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Sandblasting Equipment USA

Sandblasting Equipment

Sandblasting equipment is pretty straightforward.  Sometimes the names can be confusing though.  If you call it by another name like media blaster equipment or bead blaster equipment, don’t worry.  You are in the right place.  Read this article for why these names exist.  For this post, we will simply discuss the sandblasting equipment typically found when sandblasting.

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Sandblasting Equipment – Blast Cabinet Components

Sandblast Cabinets

Cabinet Construction

A sandblast cabinet is basically a box with short or long legs.  It is often made from steel or polyethylene.  The material must be durable because it will face direct blasting from the sandblasting gun.  A blast cabinet is useful if you prefer to work inside.  Another reason for using a cabinet is that your abrasive media is contained inside the cabinet.  Other methods, as we will see, put the abrasive media is not well contained during use.

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Shown:  Cyclone Model 4040 sandblaster cabinet.  Welded steel construction.  NO LEAKS


Sandblast View Window

Standing in front of the blast cabinet and looking in, you are using an important piece of sandblast equipment.  The view window separates you from the abrasive blast stream.  Therefore the sandblast window is both functional and performs a safety duty.  A good blast cabinet view window uses a protective material on the inside of the window.  Because of this material the view window is better protected from the blast stream.  As a result the view window will last much longer than without this material.  All Cyclone sandblasting cabinets include view window protective shields.

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Shown:  Sandblast view window protectors adhere inside and help protect the window.


Sandblast Guns

When it comes to sandblasting equipment, one of the most important pieces is the sandblast gun.  Without this component, no work is done.

As stated, the sandblast gun is critical.  As far as sandblasting equipment goes it is also very flexible in design and use.  Shown below are common versions of sandblast guns.

Trigger vs. Pedal Operated

A trigger operated sandblast gun is an easy to use and control version.  Trigger guns typically have a small or large trigger.  The size of the trigger is a comfort factor.  The user holds the trigger down and releases the flow of abrasive.  Holding the trigger down for an extended time tires the hand.  Therefore, a user who works with a sandblaster all day may want a different type of control.  With a foot pedal setup the user simply holds the sandblast gun and presses the pedal down to begin blasting.  Cyclone sandblasters come configured with trigger operated or foot pedal operated sandblasting guns depending on the model.  A foot pedal can be added to any of our trigger operated sandblasting cabinets.

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Shown:  Trigger Operated Sandblast Gun
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Pictured:  Foot Pedal Controlled Sandblaster Gun
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Shown:  Foot Pedal Control & Hose

Sandblast Hose

Another critical piece of sandblasting equipment is the sandblast hose.  Really, there are two types of hose involved in sandblasting:  air supply and sandblast.  Air supply hose is simple.  It supplies air from an air compressor to the sandblaster.  Without air the system is useless.

Here we focus on sandblast hose.  Sandblast equipment has to be tough and sandblast hose is.  It has to withstand the constant flow of abrasive media.  The sandblast hose connects the abrasive media supply to the sandblast gun. Cyclone provides various types and length of sandblasting hose.

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Pictured:  Pressure sandblasting hose.  

Sandblasting Equipment – Blast Nozzles

An often overlooked piece of sandblasting equipment is the nozzle.  The sandblast nozzle is a part of the sandblasting gun.  It is the last piece of sandblasting equipment the abrasive media touches before it hits the parts being blasted.  Nozzles are typically classified by the material they are made from and size of the hole in the nozzle also known as the bore.  Nozzle shape is also a factor but one we ignore for now.

The bore of a sandblast nozzle is important too.  Typically measured inches, the larger the hole the more air is required to propel abrasive media.  Again, the larger the hole in the nozzle, the more air is required to propel the abrasive media at a given pressure.  Our chart is helpful when discussing this.  And of course Cyclone customer service can answer any questions you may have.


Cyclone Sandblast Nozzle Ceramic 14 CFM
Cyclone Sandblast Nozzle Ceramic 14 CFM
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We often are asked how long nozzles will last.  And the unpopular but true answer is “It depends on a few things.”  The reason it depends is more apparent after explaining why.  It depends on what abrasive media you use, how much you use the sandblaster, and the material used to construct the nozzle. Shown below are typical materials used to construct sandblast nozzles.

Nozzle Material

When comparing nozzle material we will make it general.  In other words we temporarily ignore the complexity of use time and abrasive media used.  Steel nozzles are inexpensive and have the shortest life.  Ceramic nozzles have a longer life because ceramic is harder and stands up better than steel.  Finally we have tungsten carbide, an extremely hard metal with a Mohs scale measure of 9 which is almost as hard as a diamond.


Sandblast Gloves

Sandblast gloves are not very exciting but are a must when using a sandblaster.  They offer the user’s hands protection during the blasting process.  When considering sandblasting equipment gloves are critical.  A few factors with sandblasting gloves are material, length, and lining.  Most sandblast gloves are rubber or neoprene.  Both are tough and work well to protect the hands during blasting.

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Length

Glove length is important because when you are using the blaster, say in a cabinet, your reach into the cabinet is going to be as long as the gloves.  So if your sandblast cabinet is 36″ deep (front to back) but your gloves are only 18″, you won’t be able to reach to the back of the cabinet.  Cyclone offers 18″ and 24″ gloves and we match that length to the cabinet so that you can comfortably reach inside the cabinet.  And speaking of comfort lets talk about lining.

Lining

Lined gloves are slightly more comfortable than unlined gloves.  More importantly, however, lined gloves can help reduce static shocks during blasting.  During blasting, the abrasive media inside the cabinet can produce amazing amounts of static electricity for some users.  A static band can also help reduce static shocks.


Sandblasting Equipment – All the Rest

Like any type of hardware, sandblasting equipment comes in a variety of sizes, shapes and uses.  In this article we focus most of our time on abrasive blasting cabinets and components.  We missed mobile blasting solutions and pressure blasters (pressure pot blasters).  These are popular sandblasting equipment as well, but we review them in another discussion.

In closing, Cyclone offers amazing deals and affordable sandblasting equipment.  Much of the equipment on the internet is needlessly expensive.  We provide excellent customer service and will help you make an informed decision that is budget friendly.

Choose Cyclone Sandblasting Equipment.  Shop our catalog of media blasters, abrasive media, dust collectors, or parts.