Product Test: Blast Cabinets
The ideal way to blast away corrosion and paint in seconds: Gary Stretton puts five to the test
Gary Stretton tests the best bench-mounted blast cabinets to efficiently remove corrosion and paint
BEING ABLE to thoroughly remove corrosion and surface coatings from components makes maintenance and restoration more effective and rewarding. Prepping an item hidden beneath years of rust or poor paint in mere seconds will help transform the final results achieved, as what lies beneath is key to a lasting finish. Not everyone wants a floor-standing blast cabinet taking up valuable space unless it’s being used regularly, so benchmounted cabinets are the ideal alternative. For less than £200, a cabinet that should provide years of service and perform admirably could be the difference between smooth success or delays for your projects.
To feed air to a blast cabinet, a reliable compressor of capable output is required, so check the cfm and psi rating of any cabinet before you buy to avoid disappointment. Materials such as aluminium require lower pressure and softer blast media so the lowest rating might be as important to you as the highest for cast iron, for example. Many years of using blast cabinets have taught me that they all leak dust from their seams or lid/door seals in use. For this reason, I always wear a suitable face mask. A mouthful of dust is no fun so expect leaks and protect your lungs. That said, most pre-assembled cabinets are seam-sealed these days, saving you the task. Lid and door seals can be hit and miss so don’t be surprised if you resort to additional sealing. The trick for minimising the dust though is vacuum extraction, as this reduces air pressure from the blast gun inside the sealed cabinet, and takes away the pressurised dust, too. Cabinets with a vacuum extraction outlet are essential, in my opinion.
Being bench-mounted, you’ll want the cabinet to be at your optimum working height, so take some time to adjust its bench height to suit, using blocks of wood or similar if necessary.
Lastly and crucially is lighting. LED lights are the way forward as fluorescent tubes lose much of their output when the dust starts flying and settling.
Consider additional lighting both inside and outside the cabinet, as the internal light can create shadows on areas being worked on.
So there you have it: your introduction to one of the most undervalued and useful tools the serious enthusiast can own. You’ll soon wonder how you ever managed without one.