Sand trap

[Wired1]

Anyone bought one of those sand blasting cabinets you see on Trademe? I'm about to get my next project bike blasted and powder coated and I got to wondering how good the cabinets are. It wouldnl't fit the frame but I could do all the smaller items and maybe the swingarm in it. I'm also keen to strip my TT500 ending back to alloy on the next project and it's hard to explain to the guys at the sand blasting some times.
eg: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=163395702 or http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=163422217
I've also been told that you need a good size compressor to run one. I've got a 2.5HP compressor so I think that should do the trick.
So is it a waste of $300 or do you reckon you get your monies worth?

[rat biker 08]

Looks good for small parts.
Will you get a swingarm in it if so let us know :niceone:

[Wired1]

Yes I was thinking the same, if I could fit the swingarm in the little one it would be handy, maybe the tank too. It costs about $300 to get the frame, swingarm and all the little bits sand blasted and powdercoated so it's not quite a bargain if I had to buy the bigger one. Plus you have to paint them and buy the sand.
Maybe I'll look for a second hand one - anyone in the Nelson-Blenheim-West Coast area have one they wish they'd never bought?

[Motu]

I don't have one (I have a gravity fed blaster) but I've used cabinet media blasters.Good for small parts as mentioned - because they are slow.Imagine painting a tank with a pin striping brush,because that's what you are doing in reverse.Say about 10mm of area covered.

[vagrant]

I made one out of a kero gun to do my CBX frame. I cut the tube for the screw-on nozzle off and put the sand in the kero bowl.
I got a roll of garden polythene, and built a temporary booth in the corner of the garage. Framing was made from old pallets.
Sand came from Firth.
It worked great. Every couple of bowls full of sand I would just sweep the floor and restock the bucket.

Benefit is you can make it fit what ever project you are doing.

[BMW_RACER]

Ive used one like this before, no you wont fit a swing arm in there, they are quite small.

They are also tempremental, once the nozzle wears out they are sort of stop and go, and they are not very powerfull to start with.

[Wired1]

I dropped the frame plus 18 other frame parts including the rear guard, swingarm, triple clamps and lots of brackets etc. into the powdercoaters today. They reckon about $400 to do the lot in zincalume and exterior glossy black so I won't be buying one of these. I'll keep an eye out for one second hand, I reckon it's worth about $100 of usefulness to me!

[FROSTY]

I prefer to just use a dry media gun. much more versatile