Homemade sandblast: drawings. How to make a sandblaster yourself

Sandblasting is a universal device that is used in industrial and domestic conditions. With it, you can clean the surface from a layer of old coating, dirt, corrosion marks.

You can become a possessor of such a device useful in the economy in several ways. The first is to buy a ready-made version in the store. This is the simplest way. Its only negative is the high cost. The second way is to collect sandblast with your own hands. This will require investment of certain efforts, but in terms of material costs, this method is much more economical.

Principle of operation of the device

To understand how to make a sandblasting machine with your own hands, you need to know the principle of its work. It is similar to the work of a spray gun used to spray paint (and other paintwork).

The main element of the installation is the compressor. He pumps the air, creating the right pressure in all the highways. Passing through the installation, air creates a vacuum. Due to this, the abrasive material (sand) is mixed with air and enters the main line. From there the flow passes to the nozzle, through which it comes out. An air flow with sand is generated at the outlet, which moves under high pressure. It is it that is sent to the surface to be treated.

The scheme of the sandblasting machine is shown in the figure.

Basic elements of the installation

Homemade sandblast consists of the following parts:

• compressor;

• Electric cable for connection to the electrical network;

• Hoses of a certain diameter;

• Connection for connecting elements;

• Cranes;

• Batchers.

Nozzle

Another important element is the nozzle, without which the device will not be able to perform its functions. The nozzle for the sandblasting machine at the enterprise is made of steel and coated with boron or tungsten compounds. This gives the parts wear resistance. Less common for production are conventional steel, ceramic or cast iron. But such elements are quickly destroyed under the influence of a stream with abrasive material.

At home, the nozzle for a sandblaster can be turned on a lathe made of steel, using old spark plugs as a material. To do this, remove the metal electrode that is inside the candle. True, this mechanism is characterized by a short period of operation, because it quickly wears out. But its cost is very low.

Types of devices

The device described above is typical for suction sandblasting equipment. But this is not the only version of the device. There are only 3 types of sandblasters:

• Suction. This option is easiest to make at home. It is suitable for cleaning surfaces at an easy stage. This variant differs in that the air takes the sand out of the container and feeds it in the form of a stream.

• Vacuum. This type of equipment operates in a cyclic mode. This means that the abrasive material is thrown to the surface through the nozzle, and then sucked back into the chamber for reuse.

• Pneumatic. Apply this type of equipment to work on large areas or in difficult-to-clean places. Homemade sandblasters of this type are dangerous devices in terms of safety. Therefore, it is not recommended to collect it. This is due to the high pressure in the system and high power.

The device for supplying abrasive material can receive air or water. The first option is more common, since its design is simpler.

Abrasive material feed

The abrasive can be fed in two different ways, depending on which the sandblasting machines are divided into injection and pressure blasting machines.

Pressure units are characterized by high productivity and intensity of work. In them, air enters simultaneously into the apparatus itself and into a container of sand.

Injection method of feeding sand differs low pressure, so it is used when they collect sandblast with their own hands. In this case, air and abrasive material move along different routes.

What can I build myself

The manufacture of devices at home involves the use of materials that can easily be found in your garage. In addition, simple designs are used that work efficiently. Given this, you can follow a simple scheme, without any drawings.

As a container for the abrasive material (receiver), where you should fill the sand, you can use a gas cylinder. The hole for filling the cylinder is located on top. Air under pressure will flow into the receiver through a nozzle mounted at the top of the cylinder and, together with the sand, exit through the outlet hose located below.

Materials for the manufacture of apparatus

The drawings of the sandblasting machine make it clear which parts are necessary for its manufacture and in what sequence they are to be joined. One such drawing is shown in the figure below.

The need to purchase a compressor, which is the main element of the device, was discussed above. Its capacity should be at least 800 liters. He needs an oil separator, so that sand does not get wet.

In addition to the compressor, a capacitance is required to accommodate the abrasive material. Very often a gas cylinder with a capacity of 50 liters is used for this. Its design allows you to withstand high pressure inside and mechanical damage from the outside.

A filter for running water is useful, in which it is possible to replace the filler. Instead of the filter element, the silica gel in the beads will be poured into the flask (it can be bought at a pet store). A filter is needed to dry the air before it is fed into the receiver.

The duration of continuous operation largely depends on the selected nozzle. Inexpensive variants (from cast iron or ceramics) are designed for several hours of work. In some cases, they stand only a few tens of minutes. Therefore, it is better to give preference to parts made of boron carbide or tungsten carbide and capable of withstanding hundreds of hours of intensive work.

In addition, to assemble the device you will need the following details:

• Oxygen hose for air supply (length 5 m and inner diameter 10 mm);

• The hose is reinforced (2 m long and 2 m inside diameter);

• Fittings to hoses for connecting separate parts of the device with a rubber hose into a single system;

• Collet clamp;

• Ball valve in brass (2 pcs.).

• A pipe with a thread and a plug (a neck will be made of it);

• Piece of pipe with the same diameter and three barrels;

• Sealant for joints (fumelent).

When all the parts are assembled, you can start assembling the sandblaster.

Stages of assembly

Homemade sandblast is assembled in the following sequence:

• Preparation of the cylinder. If you bought a used cylinder, it must be freed from gas. To do this, the valve is completely twisted. The entire container is filled with water, which will displace the remaining gas. After that, the work with the balloon will be safe. Instead of the neck, we screw a branch pipe with a ball valve. A tee is screwed into it from above, into which two chutes are inserted.

• Supports are welded from 3-4 pieces of reinforcement from the top side of the cylinder. Their length should be sufficient so that the tap does not touch the ground.

• In the middle of the bottom of the cylinder is made a hole where the tee is welded. One tap is required for the plug. The second one is for the air supply hose (a tubular extension is welded). All joints are recommended to be welded in order to ensure tightness. You can connect the thread, but then necessarily use a sealant.

• A pipe filter is attached to the tubular extension. To the tee - the hose, which the second end will connect with the nozzle at the bottom of the cylinder (near the poles). Connections are fixed with clamps. A ball valve is placed at the inlet of the filter. To it the fitting through which the hose going from the compressor will be fixed is fixed.

• The gun is assembled from the nozzle, which is connected through a piece of hose with a ball valve. The other end of the faucet is connected to a metal tube (about 30 cm).

At this stage, homemade sandblast is ready. On the sides of the receiver you can weld the handles. Due to this it will be easier to carry.