Mixer      06/14/2019

Sandblasting chamber dimensions. Sandblasting machine (sandblasting): components, safety and operation, how to make. DIY mini version

Sandblasting (more precisely - abrasive blasting, see below) is the most affordable way cleaning of heavily contaminated surfaces of parts made of hard materials. The productivity of sandblasting, or simply sandblasting, allows the same machine to be used for processing both very large and small parts of complex shape, see fig. right below. Sandblasting of silicate glass, incl. artistic, many times more productive than manual, gives a better result, but at the same time much safer than chemical. This article provides information on how to make an abrasive blasting machine - sandblasting with your own hands and using it correctly in compliance with safety regulations: sandblasting, for all its merits, is still a very harmful production process.

Initial conditions

The principle of abrasive blasting is that abrasive particles are introduced into a strong jet of air or water-air suspension (see below). In the jet, they both accelerate to a speed of several hundred km / h, and twist. If such a jet is directed at a part, the impact of the abrasive on its surface will be comparable in strength to that of a hard abrasive tool, but much “softer”; the abrasive jet spreads over the treated surface and the treatment takes place practically without disturbing its configuration. Matting of hard materials by abrasive blasting is possible using abrasives of the same hardness as the material being processed and even somewhat less. Have you ever wondered how diamonds are sawn, cut and polished? Diamond powder. But in both cases, there is a large number of abrasive dust that has a detrimental effect on literally everything, living and inanimate, natural and man-made. Therefore, a do-it-yourself sandblaster is not enough; it's not that hard after all, see below. However, first you need to familiarize yourself with the basic safety rules for abrasive blasting. Secondly, decide for what purposes you need sandblasting and whether the additional equipment necessary for its launch is available - air compressor or a car or household washer. Thirdly, remember whether you have a garage or a workshop, either already equipped for sandblasting, or suitable for such a conversion. It is not difficult, but without it, using a sandblaster means ruining yourself. And finally, if you are considering air sandblasting, then see if there is room in the garage / workshop for installing a sandblasting chamber, see below.

Safety

Descriptions of the harmful effects of abrasive dust on everything generally occupy volumes. Normative documents regulating the procedure for the production of abrasive blasting and safety rules for them - too. Therefore, in order to understand the essence from which all this follows, we will learn in comparison. Moreover, you can now buy a pneumatic sandblasting gun in almost every tool store or make it yourself, see below.

Sandblasting can be carried out at dedicated production sites, in rooms and chambers specially equipped for this purpose, see below. Sandblasting can be pneumatic, or dry and hydro, or wet. Hydro-sandblasting is less dusty, but impregnates the treated surface with abrasive more strongly, see below. Abrasive powder during hydrosandblasting quickly loses quality and is most often used once; the abrasive after air sandblasting in the chamber (see below) can be reused after the simplest cleaning.

The sandblaster's ammunition on the site is similar to the grated space wolf spacesuit from old science fiction, pos. 1 in fig. The similarity is enhanced by the fact that air is blown into the helmet with a cape-cape to prevent abrasive dust from entering it - its effect on the body through the skin is no less destructive than through the respiratory organs.

A sandblaster in a special room can work in a regular robe and a soft helmet, but also with a pressurization and cape, pos. 2. Hydro-sandblasting in a special room can be carried out using conventional PPE (pos. 3), as well as pneumatic sandblasting in a chamber - provided that it is not the main production process at this enterprise and is performed no more than 1.5-2 hours per shift. But the brave young people in pos. 4 and 5 just should have something to compare with.

Sandblasters in the workplace enjoy the following benefits (limits depending on local regulations):

  • The rate on the tariff scale is 1-2 ranks higher than that of the "non-harmful".
  • To her - surcharge for harmfulness of 25-100%
  • After 5-20 years of work - life-long medical insurance at the expense of the employer or public services.
  • Short shift, 4-6 hours.
  • Increased annual paid leave, 30-45 calendar days.
  • Possibility of retirement at 40-50 years old, subject to continuous experience in this specialty.
  • Starting the length of service in the sandblasting for calculating a pension - a year for 1.5 or 2.

And this is in the current world, where in many utterly democratic states the minimum wage is legalized less than the subsistence minimum, a 6-day work week, 10-12 hour work day and paid vacation every 2-3 years for 10-15 days! And with all this of sandblasters-veterans in retirement live up to 60 units! Think.

Camera and room

It makes no sense to clutter up the article with information about the rules for placing and equipping sites and hangars for sandblasting - at home garage conditions they are not feasible. If you have already decided to make a sandblasting machine, you have a choice of 2 options: for dry processing - a sandblasting chamber; for a workshop / garage with it and hydro-sandblasting - a room with supply and exhaust ventilation (PVV).

The sandblasting chamber is a dust-tight casing from the inside (pos. 1 in the figure); all connections and seals are calculated to overpressure inside (pos. 2 top right). They work in the cell, putting their hands into rubber sleeves with gloves, pos. 2. The viewing glass and lampshades of the lighting fixtures of the chamber are made of silicate glass, which are replaceable. they quickly become cloudy from abrasive dust.

The air saturated with dust exits the chamber through a 2-stage filter (item 4): first, through a soft lamella-curtain filter (a curtain made of technical fabric cut into strips, shown by an arrow in item 2) into the buffer chamber B, and from it through a filter material that provides cleaning of at least level 5, and holes in the casing (shown by an arrow in item 1) - out. It is advisable to place the loading hatch on the side opposite to the wall with the filter, pos. 3. A mesh hearth is installed in the chamber to accommodate the workpieces; under the hearth there is a bin for collecting waste abrasive.

Note: air cleaning from abrasive dust not lower than the 5th is provided by a layer of lining synthetic winterizer from 25 cm, counting to the nearest outlet. The thickness of the filter layer between the blank walls of the filter is from 80 mm.

The room with a sandblasting chamber is equipped with a PVV with an exhaust fan. Extraction performance - at least 1.5 of the maximum performance of the compressor for sandblasting (see below). The hood must have a mesh-oil filter of at least 4 links. Each link is a frame with a frequent steel mesh (mesh - 1.5-3 mm), moistened with non-drying oil. The filter must be washed regularly and the washed nets moistened with oil.

Nozzles and abrasive for sandblasting

A lot depends on the nozzle of the sandblaster, through which the abrasive jet is ejected: the very nature of the processing process, its quality, the consumption of abrasive and air. And from the latter - the required compressor performance (see below), which is important in amateur conditions or for IP. Therefore, before you figure out how to do sandblasting yourself, you need to figure out how to deal with nozzles for it.

The first thing here - do not sandblast with steel nozzles: they lose the desired profiling even before the end of the part. On YouTube you can find descriptions of homemade sandblasting from ... propylene water pipes! It is inappropriate to quote local comments on them here, but they are quite fair. Nozzles for sandblasting are made of boron carbide (see figure on the right and below). Nozzles made from other hard materials are either very expensive or wear out quickly; In either case, the process is unprofitable.

Note: cheap Chinese nozzles made of porcelain and other silicate ceramics can be used if you use sandblasting for yourself occasionally. But - not for glass matting, it is impregnated (see below) with the material of a rapidly “burning” nozzle.

Secondly, the abrasive jet is much stronger than during manual or mechanical processing, it impregnates the surface of the part with abrasive microparticles. Quite simply - drives them there. Microimpregnation with an abrasive can be somewhat useful - the paint adheres better to the impregnated surface and adheres to it more firmly. But the same bare surface loses its resistance to chemical influences and pollution. The way to reduce the impregnation to an acceptable level is to use an abrasive equal to or less than the hardness of the material. Coal-slag powder (see below) can also be used to remove a pattern or an inscription on a mirror from sandblasting, but it is worth wiping it 2-3 times with detergent, and unremovable dirt will appear on the pattern.

Ordinary river and ravine sand is absolutely unsuitable for abrasive blasting: clay impurities in it impregnate the treated surface until the part is completely unusable. Non-critical parts of the product (auto wheels, underbody, etc.) are treated with coal-slag powder; it requires a compressor of lower capacity. Although the abrasive consumption is higher, it is much cheaper, see fig. The bodies of used cars for painting are treated with sifted mountain quartz sand, and glass and especially important products (for example, restored valuable retro cars) are treated with quartz quarry, cleaned and carefully fractionated. Fractions from 0.05 (artistic glass matting) to 0.2 mm (cleaning of caked dirt).

Homemade nozzles

The nozzle for sandblasting is not cheap, but wears out pretty quickly. "China" is suitable only to peel off the caked dirt before finishing, but it takes a dense film of hydroxide on metals already poorly. At the same time, a hollow cylindrical sleeve of suitable dimensions made of boron carbide can be bought much cheaper than a profiled nozzle made of it. But is it possible to process material at home, which, in theory, is taken only by diamond?

Sandblasting nozzle profiles are simple. Straight lines (pos. 1 in the figure) are used for preliminary cleaning of surfaces and in general in most cases. A bell at the nozzle inlet is necessary - without it, the jet will be weak and will only “eat” the nozzle and dust, and not clean the part. Venturi nozzles, giving a strong, wide, uniform jet (pos. 2), are set for finishing critical surfaces; consumption of abrasive and air through the Venturi nozzle approx. twice as much as through a straight line. Tapered nozzles (pos. 3) are used for stencil matting glass: a jet from other nozzles can eat through the stencil to holes, and the whole work will be ruined.

You can convert a round boron carbide bushing into a sandblasting nozzle liner using conical or cylindrical-conical grinding heads (cutters) of the same material, pos. 4. You will only have to grind a steel clip with a thread. Straight nozzle inserts (keys 5 and 6) can be made on a tabletop drilling machine, turning the bell in the bushing by 30-45 degrees with a cutter. To convert it, either an inexpensive straight nozzle into a tapering one (pos. 7-9) will need already lathe: the cone is fixed in the tailstock like a chuck with a drill, and the workpiece in the spindle. The feed in both cases is the most delicate manual: you do not make holes in the blank, but grind the fragile fragile! Do not pour the emulsion in any case!

Types of sandblasters

A homemade sandblaster can be made according to one of the following. schemes:

  1. Pneumatic injection gravity - the abrasive is fed into the air jet under the action of gravity. It is necessary to make or buy only a nozzle and, possibly, a pulsator, but the abrasive consumption is huge, the operating mode is unstable. In industry, it is used for stripping rough products from a dense coating, for example. mine trolleys or blast furnace ears. Used in primitive sandblasting guns;
  2. Pneumatic gravity ejection - also used mainly in industry, but for finishing with minimum consumption abrasive, and in medium-level sandblasting guns;
  3. Pneumo-injection supercharged - the most common type. It is carried out in the form of a stationary installation or a mini-pneumatic gun;
  4. Hydroejection - the safest and most harmless. The compressor is not needed, it works from a car or household sink for external surfaces. In garage conditions, it is applicable without a camera. Restriction on use - the treated surface should be slightly sensitive to moisture.

Gravity Injection

The advantage of the pneumatic injection apparatus is that abrasive can be loaded into its hopper without interrupting the production process. If the production is such that cubes of abrasive are consumed per shift, this often decides the issue of its profitability. Also an important advantage is the expensive wear parts in the unit, the entire nozzle and sand seal; the latter in amateur conditions can be replaced by a plug valve (like a samovar tap).

The device of the gravity injection sandblasting machine is shown on the left in the figure, and the drawings of the nozzles to it on the right are in the same place:

The nozzle at the top right only seems to be tapering, but it works like a Venturi nozzle: by changing the gaskets 5, it is possible to change the spray angle of the jet within certain limits. The use of such a sandblaster requires a fairly high qualification: the operating mode is set by an inlet valve that lets air into the hopper (in Fig. Drain valve 13) and a sand gate, and the adjustments are interconnected.

Sandblasting with pulsation

To reduce the consumption of abrasive and speed up the cleaning of very heavily and densely contaminated surfaces at the cost of increased wear of the nozzle, the transfer of gravity sandblasting to a pulsating mode allows. To do this, a pulsator insert is included in the break in the air hose, see fig. on right. The pulsator tubes are connected by a flexible thin hose, which plays the role of a resonator tube: by changing its length, the frequency and strength of the pulsations are adjusted.

Gravity ejection

In an ejection gravitational abrasive blasting machine, the abrasive is poured into a dispenser equipped with a non-return air valve, and from it it is sucked through the abrasive-air pipe into the working body with a strong air stream. The nozzle of such an installation is only Venturi, precisely profiled along curvilinear generatrices; the working body is an air ejector of a rather complex design.

The device and drawings of the ejector of the gravity ejection sandblasting installation are given in Fig.:

It is easier to use such a device than the previous one: the abrasive feed is set once for this type of work by the shutter, and the processing mode, if necessary, is promptly regulated by the air supply. Installations of this type are used for particularly demanding work, for example, abrasive blast polishing of turbine blades and jet engine compressors.

Supercharged Sandblasters

Sandblasters with pressurization are the easiest to operate, allow the use of nozzles of any profile and give sufficient surface quality in most cases (up to SA3). Therefore, both home-made sandblasts and industrial designs of low productivity for individual use are most often made according to the supercharged scheme.

Expensive manual sandblasting guns are made with a lower boost (on the left in the figure); the sand-air mixture enters the mixer. The consumption of abrasive and air is minimal, and a conventional ball valve can be used in the dispenser; it wears out pretty quickly, but in this design it never jams. This tool is most suitable for fine work: glass art, abrasive blast polishing. The disadvantage is the need to use a profiled boron carbide insert, which wears out as quickly as the nozzle.

In stationary pressurized injection sandblasting machines, the pressurization air is supplied to the hopper with abrasive, on the right in fig. The control of the apparatus is simpler than the gravitational one: after the initial setting (see above), the operational adjustment of the supply of air and abrasive as the latter is consumed is required only at the end, when the very remains from the bunker “get”. However, after additional loading of the abrasive, at which pressure is released from the hopper, the installation takes up to 20 minutes, and the hopper itself is more complicated and expensive, because. must be sealed. The ball sand valve in a continuous jet of abrasive often jams and the profiled liner of the mixer becomes unusable very quickly, therefore the mixer dispenser is made with an oblique feed and a damper valve, the inset in the center in fig. In amateur conditions, the mixer can be assembled on the basis of a 120-degree water outlet, and a plug tap can be used instead of a damper valve, see above.

The walls of the hopper are gradually worn away by abrasive, so the hopper must be equipped with a pressure relief valve with a safety valve, and the entire installation is regularly inspected. The relief valve must be open during operation. It closes only during the initial supply of pressure to the hopper and additional loading of the abrasive, because. pressure surge when the loading valve slams shut safety valve may rip out altogether.

Note: normal air pressure for the operation of all pneumatic sandblasting installations is 4.2-6 bar. If you come across a description of sandblasting for 2-3 "atmospheres", do not believe your eyes. This is a toy that is harmful to health, unsuitable for serious work.

Homemade Tricks

Sandblasting machine technically simple in general, but due to the difficult working conditions - under considerable pressure, in an aggressive environment - its design and manufacture is a rather difficult task. The difficulties that arise in this case are sometimes bypassed by home-made amateurs in rather ingenious ways. That's why, after all, they are craftsmen.

Bunker from a cylinder

Abrasive consumption for all types sandblasting, except for artistic polishing, is very large. Cylinder for domestic gas or, say, a car receiver, these are vessels of a sufficiently large capacity, designed to work under pressure and are almost not subject to operational wear. It is easier to insert a simple tip with a nozzle into the sandblasting chamber, and it is easier to operate it with thick rubber gloves than with a gun. Therefore, many amateurs make sandblasting with an abrasive hopper from a gas cylinder.

However, if you simply convert the cylinder into a pressurized sandblasting bunker (item 1 in the figure), then an unpleasant phenomenon is immediately detected in the work: the powder in the bunker is still half or a third, and the installation starts snorting and spitting clouds of dust instead of doing its job. The reason is the suction of air through the abrasive in the hopper, pos. 2. You can avoid it by quickly adjusting the boost, but this is no longer work, but only one thing. Therefore, it is better not to be too lazy right away, cut off the top of the cylinder (which will now be the bottom of the hopper) and instead weld on a cone-seal of galvanized abrasive from 0.6 mm, pos. 3. There will be no suction even with a primitive mixer from a straight water tee, pos. 3b.

Especially successful is the discovery of the author of a mini-sandblaster with a bunker from a plastic bottle, pos. 4. Spiral ribs on the high neck of the bottle slightly, but twist the flow of sand even before it enters the mixer. This, equally primitive, sandblasting tool based on what seems to be an inexpensive universal working air gun is certainly suitable for very fine work.

Guns for sandblasting

It is convenient to clean large surfaces for painting with a sandblasting gun, for example. bodies of used cars, so they are bought up well, and amateurs adapt paint or universal working air guns for sandblasting. Most often - according to the gravitational injection scheme; less often - according to the scheme with a lower boost. Some are not too lazy to make analogues of industrial designs, see, for example, video:


Industrial samples of high-quality sandblasting guns are made according to the pneumoejection scheme - ejection sandblasting consumes a minimum of abrasive and acc. least dusty. Abrasive for them instead of a bunker is poured into a plastic bag without the slightest hole. The intake device is a piece of rigid pipe, tightly inserted into the supply end of the abrasive-air hose. The neck of the abrasive bag is tightly tied around the intake pipe - and atmospheric pressure helps ejection well, compressing the bag as the powder is consumed.

The range of factory sandblasting guns (on the left in the figure) on sale is quite wide. On Alibaba, etc. sandblasting nozzles for working air guns are sold with might and main, in the center. If you take, then for general works choose ejection as the safest and least abrasive per square of the treated surface. For delicate and artistic work, a gun or bottom blow nozzle is more suitable, see above, but these are more expensive.

The same Chinese are selling with might and main and nozzles for sandblasting with a standard plumbing thread. An ejection abrasive blast nozzle for such a nozzle can be made from plumbing parts; joints must be sealed with FUM tape, on the right in fig. Serve such a sandblast for a short time, but it is suitable for occasional use over small areas.

However, in any case, do not forget - we are talking about your own health in the distant and not so distant future. Therefore, work only at a site that is at least 150 m away from residential buildings, poultry and livestock farms, cultural plantations, water pumping points, parks and forests. The nearest children's or sports institution, play or sports ground or reservoir should be at least 500 m. The effect of abrasive dust depends not only on its type and concentration, but also on the time of exposure. If it does not exceed 2-3 hours a day in portions of 15-20 minutes with breaks of 5-10 minutes, then on the site it is possible to do without full ammunition, but lightweight is still needed:

  1. A padded, inflated helmet with a drape, or better, a gas mask and a cape with a gorget to protect the neck and shoulders, as used by construction workers and concrete workers;
  2. One-piece jumpsuit made of dustproof fabric or a robe made of trousers with a belt and a jacket with a hem with a tight elastic band;
  3. Cuffs of sleeves and legs - with rubber cuffs with a width of 7 cm;
  4. Ankle boots (necessarily under loose trousers!).

Note: when sandblasting irregularly for no more than 20 minutes a day, for respiratory protection, you can use a helmet with a cape without pressurization and a petal respirator.

Hydro sandblasting

Hydro-sandblasting can be done regularly in normal garage or site conditions, using normal PPE as well. The bodies of old cars after cleaning with hydrosandblasting are quite suitable for painting; removal of the site or workshop from the above objects - from 50 m. Hydrosandblasting is activated without a compressor from a portable car wash or a household "sprinkler" for windows and shop windows. Therefore, special attention should be paid to hydrosandblasting.

The scheme of the device of a hydrosandblasting plant driven by a portable washing machine is given on the left in the figure:

Drawing of the simplest nozzle from the details of the water supply for hydrosandblasting - on the right; inset - her appearance. The principle of operation is ejection. However, such a nozzle works with some sinks, but not with others, and the adjustment limits for the jet density and abrasive consumption and with a suitable drive are insufficient. The reason is the oblique concentrated supply of the abrasive-air mixture to the ejector.

Works stably with any car and household washing installations nozzle with coaxial supply of water and abrasive-air mixture. For example, the nozzle, the drawings of which are given in the figure, was originally developed for the Körcher car wash. But it is also suitable for any other threaded G1 / 4 standard tip. And if the standard fit is different, then it is enough to make a connecting socket for it (see pos. 1).

Note: boron carbide nozzle insert (pos. 4) - ready-made purchase. Can be replaced by another, direct or venturi; in this case, the diameter of its constriction ("neck" of the Venturi nozzle is 4.5-6 mm).

How to make a hydro-sandblast nozzle for a portable car wash, see also the video:

And more about Chinese nozzles

If you are an IP resp. profile or generally work with sandblasting regularly for a fee, then the best choice for you there will be a purchase of a sandblasting gun: you probably already have a compressor for painting and other production needs, and the consumption of abrasive, which also costs money, is minimal. In addition, unlike industrial sandblasters, for which there is no shortage of compressed air in production, and homemade products, there are samples of working pneumatic guns for a pressure of 2.5-3 bar, i.e. they can be used from a paint compressor. This is explained by the high accuracy of manufacturing profiled parts along curvilinear generatrices.

However, even in the most “cool” sandblasting gun, the nozzle wears out sometime, and pretty soon from regular use. Buy branded? Take out half the price of a new pistol and put it in. General marketing policy. And here is the time to remember the "Chinese": the ratio of their service life to that of the originals is greater than the ratio of the price of those to the "Chinese". That is, although “China” will have to be changed more often, in general, the use of an “alternative” instead of a worn-out “company” will not be so expensive.

One problem arises here: the landing of Chinese nozzles does not coincide with that of the “company”, and the Chinese do not make nozzles “under the company”, because. each original manufacturer has its own configuration and dimensions seat nozzles. For the same marketing reasons, of course.

But - for a tricky nut there is always a bolt with a shaped thread. An adapter of 2-3 parts, for the manufacture of which a conventional lathe is enough, will allow you to adapt any Chinese nozzle to any branded sandblasting gun. For an example in fig. - the device and dimensions of the adapter for Chinese nozzles to the Matrix air gun.

Sandblasting machine is useful for almost everyone. This device will help to quickly and efficiently clean surfaces from traces and scale. It is not difficult to find sand cleaning devices on sale, but they are not cheap. The most "budget" of them will cost at least 9,000 rubles. Today the editors of the online magazine site offers you detailed instructions about how to make sandblasting with your own hands. Video, tips from the masters and important recommendations for operating the device - in this article.

Read in the article

How the sandblasting machine works and its scheme

Craft sandblasting machine completely out homemade parts if it doesn't work, you will have to purchase some parts of the device before starting work. In principle, a sandblaster is similar to an airbrush. It consists of a compressor that pumps the air flow, a line into which sand enters and a nozzle that ejects the filler towards the treated surfaces. The device itself can have impressive dimensions, if you, for example, need to be cleaned of traces of paint, or compact, if we are talking about fine work glass engraving.

In addition to the three main elements that have already been mentioned, the apparatus circuit includes a receiver, a system of taps, electrical and hoses. To fill the sand, you will need a main tank.

General scheme of the sandblasting machine

This is what the device diagram looks like.


As you can see, all components of the device can be bought or made separately, which means that the task set - to make a sandblasting installation with your own hands - is feasible.

The principles of operation of the sandblasting machine and its scope

The simple principle of the action of sand as a powerful abrasive is known to all. The smallest particles that fall on work surface under pressure, tear off all layers, plaque, rust. The task of sandblasting is precisely to direct the abrasive in the right direction and provide the necessary pressure to do the job. The pressure is provided by an air compressor.

  • Sleeves are easy to pick up. To do this, a rubber hose of the desired diameter is sufficient. The hose is fastened with metal clamps or ties.
  • Nozzle- you can buy a ready-made nozzle or make it yourself from improvised material. To make the device last longer, it is equipped with replaceable ceramic caps with holes of 5-6 mm for accurate work.

How to make sandblasting with your own hands from improvised materials: master classes and videos

Think before you take on the manufacture of sandblasting. How big is your planned work? Buying an air compressor is also an expense from the family budget. If you are only faced with the task of cleaning, maybe it’s easier to rent such a device at one of the rental offices?

Another thing is if the unit is needed regularly. His purchase will be reflected in your wallet. Factory models often fail, and manufacturers give them a very modest warranty due to specific conditions work. So it turns out that it is cheaper to make a sandblast with your own hands, and given the use of replaceable parts, it will serve you indefinitely. Let's look at the most popular models from improvised materials.

How to make your own sandblasting from a gas cylinder

Image Description of works

A hole must be made in the bottom of the gas cylinder. Please note: the cylinder must be completely empty, this is very important for your safety! To make a hole of the desired diameter, several holes are first drilled, then the contents are cut into metal.

Rough edges must be carefully processed with a grinding nozzle.

A two-inch gon with a screw cap will need to be welded to the hole.

The device will require fittings, shackles, a hose and ties.

The hardest part of the job is unscrewing the valve from the cylinder. For old cylinders, the taps are usually unscrewed with difficulty, you can slightly warm them up with a burner, use a lever and a gas wrench, a vice.

Screw the fitting into the vacant hole to connect the remaining parts.

All threaded connections need to be sealed with tow or FUM thread.

To exit the sand, you will need to build such a structure from adapters.

Alternatively, you can use a nozzle from a cheap thermal gun for the nozzle. It is fixed at the end of the hose with electrical tape and clamps.

To adjust the pressure power, you will need to install a valve at the connection point of the compressor hose.

A detailed guide on how to make a homemade sandblaster with your own hands in the following video:

How to make a sandblast from a fire extinguisher with your own hands

Image Description of works

For the manufacture of sandblasting small size You can use a regular fire extinguisher. Such a container will often have to be filled, but it is easy to transfer it to a new place.

In fire extinguishers, the valve is much easier to unscrew than in a gas cylinder. All you need is a gas key.

As in a gas cylinder, a hole must be made in the bottom of the fire extinguisher to fill the sand.

A threaded fitting is welded to the resulting hole.

Metal legs must be welded to the cylinder. They will give the structure stability and allow you to connect the hose from below.

For further work, you will need a set of fittings and a crane.

When assembled, the device looks like this: there is a crane at the outlet of the cylinder, on the left - an outlet for connecting a compressor, on the right - for a sandblasting sleeve.

It remains only to connect a compressor and a gun for a sandblaster to this installation. Such a small device is useful for small jobs.

Sandblasting nozzle and its manufacture by one's own hands

What is important for sandblasting nozzle? First of all, the diameter of the outlet hole, the accuracy of processing and the consumption of abrasive depend on it. How the abrasive is consumed depending on the nozzle diameter in the table:

Second important point- nozzle length. The length affects the quality of the surface finish. And lastly, the material. The stronger the material of the nozzle, the longer this structural element will last.

Finished factory products have standard nozzle diameters - 12, 10, 8 and 6 mm. You can find on sale nozzles with the Venturi system, the speed of abrasive particles in them can reach 720 km / h. Processing with such power is highly efficient.

From what you can make a sandblasting nozzle with your own hands, and how long it will last:

For your information! If you use steel shot as an abrasive, the nozzles will last almost three times longer.

Do-it-yourself manufacturing technology of nozzles from spark plugs for sandblasting:

Image Description of works

Suitable for ceramic nozzles car candles, almost every motorist has their stock (already used). You need to remove the tip from the candle, it can be easily removed without the use of tools.

The core must be clamped in a vice and with gentle movements unscrew the candle so as to remove this metal core.

The remaining core can be thrown away, it will no longer be useful.

After the candle should be carefully cut with a grinder immediately after the first nut. Do this carefully so as not to split the ceramic.

After trimming, all metal parts are easily removed from the ceramic tip, and the sandblasting nozzle is ready.

The ceramic nozzle withstands a maximum of 2 hours of operation and then loses its shape. So if you need more long time work, stock up on a set of tips.

How to extend the life of a homemade nozzle, see the following video:

How to make your own sandblasting gun

Compressor sandblasting gun is a tool for fine processing of small workpieces. It's easy to make, you just need plastic bottle and a gun with a nozzle. The details of the process are written in the video with the master class:

Pros and cons of homemade sandblasting

What benefits will you get if you take on the independent production of a sandblaster:

  • save money, as a home-made unit will cost much cheaper than a purchased one;
  • get a device more powerful than the factory one.

But not everything is so rosy, there are also disadvantages in this venture:

Think before you get down to business, and correctly calculate your capabilities.

A small instruction for the correct operation of the sandblaster

A sandblasting machine is a potentially dangerous unit, it is important to follow safety measures when working with it to avoid injury:


How much do factory-made sandblasters cost: the most popular models

Sandblasters for domestic use can be purchased in specialized stores. We have analyzed for you the range of similar products and bring to your attention some of the most popular models on Yandex Market:

Model Main characteristics Average cost (as of April 2018), RUB Best deal

Forsage F-SB10 Inforce S 4020B Zitrek DSMG-75 015-1141

  • Tank volume − 75 l.
  • Productivity - 15 m² / h.
  • Pressure - 10 atm.
  • Weight - 65 kg.
47890 vseinstrumenti.ru

Does it make sense to do homemade sandblasting

We gave you everything known facts, materials and calculations, but you will have to answer this question yourself. You can buy a finished car for about 8,000 rubles, rental will cost you 500-800 rubles per day. Think about whether you have components for self-manufacturing of the unit. If an air compressor is not lying around in the garage warehouse, buying it will also significantly affect your budget.


The need for effective surface cleaning various products before painting them, suggests the idea of ​​​​acquiring or making a sandblasting chamber with your own hands. These devices, different in their size and purpose, will be quite appropriate both in car service stations and in household.

Camera types

The sandblasting chamber can be local or volumetric (inhabited). Local cameras are designed for processing small products. Inhabited chambers have a large internal volume, where you can put, for example, the body of a car. The operator is inside such a chamber during work, so he will need a set of certain protective accessories - a helmet, goggles, gloves for sandblasting, etc. However, remote control of the process of such cleaning is also possible (more on that later).

In local chambers, sandblasting is performed by creating a reduced air pressure inside the working space. Under the conditions of such an artificial rarefaction, due to the pressure difference, a sand jet is ejected from the nozzle with the required speed and pressure. By moving the nozzle tip along a certain trajectory, the operator performs surface treatment of the workpiece. Naturally, in such ejection chambers it is easy to clean small items.

Advantages of local cameras:

  1. Compactness.
  2. Small financial and material costs for self-manufacturing.
  3. Increased worker safety, and environment.
  4. Reduced energy costs as low suction compressor power is required.
  5. Convenience and ease of regeneration of sand for reuse.

Inhabited chambers solve larger problems. Their volume must be very accurately calculated in order not only to freely place the object being cleaned inside, and to provide places for the worker to move, but also to ensure the necessary air exchange. Inhabited type sandblasting chambers work on the principle of forcing the working mixture, and therefore are called pressure. Their performance is several times higher than the similar parameter for ejector-type cameras. Accordingly, the cost of electricity also increases (a much more powerful compressor is required), the consumption of sand and its loss increase. The problem is also the disposal of sand contaminated with cleaning products, which, in turn, requires the mandatory availability of effective filter systems.

Buy or make a homemade sandblasting chamber?

For a habitable sandblasting chamber, the answer is no: there is too much to consider in the process of designing and manufacturing the installation. Moreover, the profile sector of the market is replete with various offers adapted to the desired performance and final energy costs. For example, the price of a habitable pressure-type sandblasting chamber, coordinated with the individual requirements of the customer, starts from 1.8 ... 2.0 million rubles.

The set of such equipment includes:

  1. Housing (it can be made of profiled steel or sandwich panels).
  2. A sluice equipped with hinged double-leaf gates (in passage-type cells there is a similar node on the opposite side).
  3. Grating, at the bottom of which there are systems for cleaning waste sand based on pneumatic suction.
  4. Ventilation system designed for a certain air exchange.
  5. Control and lighting systems for the work area.
  6. One or more abrasive blast cleaning stations.
  7. Protective equipment for workers.

Typically, the standard equipment also includes systems for mechanized opening of the gateway and gates, additional side doors in the walls of the hull, rail tracks with a trolley (for objects that cannot move independently), etc.

Wiring diagram for remote control of pressure type sandblasting chamber

Manufacturers rarely provide such an option, believing that it is rarely used in habitable cameras. Meanwhile, in the service station, where several such works can be carried out simultaneously, an operator will be required for each camera. Performance sandblasting objects of the same type can be significantly increased by providing a system for remote shutdown of power plants for volumetric chambers - a compressor, fans, a waste disposal conveyor, etc.

A set of such remote control takes into account all the typical operations that are required for the normal functioning of pressure-type sandblasting installations. It consists of the following elements:

  • intake valve;
  • exhaust valve;
  • an electronic control unit that provides some functions for protecting the processing area;
  • battery(battery) from any car.

The remote control circuit is mounted on the base of the pneumatic actuator. To activate this circuit, the worker presses the remote control button, after which the air flow from the compressor opens the inlet valve, while simultaneously closing the outlet valve. As a result, excess pressure is created inside the pressure chamber, sufficient for sandblasting. The control relay has one normally closed and one normally open contact, which ensures fast (no more than 1 ... 1.5 s) operation of the electrical circuit elements for the sandblasting chamber.

When the pressure is released, the relay turns off the sandblasting station control drive. Further, if desired, the circuit can be connected to the controls for opening the gates and sluices of the chamber.

DIY sandblasting chamber

The complexity of the work on the manufacture of an ejector-type sandblasting chamber is much less. First, the terms of reference are developed (what, to what extent, and by what technology will be cleaned). Further, installation drawings, which can be used to judge the functionality of the camera. The dimensions indicated on the drawing must correspond to the free space in the workshop where the sandblasting chamber will be installed.

Given the power of the available compressor (and it usually does not exceed 6…8 kW), the volume of the internal space of the chamber should not exceed (width × depth × height) 800 × 500 × 500 mm, while the front panel is usually provided with a bevel at an angle of 45 °, for ease of operation. The front panel (made of transparent high-impact plastic) should have one or two holes for handling the sandblast gun. The body is sheathed from the inside with technical rubber, and in its bottom part a grating or a retractable tray with a pipe for collecting the waste mixture is arranged.

  1. Compulsory waste separation system (it is present in pressure chambers with air exchange of more than 8000 ... 9000 m3 / h).
  2. Power ventilation units(calculated from the condition that the performance of sandblasting should be 4 ... 4.5 times less than the performance of the fans).
  3. The presence of a cyclone to collect extra fine fractions of abrasive or sand.
  4. Is there a unit for automatic cleaning of pipelines in the design (by the way, they should not be made of plastic: this material can change its characteristics depending on temperature, which negatively affects the values ​​of pneumatic resistance and the actual performance of the installation).
  5. Materials adopted for wall cladding (the higher their elastic characteristics, the more efficient cleaning is).
  6. Availability of useful additional options(trolley, rail track, etc.).

The price of the basic configuration of a pressure-type sandblasting chamber should also take into account the availability of several sets of gloves for the sandblasting chamber, protective masks, helmets, overalls and shoes for operators.

Making a camera blasting small parts do it yourself.

Often in the process of making another homemade brain-designer it is necessary to clean parts of complex shape from rust, make frosted glass, prepare the surfaces of parts for welding. All these tasks are superbly performed sandblasting machine, but its use requires special premises, protective suit and powerful compressor.

All these shortcomings are devoid of technology blasting. It does not treat surfaces sand, and special abrasives based corundum with a smaller particle diameter and at a lower pressure.

To apply this technology in a normal room, you need special cameras, one of the options is cameras from things bought in the usual hardware store we are implementing.

Step 1: Materials and Tools

We will need:

Transparent container for storage from 3 0 liters, with tight-fitting lid;
- piece plexiglass 3 mm thick according to the size of the lid of our container;
- thick latex gloves long to the elbow;
cuffs diameter 150 mm;
- plastic plumbing fitting diameter 100 mm;
- air filter- can be used insert from an industrial respirator;
- spiral hose high pressure from the compressor;
- sandblasting tip;
- fitin g with a ball valve for use in pneumatic systems;
- silicone, liquid nails, seals, hardware, etc;
- electric jigsaw, drill, drills for wood and metal.

Step 2: Assembling the Camera



We fasten gloves

We mark on the side surface of the container hand holes. To do this, we apply plastic rings to it and circle them with a marker. contours. We cut out the internal holes with a jigsaw and carefully remove the resulting burrs. Drilling holes for screws fastening gloves. If necessary cut the rings to give them a round shape. Wrapping a bell gloves ring fix it in the hole with bolts And nuts. We seal the resulting connection silicone.

We install the air supply and removal system

Mark and drill holes for pneumatic fitting and air outlet. We screw in the fitting. Glue a piece of plastic plumbing into the exhaust hole with superglue. fitting. From the inside of the container we install on it air filter fix it with a rubber band.

Making a viewing window

We cut a hole in the lid of the container and glue it into it. plexiglass.

After testing, it turned out that for the convenience of using this homemade some improvements needed:

- capacity for the manufacture of the camera should be as much as possible deep;
- diameter holes for hands should be larger than the volume forearms;
- length gloves should be such that they do not occur harmonic;
-pneumatic hose should be as short as possible and as long as possible flexible;
- at the bottom of the container you need a small plastic ladder- abrasive particles will accumulate under it and will not interfere with work;
- plexiglass viewing window needs to be painted on the inside protective film- the abrasive spoils it.

ATTENTION! Always work only in a respirator!

Seal all connections carefully.

Remember, abrasive particles penetrating the lungs cause incurable silicosis!

Step 4: Before and after blasting

Sandblasting is a proven and popular way to remove serious contaminants from the surface of various objects. A device for performing this kind of operation can be bought, borrowed, rented, but if the budget is small and cleaning needs to be done often, it can be done. Considering simple design unit, even a novice master sandblasting chamber with his own hands will be quite capable.

How it works

The item to be cleaned is placed in a special chamber. There, with the help of a compressor, a jet of air mixed with abrasive material, most often sand, is supplied. The jet is directed to the contaminated place, which is cleaned quickly and with a high degree of efficiency. In this way, rust stains, traces of old coatings, etc. are removed.

Sand is not the only abrasive that can be used in similar devices. Other materials are also suitable for cleaning:

  • glass granules;
  • slag obtained in the production of nickel or copper;
  • electrocorundum;
  • steel or cast iron shot, etc.

Materials are selected depending on the type of contaminants and the base material from which they are removed.

Features of the manufacture of a sandblasting chamber

Like any business, the manufacture of a sandblasting chamber should begin with a project. To do this, it is enough to schematically depict the device on paper, indicating the dimensions, main components and mechanisms. Materials for the unit must be selected very durable, taking into account the specifics of its work. The configuration and dimensions of the working chamber are determined in accordance with the dimensions of the items that are supposed to be processed inside.

In addition, the chamber must also fit lighting. Experts recommend installing two lamps inside. Both should be located at the top of the camera in such a way as to illuminate the object of processing from two sides. An important element of the device is a gun with a nozzle through which a mixture of air and abrasive will flow. To rotate an object in the chamber, it is recommended to make one or two holes.

Glove cases are attached to them to protect the hands of the operator performing the cleaning. The design of these elements must be such that the gloves can be replaced if necessary. When in contact with an abrasive, these elements wear out quickly. Usually gloves are attached to long cuffs. A compressor is placed outside, which supplies air to the container with the abrasive, after which the flow enters the nozzle.

On one of the side walls should be done viewing window made of durable transparent plastic to observe the cleaning process. The bottom of the chamber is made of mesh or a sheet of perforated metal. A container is placed under the mesh to collect the used abrasive. Small sandblasting chambers are installed on a table or stand welded from a metal corner.