What follows is the redneck/cheapster version of a sandblasting cabinet for small pieces of glass.
repurpose hubby's dusty, never used airbrush compressor (puts out about 40 psi)
purchase cheap "Air Eraser" mini-sandblaster gun from Harbor Freight.
purchase jar of 220 aluminum oxide grit from Harbor Freight
cut up an old plastic box from the garage to make a DIY sandblast cabinet
in the spirit of reduce/re-use/recycle, I found this empty plastic box in the garage.
using the trusty Dremel drill to cut armhole and a vent hole.
cut out a couple of "viewports" in the lid
insert a cheap (99 cents for 3 at Harbor Freight) dust mask into the vent hole to allow for air to escape box but not the dust.
cut up an old plastic box from the garage to make a DIY sandblast cabinet
in the spirit of reduce/re-use/recycle, I found this empty plastic box in the garage.
using the trusty Dremel drill to cut armhole and a vent hole.
cut out a couple of "viewports" in the lid
insert a cheap (99 cents for 3 at Harbor Freight) dust mask into the vent hole to allow for air to escape box but not the dust.
Redneck tip - the remainder of this process makes liberal use of ductape, the all purpose adhesive and "hidden treasures" AKA junky stuff that should have been thrown a
re-purpose some transparency film to cover the viewports on the lid (because who really uses transparencies anymore in this age of Powerpoint).
holey socks for the with the toes cut off for the handholes (I had no issues with "blasting my skin", this air compressor and grit gentle enough, even for a delicate flower like myself, to do with bare hands. The socks are just to provide a seal around the handholes to keep the dust inside)
and voila, a cheapo "sandblasting cabinet"
Air Eraser - $20
Aluminum Oxide - $7
household junk - $0
weekend entertainment value - PRICELESS
oh, yeah and it actually works. Later I'll post pictures of a glass stuff I actually tested this whole rig on. The finish is a beautiful, satiny etch!
re-purpose some transparency film to cover the viewports on the lid (because who really uses transparencies anymore in this age of Powerpoint).
holey socks for the with the toes cut off for the handholes (I had no issues with "blasting my skin", this air compressor and grit gentle enough, even for a delicate flower like myself, to do with bare hands. The socks are just to provide a seal around the handholes to keep the dust inside)
and voila, a cheapo "sandblasting cabinet"
Air Eraser - $20
Aluminum Oxide - $7
household junk - $0
weekend entertainment value - PRICELESS
oh, yeah and it actually works. Later I'll post pictures of a glass stuff I actually tested this whole rig on. The finish is a beautiful, satiny etch!