To date, the stores have a huge selection of sandblasting machines with different functionality and cost. However, the whole problem is that reliable and high-quality foreign-made equipment is quite expensive, and their domestic and Chinese counterparts very quickly fail. Therefore, many people are interested in the question: "How to make sandblasting with your own hands at home?"
In practice, this is not a big deal. If you have everything you need, you can make a sandblasting machine yourself, and the entire manufacturing process will take only a few hours. The most important thing is to always adhere to certain instructions and safety precautions.
How does a sandblasting machine work?
If you are thinking about how to make sandblasting at home, then before you go directly to the matter, you must first turn to the theory and understand its principle of operation. By and large, it is quite simple. Air is passed through a special nozzle under high pressure, which captures
abrasive material with it.What is required for the manufacture of equipment?
In the process of manufacturing sandblasting, you will need the following components:
- high power compressor;
- a container of a special shape and an angle of inclination of the walls of 45 degrees, which will act as a reservoir for feeding abrasive material - a gas cylinder is best;
- reinforced rubber hose ;
- ball valves S 111;
- nozzle;
- two small pieces of steel pipe with a diameter of 5 centimeters;
- 5 meter long gas hose;
- fittings;
- collet clamps;
- adapters and plugs for pipes;
- fum tape.
All these components can be found in specialized stores, and their purchase will cost about 2000 rubles, but what about the nozzle? It can be ordered from the USA, however, when buying, you should pay great attention to the material from which it is made. An ideal option would be a carbide nozzle, since such a product has high operational characteristics. It can also be made independently from a spark plug. Not sure how to make a sandblasting nozzle out of a candle? Just dismantle the main part of the candle, and use the body as a nozzle.
Preparatory stage
First of all, you need to prepare all the components that are necessary for the manufacture of sandblasting. It is better to use a gas cylinder as a sand container, since it has high strength and is able to withstand high pressure. You can use cylinders both from freon and from propane, but in the second case, before starting preparation for installation, it is necessary to completely pump gas out of it to avoid possible ignition and explosion during welding operations. Compliance with safety regulations is one of the important aspects in the process of building a sandblast.
When the issue with capacity is resolved, purchase all other accessories and prepare the nozzle. If you already have everything you need at your fingertips, you can go to the next stage in answering the question of how to make a sandblast with your own hands.
The process of manufacturing a machine for sandblasting
Making a sandblasting machine is not a very complicated process, so if you have at least some technical skills, then there will not be any special problems. So, how do you sandblast yourself? All work is performed according to the following instructions:
- Two five-centimeter openings are made in the gas cylinder at the same level, one of which must be strictly in the center of the bottom, and the second at the crane site. A piece of pipe is welded to the upper hole, which will serve as the neck.
- A second section is welded to the second hole located at the bottom of the cylinder. It will serve as a drain for abrasive material. When performing welding, it is necessary to ensure that everything is very tight.
- When the welding work is completed, you can proceed with the installation of components. Cranes are installed on both outputs, for which a fum tape is used for greater tightness.
- Fittings are installed on the tee, onto which hoses are screwed.
On this, the bulk of the work comes to an end and you can proceed to the final stage.
Sandblasting assembly
The answer to the question of how to make sandblasting for candles comes to its logical conclusion, and you just have to assemble the device into a single whole. To do this, put a hose on the fitting with a diameter of 14 millimeters, located on the tank for abrasive material, and fix it with a clamp. A commercially available or homemade nozzle is inserted at the other end of the hose. So that it sits dead and does not fall out during operation, it is fixed with a collet clamp.
A simpler version of the device for sandblasting
Did you find the sandblasting method described above very difficult and troublesome? And you want to know how to make sandblasting at home easier? There is another option for manufacturing equipment with a simpler design, which is perfect for performing easy cleaning of various surfaces. To do this, you need a tee, a ball valve and a regular soda bottle.
How to make sandblasting from these improvised materials? First of all, you should bore the body of the spray gun so that it can be installed nozzle. Then, a handle and fittings are attached to it. That's the whole process of manufacturing a sandblasting machine of a simplified design, which takes no more than an hour of your time.
The disadvantage of this apparatus is that during its operation there is a very rapid wear of parts, therefore, with its frequent use, you will have to regularly replace them. Otherwise, as the nozzle diameter increases, the level of productivity and cleaning efficiency will significantly decrease. On average, such a device will be enough for about half an hour of work.
Types of sandblasting machines
So, you already have a detailed idea of how to make sandblasting yourself, so it's time to talk about what varieties of this equipment exist today. Not only functionality depends on the type of equipment, but also the scope, as well as design features. Today, the following varieties of sandblasting machines exist:
- Suction - have low productivity, so their main area of application is to perform cleaning work of small complexity.
- Vacuum - have a cyclic principle of operation and allow you to reuse abrasive material.
- Pneumatic - have high productivity and a long resource of work, therefore, they are used on an industrial scale to clean large areas or high-complexity pollution. If you are interested in how to make this type of sandblast yourself, then it’s worth saying right away that this idea is not the most reasonable. The thing is that this device is associated with very high power and high pressure, work with which can be life threatening.
In addition to the main classification, all sandblasting can be divided into two groups depending on the method of sand supply - pressure and injection. In the former, sand is supplied both to the apparatus and to the reservoir, and in the latter, only to the apparatus itself.
Advantages and disadvantages of homemade sandblasting
If we are already talking about how to make sandblasting at home, then we need to talk about the advantages and disadvantages that they possess. The main advantages include the following:
- simplicity of design and speed of assembly;
- low cost of production;
- Relatively good reliability and durability.
Nevertheless, there were some shortcomings, which should also be taken into account:
- Assembling the device yourself will not work if you do not have such experience;
- sandblasting, constructed from cheap materials, will last a very short time;
- when using a low-quality nozzle, the cleaning result will be appropriate;
- if during the assembly process any errors are made, the risk of injuries when working with the device significantly increases;
- home-made sandblasting machines significantly lose the factory ones in their reliability and functionality.
Considering all the advantages and disadvantages of this equipment, it is recommended that you carefully think over everything and make an informed decision before starting its production. In fact, there is nothing heavy. If you follow the instructions, then everything will work out.
General tips and tricks for working with sandblasting
When operating a
sandblasting machine, especially with home-made devices, it is very important to follow all safety precautions and safety rules. It is best to set aside a separate room for the operation of this equipment. In the process of sandblasting, it is mandatory to use face masks and other means of protection of various parts of the body and respiratory tract. In addition, your body should be completely covered with clothing.