. Braking the hose or making sharper bends leads to very fast damage, specially of low quality hoses. This way I pointed the metering valve to the left, so hose is making one big bend from it to the box and then gun is on right side of the box but there is some more of the hose on it, just so it can get everywhere around the box. It was around 1.8m of hose(i bought 2m, cut off 20cm). Also I used only 1" knee, connected directly to 1"x1"x1/2" T which has the valve mounted on. I think you have too long piece between the Ts, not sure how that will work. I just dont know what is everyone using the cabinets for, for me it was most important to add filter (just a mesh) for filtering the sand, before that it was clogged all the time by bigger pieces of paint layers and I had to close the gun end with finger and blow it to blow into the suction hose
Thanks for the comments. appreciate the feedback. Lots of great ideas, thanks for sharing. We have been very happy with the performance of the blast cabinet. The metering valve, suction hose and trigger seem to work good on the right side. The only challenge we faced was with a larger object it was a little tough to move in the far right corner. Other than that it has been working out nicely. We are mainly blasting steel and aluminum parts that are bare metal so we don't really have a lot of debris contaminating our media. We just switch our from Aluminum Oxide to Glass bead depending on the metals. Thanks again for all ideas and feedback, Cheers!
Awesome build, we don't have cheap blaster like that around where i live but an old washing machine and some odds and ends made a crap copy haha, The larger feed hose is awesome and also the metering valve i actually put air to mine but its cause condensation is a problem so its a win loose thing. In retrospect those adapters even for the metering valve would put you back about $120ish or more where i live lol
Thanks for the comments, glad you enjoyed the video. We chose to use the rear port for the suction since it pulls the debris from our working area versus pulling it across to the left side. In addition, it provides a way to hide the vacuum assembly/pipes. Thanks again for hanging out, Cheers!
Thanks for the comments Hendrix, that is the one thing we would recommend doing during the assembly process. Since we already built it, we were just focused on the upgrades. Thanks again for the comments, Cheers!
Hey Jones, thanks for the suggestions. We got a lot of comments about the Nutserts for this project. We will be looking to add that tool to our collection in the near future. Appreciate the feedback, Cheers!
Thanks for the suggestion Damian on those small parts. It's not fun trying to fish out those little pieces when they fall through the grate. Glad you enjoyed the video, hopefully you got some ideas for your cabinet. Cheers!
Personally, I would have Tee'd off from the outside and ran a hose through the original hole you capped off for the "blow gun". I also would have put a hook for the blow gun off to the side to keep it out of the way so not to dragged or damaged while using the cabinet. I would have mounted the ballast/controller outside of the cabinet as I wouldn't want to hit it with the blasting gun or risk dust getting inside the unit. They do make/sell extension wires for led lights like them. I also would wire up the light switch to utilize the "GFI" switch on the outlet to prevent any damage to the lights. The way that is being wired, the GFI is only going to protect what ever is plugged in to the outlet as the light bypasses it within the pig tails.
Thanks for the suggestions, there are a variety of possibilities you can do with this cabinet. It really come down to personal preference and what mods make sense for you. Thanks again for hanging out. Cheers!
Appreciate the feedback Level 7, glad you enjoyed the video. Let us know if you have any questions when you start your blast cabinet upgrades. Good luck on your project, Cheers!
Hey Ryan, we have had good success with aluminum oxide and glass bead. The only one that has given us trouble thus far with the setup in the video are walnut shells 12/20. They seem to be a little too large and clog the tip of the factory HF gun. We will be trying a Skat-Trak gun for our next walnut shell job. LINK: www.tptools.com/S-35-Series-Trigger-Operated-Power-Gun,8592.html?b=d*8026 Cheers!
Hey Michael, We posted another video with a sneak peak at a little clean up using the blast cabinet. It's at the 8:28 timestamp - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-qwlcCnwFT0o.html Let us know your thoughts.
instead of nutting the bolt in place, use rivet nuts and change to a screw down through. leaves a smooth screw head on top. easy to remove without needing to reach into the cabinet and you don't need to screw with clearancing the glass retaining piece.
Instead of wire-nuts you should use Wago connectors. And your case itself should be grounded, not via the hole with a screw which tends to be unreliable without removing the paint around the hole on both surfaces.😊 ~~ Cris
Great video, thank you. One thing I wanted to say was that you say the lights are 4000 lumens. The 4000K that the lights are rated do not refer to lumens, it refers to the color of the light that the fixture puts out. For example a 3500K light would put out a more yellow looking light than a 4000K which would be a more white light. Great video though, I will be doing these mods to mine, thanks again.
Thanks for the comments, glad you enjoyed the video. The original LED retrofit kit we used for the video were rated at 4500 lumens for the (2) 21" strips. Those however are no longer made and the current replacement LED's are only rated at 3375 lumens, so not as bright. Don't recall ever talking about the color of the lights (K value) though in the video but apologies for any confusion if we did. Let us know how the mods go in your blast cabinet. Thanks again for hanging out, Cheers!
Quick questions on the build. Your stock vent cap over near the lights. Do you just pop that open when you have the vacuum on? Anyway to adjust the airflow through that plug? And the back of the cabinet where you drilled through that cap and installed an elbow. Could I buy only the 90 deg. Elbow and cut the flared end off one side and glue that directly into the drilled bent plug that comes stock with the cabinet? I was thinking this might make the down tube sit closer to the back of the cabinet for when it’s sitting up next to the shops wall. Thanks for your help, & especially on how to control the airflow through the cabinet.
Thanks for the questions Duffy. The stock cap on the left gets removed when using the vacuum. We just keep it on to prevent dust from getting inside when not in use. You could definitely just use the elbow to keep the rear pipe tighter to the cabinet. Glad you enjoyed the video, good luck on your blast cabinet project. Cheers!
So what's the need for the 2nd pane of glass instead of just using one pane? Is the thickness required for the mounting/trim surround piece or something?
Thanks for the question, the main reason is safety. If the bottom piece of glass were to break, from accidental contact with an object inside, then you are protected. In addition the factory plastic trim is designed for (2) pieces stacked on each other. It you only used (1) piece, it would not be tight in the trim. The plastic piece it comes with will get pitted and blurry in just a few minutes of blasting. Since you never damage the top piece of glass, that one will be good forever. Cheers!
Thanks for the comments, the tape is holding up well. Looking back we should have used some polyurethane caulking to seal the cabinet. Even in the early days we were getting media come through the cracks in the cabinet. it doesn't seem like it's gotten worse but it does create a little mess on the floor. Cheers!
It's a good idea to add caulking to help with the fine particles from escaping the box. The blast media is so fine, even the tiniest hole get exposed. Cheers!
Thanks for the kind words! It was definitely a process, it's worth the time investment and a little bit of extra cash to in the end come out as an amazing cabinet that will last for decades.
@@michaeloleary558 Heres the product link, it appears our link in the description no longer works. www.prolighting.com/brands/optilumen/21-inch/rks2230-4.html
Hello again, all the info that was shown pertaining to your parts list disappeared when you resent the link for the LED light, could you possibly resend it ? thanks Mike
Use four swivel casters. Make the extra effort and mount them on the outside corners where the angle iron overlaps. Now you have easy access to lock/unlock the four casters. That way you can pull it straight out from the wall or spin it around 180 to 360 degrees. ... my two cents.
Thanks for the feedback Rays, appreciate the suggestions. We chose to just keep the two straight casters since it's a little bit easier to drive it around versus the 360 degree ones on all four corners. We have to move the machine a lot and it makes it easy for one person to steer and pull at the same time. Thanks again for hanging out, glad you enjoyed the video. Cheers!
When I modify mine, I’ll try the same feed concept but instead of feeding the hoses up through the side of the hopper, I’m going to try feeding them as high as practicable into the back of the cabinet. This way, maybe I can improve the maneuverability of my gun above the item being cleaned to keep it off my hoses. One of bigger issues is crushing them and shutting off supply of air or media. Will be watching for your other videos. Thanks
Thanks for the comments Casper, appreciate the ideas. The main thing we have seen is the more flexible the hose to the gun is the easier it will be to maneuver around the cabinet. Just try to locate the most flexible hose to the gun and you will be happier. Let us know how running it to the rear of the cabinet helps with that. Thanks again for hanging out, Cheers!
Bought cabinet yesterday and with your list should have it all done tomorrow. Minus lights, Waiting on those. 'Great how to video.' Frame off restore on a 76 stingray and instead of paying someone to sandblast now I can do half the car myself.
Congrats Dan, don't stress out over building the cabinet, that's the worst part. Doing all the mods is the fun part. Have a great time working on your Corvette project, it sounds like it will be kewl. Cheers!
@@BradleysGarage I lost my son to a drunk driving crash last November, he always loved corvettes so I sold my harley to do this frame off as a tribute to him. So we will see how it goes and when I'm done my hope is to give it to his son. I have some time as he's only 8 so not in a big hurry for much these days. I was shown the hard way that life is short and just enjoy the ride.
@@danwhitmill4335 Sorry for your loss, I know your son is watching you and giving you a hand on this project. Your grandson will be the inspiration to restore that awesome 76 Stingray. I agree with you, life is way too short and we have to enjoy living everyday and doing what we love. Thanks again for hanging out, appreciate you sharing your project with us. Feel free to come back and let us know how things are going with it from time to time. Cheers!
Thank you for one of the most detailed step-by-step tutorials I have ever watched. Great job! Thankfully I found this before I dropped the hammer on a much more expensive unit. I just picked up my HF blast cabinet this morning and ready to start working through the parts list. A few questions before I get started. Now that you have had many hours on the box, are there any "If I had it to do over again" recommendations? For example, I saw in another comment that you had "switched over to a Spigot/Hub flush bushing for inside the lid" because the silicon did not hold up on the pipe going into the bucket lid. Do you have a specific part(s) recommendation for this mod? I'm defiantly going with the RIVNUTs and some of the other recommendations in the comments like the tempered glass. Any other new suggestions? Thanks.
Hey Douglas, thanks for the kind words, glad you enjoyed the video. I would definitely change over to the Spigot x Hub Flush Bushing versus what we showed in the video. This is keep the connection to the vacuum nice and tight. The original method caused issues with the connection to the bucket to become loose. Here is what we used for the Spigot x Hub Bushing- thd.co/3LbEt2L Pictures of it installed - ibb.co/zxVsnjS ibb.co/FmH4bGj There has been lots of recommendations in the comments to use the Nutserts for the glass trim. I would go this route if you have the option. The kits these days are pretty affordable and it's a good tool to have in the garage. We haven't sourced one yet so I can't recommend any specific brand. You can get the inner glass film protectors from TP Tools. They are about $4.00 per piece/film. This is a great idea if you decide to go with the tempered glass on the bottom. Since that is more expensive than what we are using you want to help protect it. That being said we haven't had an issue with the standard glass which works out to be about $6 per piece. We just prefer the clarity of the glass versus the stick on film. It just never seems as clear especially since we are filming projects. www.tptools.com/Skat-Blast-Standard-Cabinet-Inner-Lens-Protectors,7881.html?b=d*14066 Other than those the next upgrade we are looking at is a Foot Pedal. Your trigger finger will get tired when doing a long project. Good luck on your blast cabinet build, let us know how it goes, Cheers
Seems like a great series of modifications but one thing I didn’t see explained is the purpose of the air regulator valve in the siphon piping underneath. Is there a need to allow air to enter the siphon tube because it should be full of blast media unlike just having the siphon tube sitting in the media inside the cabinet?
I Bought an older Scat Blast cabinet about 10 years ago and have done a handful of the same mods. I believe Harbor freight took inspiration from those older Style cabinets. I have been looking into building a bigger compressor. It would be nice if I didn’t have to work my little compressor so hard. The only constructive criticism I could give you is to buy a dedicated Center punch. The Awl you were using isn’t supposed to be hit with a hammer.
Thanks for the comments Savage, appreciate the feedback. Our center punch literally exploded during the video so we just grabbed what we had on hand. The good news is that it's a Craftsman so we can head over to Lowes to swap it for a new one. We can relate to the air compressor issue as well. We are using a 27 gal that only puts our about 6.0 CFM so it's a little weak, especially for bigger jobs. Looking to upgrade to at least a 13 CFM compressor that is dual stage so it can keep up. Good luck on your future upgrades, Cheers!
