I've just bought a small (quiet), approx 11cfm/50 litre tank compressor by Hyundai and thinking about a blast cabinet.
Most seem to be 15+ cfm @ 80psi but surely I can run smaller hoses and slightly higher pressure? Toying with the idea of vapour blaster (will fabricate bits I need).
Feasible or should I have got bigger (too noisy) compressor?

If you want to blast in 10 second bursts, you might be onto a winner, but my experience says you're about 100litres of air receiver and 5 CFM of compressor short.

For odd jobs where you can put up with the inconvenience of waiting for the compressor to catch up, you'll probably get by but if you plan to do a lot of work with it, I'd rethink your compressor. An auxillary receiver (47kg propane bottle) will help mask the spikes in demand and stabilise supply pressure, but the compressor will still be running flat out.

Is the pump belt drive or direct drive? Belt drive is significantly easier to live with in terms of noise than direct drive.

I tried something similar once and came to the conclusion you need the biggest capacity tank and compressor you can afford and find room for
I rigged it up for soda blasting and it was ok for short bursts but as said above the motor was constantly running

i had a sandblaster at my buisness, the compo was a huge three cylinder affair and the tank the size of a submarine but the tank was emptied very quickly, to do a propper job the pro,s use something like a tow along compo as used on road repairs.... i think you get the picture

in simple terms, that compressor will supply the cabinet at best just a couple of minutes, and then take another 5 to recharge. it can be done...
ps wear ear protectors.

When I built my MK Indy the bits I wanted blasted I wanted painted/powder coated as well. The blasting was generally to remove corosion and old scaggy paint. I didn't have the kit to hand at home so used powder coaters who did the blast and coat service. The only exception I re,member was the Sierra front uprights, which I cleaned up using wires brushes and wire brush cups in an angle grinder. Then masked certain bits and painted with red oxide primera and black from rattle cans.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Simon
I've just bought a small (quiet), approx 11cfm/50 litre tank compressor by Hyundai and thinking about a blast cabinet.
Most seem to be 15+ cfm @ 80psi but surely I can run smaller hoses and slightly higher pressure? Toying with the idea of vapour blaster (will fabricate bits I need).
Feasible or should I have got bigger (too noisy) compressor?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by ReMan


I love the vapour aqau blaster concept.
So watching with interest.

---

I have tried with single phase, 3hp compressor direct drive - very noisy, 3hp belt drive with big tank quieter, then looped them both together and still ran out of puff after 30 seconds.

Picked up a very old diesel road compressor for £250 as a non-runner, the injectors on the Perkins 4203 were all jammed up, it had been standing for years £79 replaced these and I now have unlimited high pressure air and it’s probably quieter than electric mess.

For blasting you need something that can really deliver air I am afraid.

I do know of someone that got a pair of big single phase motors and used these to power a rebuilt compair screw compressor for a blast cabinet, it needs a 32 amp supply….

[Edited on 25/1/22 by mark chandler]