Sandblaster Troubleshooting

Sandblaster Troubleshooting, Tips and Tricks

Cyclone abrasive sandblasting cabinets are high quality and American made.  Considered by many to be the best abrasive cabinets available at budget friendly affordable prices.  Even with high quality construction and engineering, problems sometimes arise.  Therefore, we want to make sandblaster troubleshooting as easy as we can for you.  As a result, we put the most common support requests we have below.  As with any part of our site, please contact us if you are can’t find what you need.

Possible Cause:  Too much media

Overfilling the cabinet with media can cause the action of the sandblast system to unevenly blast.  Try to remove some media from the cabinet and try again.

Possible Cause:  Moisture Present in Airline

Moisture in the airline can decrease the airflow and if moisture meets media performance is extremely hindered.  If you detect or suspect moisture in your airline, it is easy to install a moisture separator inline to keep things dry.  We have many options available for helping with moisture in the airline.

Possible Cause:  Pickup Tube Covered

Specifically for siphon fed cabinets, the pickup tube in the bottom of the cabinet is critical.  If the top of the tube is covered with media, proper airflow in the sandblast system will suffer.  This leads to poor blast performance at the sandblast nozzle.

Possible Cause:  Too Much Air

Too much air is another possible cause.   Higher pressure does not equal better blasting.  Adjust the pressure in the system between 70-90 PSI and adjust as needed up or down to achieve desired results.  Too much air can cause the siphon process inside the sandblast gun to improperly operate.

Electric Shocks

Possible Cause: Static Electricity

Static electricity is generated by abrasive particles slamming together in the blast process. The effect will create a minor static shock to the operator when the arms touch the metal cabinet. While not dangerous, it is extremely annoying. This can be solved with a static electricity band part number 2003 available from Cyclone.

Another possible issue is environmental.  Lower humidity (dry) conditions in your environment may cause the issue as well.  While environmental condition may be out of your control, a static electricity strap can still be added as a possible resolution.

Most cabinets come with unlined rubber gloves.  Under most circumstances this is sufficient.  We do offer lined gloves that will prevent the electrical shocks from taking place.

Excessive Dust

Possible Cause:  Media and/or Media Breakdown

The abrasive blasting process is very dusty. Media eventually breaks down and dust and debris result from the impact of media against the part(s), especially rust and paint. The key is keeping the dust collector bag and filter clean, and frequently changing the broken down media in the cabinet.

Possible Cause:  Excess Media in Cabinet

There may be too much blast media in the cabinet.   Remove some media from the cabinet.

Possible Cause:  Dust Collector System Malfunctioning

Safely empty the dust collector and properly clean any wrap or cloth filters.  If proper maintenance is not resolving the issue, it may be necessary to replace the dust collector bags and filters.

Poor Blast Pattern

Probable Cause:

The sandblast nozzle controls the output and shape of the blast pattern.  Typically a cone shaped blast, a worn or damaged sandblast gun nozzle will cause issues with your blast pattern.  Many options exist for replacement nozzles such as hardened steel, ceramic or tungsten carbide.  We carry all options depending upon your needs, let us help you decide if you need help.

The orifice inside the sandblast gun creates the main siphon action in a siphon sandblasting cabinet.  The orifice can also become worn decreasing the “power” of the siphon.  Carefully open the gun and inspect the orifice

Sandblasting Tips & Tricks

We hope that your experience with a Cyclone abrasive sandblasting cabinet is always good.  If your experience is not good, we want to know.  Call or email us with any issues you are experience.  Below are some tips and tricks to keep you blasting longer.

Using blasting material too long will make performance weak and ineffective.

Using blast nozzles and orifices too long will make the blast ineffective. Failure to change nozzles and orifices within normal wear times can lead to damage to the blast gun which may lead to the need to purchase an entirely new blast gun.

Failing to clean dust collector filters often can shorten the life of the motor. The DC1500 has a cloth bag and a cartridge filter. The bag can be washed and reused and the cartridge filter can be blown off with an air gun.

Faulty maintenance practices may void the warranty.

Sandblaster Troubleshooting

If you still need help, please let us know!  Call us or email and we will help.