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- May 16, 2016
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- 1,695
The great build continues.
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The Giant Binocular
- Thread starter savarin
- Start date
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2012
- Messages
- 4,116
Started sand blasting today, not an auspicious start, the see through shroud worked fine keeping the area clean but not much sand came out the gun and the compressor needed to re start every 10 seconds. Not so good.
I decided to remove the jet but it was deep inside the gun and the only tube spanner I had (shops closed) was too small.
I heated it up to glowing red and hammered it onto the jet to conform. It worked and the jet came out easily.
Once out I soldered the end up and re drilled it to 1.5mm (my smallest drill)
My reasoning was a smaller hole should give more speed to the air stream and allow longer blasting time.
Which it did, from 10 to 35 seconds but still not a lot of sand coming out.
So I made a new nozzle with a longer taper inside and a smaller hole.
everything back together on the backpack that holds the sand.
It works way better than before, steady stream of fast sand and it removes rust and paint.
BUT, 30 seconds at a time only, I need a better stronger compressor.
No idea where thats going to come from.
I decided to remove the jet but it was deep inside the gun and the only tube spanner I had (shops closed) was too small.
I heated it up to glowing red and hammered it onto the jet to conform. It worked and the jet came out easily.
Once out I soldered the end up and re drilled it to 1.5mm (my smallest drill)
My reasoning was a smaller hole should give more speed to the air stream and allow longer blasting time.
Which it did, from 10 to 35 seconds but still not a lot of sand coming out.
So I made a new nozzle with a longer taper inside and a smaller hole.
everything back together on the backpack that holds the sand.
It works way better than before, steady stream of fast sand and it removes rust and paint.
BUT, 30 seconds at a time only, I need a better stronger compressor.
No idea where thats going to come from.
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2014
- Messages
- 6,721
You don't necessarily need to replace your compressor, you can just add on another one or more. Having several small compressors is a good way to getting higher air flow volume without having to spend for one huge one. Also you can only turn on only as many as you need for the task at hand.
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2012
- Messages
- 4,116
hadnt thought of that, I will give it a go.
(edit)
How should they be linked? via a manifold?
Last edited:
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2014
- Messages
- 6,721
Yep a simple manifold made out of tees, I had a setup like this years ago, I put check valves between each compressors and the manifold so the air couldn't back up into the compressors that weren't running. Another advantage is you can have them on separate power circuits.
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- Jul 2, 2014
- Messages
- 7,594
You can also set them so the most efficient and/or most quiet one turns on first with lowering system pressure, not a bad thing...
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2012
- Messages
- 4,116
I raised the the cutoff on the compressor to 120psi.
Still not working that well.
The hose from the sand container was sealed in place but I heaved and heaved until I got it out.
AH HA! theres the problem, when they drilled the hole for the hose they left the plastic swarf inside and that got sucked and jammed into the end of the hose preventing the suction of sand.
The design of the carrier is such that the end is impossible to see or feel.
A quick test and I am now officially a happy little vegemite (obscure aussie reference)
It works fine, just need to link another to get a larger reservoir.
Still not working that well.
The hose from the sand container was sealed in place but I heaved and heaved until I got it out.
AH HA! theres the problem, when they drilled the hole for the hose they left the plastic swarf inside and that got sucked and jammed into the end of the hose preventing the suction of sand.
The design of the carrier is such that the end is impossible to see or feel.
A quick test and I am now officially a happy little vegemite (obscure aussie reference)
It works fine, just need to link another to get a larger reservoir.
- Joined
- May 9, 2014
- Messages
- 415
Vegemite isn't all that obscure, although I've never eaten the stuff. If I recall, there was some advertisement referring to kiddos that love the stuff as "happy little vegemites."
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2012
- Messages
- 4,116
Thats the reference, I wouldnt have thought an advert for the salty tar would have reached the USA it was quite a while ago.
Love the stuff myself but when I took a jar to West Virginia they absolutely hated it.
I made a quiche for a party and used "ramps", it tasted excellent and the locals also wouldnt leave it alone and kept asking what was in it.
I had been primed not to let on as some folk considered them to be nasty and never said a word until my sister-in-law told them it had ramps in it, most of them stopped eating my lovely quiche.
Love the stuff myself but when I took a jar to West Virginia they absolutely hated it.
I made a quiche for a party and used "ramps", it tasted excellent and the locals also wouldnt leave it alone and kept asking what was in it.
I had been primed not to let on as some folk considered them to be nasty and never said a word until my sister-in-law told them it had ramps in it, most of them stopped eating my lovely quiche.