Today, the stores offer a huge selection of sandblasters with different functionality and cost. However, the whole problem lies in the fact that reliable and high-quality foreign-made equipment is quite expensive, and their domestic and Chinese counterparts fail very quickly. Therefore, many people are interested in the question: “How to make sandblasting with your own hands at home?”
In practice, this is not difficult. 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 follow certain instructions and safety precautions.
How does a sandblaster work?
If you are thinking about how to make sandblasting at home, then before proceeding directly to the point, you must first turn to theory and understand its principle of operation. By and large, it is quite simple. Air is passed through a special nozzle under high pressure, whichtakes abrasive material with it.
What do you need to make equipment?
In the process of making sandblasting, you will need the following components:
- large capacity compressor;
- a specially shaped container with a 45 degree wall angle, which will act as a reservoir for supplying 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;
- gas hose 5 meters long;
- fittings;
- collet clamps;
- adapters and plugs for pipes;
- foom 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, but 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 performance characteristics. You can also make it yourself from a spark plug. Don't know 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
The first step is to prepare all the components that are necessary for the manufacture of sandblasting. It is better to use a gas cylinder as a container for sand, becauseit has high strength and is able to withstand great pressure. You can use both freon and propane cylinders, however, in the second case, before starting its preparation for installation, it is necessary to completely pump out the gas from it in order to avoid possible ignition and explosion during welding. Compliance with safety regulations is one of the important aspects in the construction process of sandblasting.
When the capacity issue is resolved, purchase all the other components and prepare the nozzle. If you already have everything you need at hand, then you can proceed to the next stage of answering the question of how to do sandblasting with your own hands.
Sandblaster manufacturing process
Making a sandblaster is not a very difficult process, so if you have at least some technical skills, then there will be no special problems. So, how to make sandblasting yourself? All work is carried out according to the following instructions:
- Two five-centimeter holes are made in the gas cylinder at the same level, one of which should be located strictly in the center of the bottom, and the second - in place of the tap. A piece of pipe is welded to the upper hole, which will act as a neck.
- The second segment is welded to the second hole located at the bottom of the cylinder. It will serve as a drain for the abrasive material. When performing welding work, make sure that everything is very tight.
- When the welding work is completed, you can proceed with the installation of components. Both outputs are installedtaps, for greater tightness of which fum-tape is used.
- The fittings are installed on the tee, on which the hoses are screwed.
This is where the main part of the work comes to an end and you can proceed to the final stage.
Sandblaster assembly
The answer to the question of how to make a sandblast for candles is coming to its logical conclusion, and you will only have to assemble the device into a single whole. To do this, it is necessary to put a hose on a fitting with a diameter of 14 millimeters located on the tank for abrasive material and fix it with a clamp. A purchased or homemade nozzle is inserted into the other end of the hose. So that it sits dead and does not fall out during work, it is fixed with a collet clamp.
A simpler version of the sandblaster
Did you find the method of making sandblasting described above very complicated and troublesome? And you want to know how to make sandblasting at home easier? There is another option for making equipment with a simpler design, which is great for light cleaning of various surfaces. To do this, you will need a tee, a ball valve and a regular soda bottle.
How to make sandblasting from these improvised materials? The first step is to bore the body of the spray gun in such a way that a nozzle can be installed in it. Then, a handle and fittings are attached to it. Here is actuallythe whole process of making a simplified sandblasting machine, which will take no more than an hour of your time.
The disadvantage of such a device is that during its operation there is a very rapid wear of parts, therefore, with frequent use, they will have to be replaced regularly. Otherwise, as the nozzle diameter increases, the performance level and cleaning efficiency will decrease significantly. On average, such a device will be enough for about half an hour of work.
Types of sandblasters
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, but also the scope, as well as design features depend on the type of equipment. Today, there are the following types of sandblasters:
- Suction - have low productivity, so their main scope is to perform cleaning work of little complexity.
- Vacuum - have a cyclical principle of operation and allow you to reuse abrasive material.
- Pneumatic - have high performance and a long service life, therefore they are used on an industrial scale to clean large areas or pollution of increased complexity. If you are interested in how to make this type of sandblasting yourself, thenIt’s worth saying right away that this idea is not the most reasonable. The thing is that this apparatus is associated with very high power and high pressure, which can be life-threatening to work with.
In addition to the main classification, all sandblasts can be divided into two groups depending on the method of sand supply - pressure and injection. In the first, sand is supplied both to the apparatus and to the tank, and in the second, only to the apparatus itself.
Advantages and disadvantages of homemade sandblasters
If we are already talking about how to make sandblasting at home, then we need to talk about the advantages and disadvantages that they have. The main advantages are the following:
- easy design and fast assembly;
- cheap production;
- relatively good reliability and durability.
Nevertheless, there were some drawbacks that should also be taken into account:
- it will not work to assemble the device yourself if you do not have such work experience;
- sandblasts constructed from cheap materials will last a very short time;
- when using a low quality nozzle, the cleaning result will be consistent;
- if any mistakes are made during the assembly process, the risk of injury when working with the device increases significantly;
- home-made sandblasters are significantly inferior to factory-made ones in terms of their reliability and functionality.
Given all the advantages and disadvantages of this equipment, before starting its manufacture, it is recommended to think carefully about everything and make an informed decision. In fact, there is nothing difficult. If you follow the instructions, then everything will work out.
General tips and tricks for sandblasting
When operating a sandblaster, especially homemade devices, it is very important to follow all precautions and safety rules. It is best to allocate a separate room for the operation of this equipment. During the sandblasting process, it is mandatory to use face masks and other protective equipment for various parts of the body and respiratory tract. In addition, your body must be completely covered with clothing.
