Discussion DIY Wet Blaster

The dimensions on mine are 30mm long x 20mm x 8mm hole..
If yours are the same, when my 4mm arrives you can have my 8mm
Just need to get some finer glass beads now... I can get 25kg at Sydney tools for $128 or $77 delivered through eBay... hmmmm might go with eBay as I dont need it in a hurry

 

I didnt do anything with the wet blaster today apart from getting a container for my new media.. a 35kg capacity barrel with lid from Bunnings...
I now have my 12 volt power supply for the lights as well as hoping it will run a Marine in-line blower to remove the mist etc inside.. I just need to make up the connections for it and re-do all the low power wiring.

The difference in the media I have been using and what I will use next is massive... as the pictures show.

This is the old stuff that I used for bead blasting..


This is the new stuff... 100 to 150 Um (microns) and is more like a powder so should forma a better slurry.

 

About that pressure... I need to change the gauge on the blaster..I have my main regulator set at 80 psi and use the one on the blaster to keep it lower..
I couldnt find anywhere in Sydney that sold the Potters range but the new stuff I bought sits in the AE range so I will see how it goes.
Also my nozzle size is a bit big.. I have a smaller one coming from China but based on previous stuff coming... it could take a while.
The course stuff worked up to a point but it had to be a low percentage to stay in suspension and it made it more difficult to start the pump after it had sat for a few days... I am going to lift the pump off the bottom of the barrel by about 50mm to keep the intake below any settling of the media... that way the pump starts easier and I should get better agitation.
I am not doing anything today though.. it is already 35 here with a hot westerly so the 44 to 45 they predicted means I stay in the Air Con inside for the day or at least till later on if the Southerly turns up...lol

 

Update time...
Re-wired it all to accomodate a main isolation switch and 12 volt power supply that will run LED light bars and a Bilge fan to try and pull some of the vapour out when blasting.
I also swapped out the course media. My smaller ID blast nozzle insert hasnt arrived yet... 60 plus days so far... must be coming on a Slow Boat from China..
All the electrics work.. I still need to try and get all the vent line to 76mm so there is less restriction but it is working up to a point.
I have a seperate switch controlling the vent fan as the 12 volt power supply is powered up as soon as the main isolator is turned on.. the lights are not switched but run straight off the power supply.
Hard to tell from the pics but the lights definitely are a big improvement, I have 2 more on the way and that should be all I will need.
I also have an inline check valve coming for the air line... stops water / slurry going back down the airline (not good for the regulator or air control valve).

So, how does it work now.. well I only gave it a very short run to test it before another massive storm blew in... the inside of the sprocket cover took all of a minute... I spent a little more time on the outside but it has a few layers of paint and is pretty knocked around so it will take a bit of experimenting with air pressure to get the best result I think..

main electrical box with Isolator on the front. the foot pedal is sitting up on top of the electrical box. Vent line in the background... a bit convoluted but is working for now.


This is inside with the lights off... it looks quite bright but the phone camera compensates so it is hard to tell.

This is with the lights on... I should repaint the inside... hmmm maybe bright white!!


This is what you end up looking through though with lights off... I will buy some Plexiglass to replace this.. it is a lot tougher than perspex.


This is basically the same picture but with the lights on... quite a difference.


This is the bilge fan.... 130 cfm


The outside of the Honda Sprocket cover.


A small section of the inside of the same cover. I will degrease the rest of it before I do any more on it.. .

Overall I am happy with how it is working.. I think it will work better with the smaller nozzle.. when it eventually arrives.
EBay is now suggesting the 22nd January... lol

 

Geez... that video is impressive.

I managed to get a bit of wet blasting done today... still playing with it to find the best method and air settings etc. That will probably change when my smaller diameter nozzle arrives.
I found the distance from the pice you are blasting makes a difference too... too close and you get little effect.. again, that will most likely change with the new nozzle.
A few pics from today.... the switch blocks show just what a great job this thing does... from crusty and manky to almost like new (I need to paint in the L & R on the blinkers now).
I didnt get a before shot on this switch block so this one is actually in better shape than the one I blasted.. but is the wrong one for the bike...but it give an idea of how they were before.


This is the LH Switch block after blasting.


It has now been dried out and Dielectric grease applied to protect it.
This is the underside of the RH side switch clock... I have a reco'd upper section so that didnt need any work.


Finished item...




And last ones are the top Triple clamp that was done with the older course media... I did half of it again just to see the difference... the fine media finish is on the right...

 

Woohoo, my smaller nozzle size arrived today.
Too late to do anything now though.
My extra lights and inline check valve turned up as well so I might do all that in the morning and then have a play to see how it all works.
The difference is quite a bit on the nozzle.



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