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My new employer is in the planning stages of getting into sandblasted signs. I suggested a walk in booth such as Chip Carter and Robert Beverly have set up.
Any help or suggestions appreciated....and pics are worth ten thousand words!
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I don't know what envirnmental restrictions your community maintains. Here we built a shed that has one end opened and we can blast outdoors if we want. A booth large enough to bring trucks and trailers in that is also set up to spray primer can be rented out so the blaster is paying the bills while you are not using it.
-------------------- The SignShop Mendocino, California
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6812 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Don, Hope you're not going to use silica sand in there. The whole building will be a hazardous waste dump condemmable by the health dept.
I'm in the process of finishing my indoor booth. Here's what I've been advised to so far.
First it should be used for HDU, stone, & glass only, no wood. This way you can use aluminum oxide with no health detrements and reuse it over and over.
Second, I'm going to line my walls with a rubber roof material. Its like a tire inner tube that comes in large rolls. I'm going to line 3 walls with the stuff. My back wall is steel so I see no need to protect it from a little bounce back.
Third, For blasting HDU you should have one light source, a nice powerful light up high in a corner. HDU is difficult to see depth through the hood, so you want one light source to cast a single shadow to see the depth. Multiple lights cast shadows in several directions and its harder to see your depth of blast.
Last, don't forget to have an adaquate vent to the outdoors. The amount of air you'll be adding to the room when that 70 psi air expands is incredible. At best it will blow alot of dust into the shop. Worst case it might blow the door or roof right off the room.
I could be telling you this in person, but for the sake of letting others see my comments, I'll post here.
Dave Sherby, is right about silica sand! When using it to blast, it takes to the air like dust particles, lingering around for everyone to breath. (insert skull and cross-bones here)
One of our local sandblasters is not permitted to blast in open air because of their business location. They have made a deal with another business owner, to use their property for blasting purposes. This would be an alternative to constructing a booth and would avoid any health hazzards for the other, rather passive employees. This would require the purchase or lease of a portable, diesel powered air compressor. This may not be cost effective, depending on the volume of sandblasted signs you produce.
I don't know, if your boss plans to apply for permits, to construct such a booth, (indoors or outdoors) but checking with the local building and zoning department could possibly put an end to your search and inquiry. Or stir up a can of worms!
Will he notify his insurance provider?
I'm not educated on this, but I have overheard conversations amongst my sandblasters, about plastic bead media. It is meant for indoor blasting and can be recovered and filtered to use again. It is expensive (compared to sand) but is supposed to pay for itself, over time and use. I am not aware if this plastic media is appropriate for blasting sign products, with positive results.
Sorry, I wasn't much help with constructing a booth, but hope I've given you some food for thought...
Good luck with your new job!
Cher.
-------------------- Co-Host: SANDCASTLE Panel Jam 'a Dixie Letterhead Reunion' Fort Myers, Florida
Cheryl Lucas a/k/a "Shag" on mIRC Vital Signs & Graphics, Etc. Cape Coral, Florida 239-574-4713 VSignsNgraphics@aol.com Posts: 987 | From: Cape Coral, FL USA | Registered: Aug 2000
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posted
I haven't heard about the effectiveness of bead blasting, but I know that aluminum oxide is a safe alternative for blasting indoors. It is also more expensive, about 5 to 10 times the cost of sand, but you can reuse it so much on HDU that it becomes half the price of sand. You just shovel the al. oxide & HDU dust back in the pot and keep blasting.
In fact, as you add HDU dust to the mix, it cuts the wear on your nozzle.
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Don, I just finished a booth to handle items 4x7 this weekend. It could easily be design for items up to maybe 6 by 12. I am pretty proud of its abilities, simplicity and low cost. It takes up very little room. It has been built after, researching and remodeling a smaller model that I have been using for 15 years. It is a walkin, but you blast from outside with no masks, sweat, or frets. I have been using a walkin that a friend allows me to use and it is very expensive, because of the extra equiptment that it requires. The I will try to post photos today when I get to the shop. Jack
-------------------- "Don't change horses in midstream, unless you spot one with longer legs" bronzeo oti Jack Davis 1410 Main St Joplin, MO 64801 www.imagemakerart.com jack@imagemakerart.com Posts: 1549 | From: Joplin, MO | Registered: Mar 2000
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