[horsewidower]

I thought I'd throw a general thread together for things I'm doing on the shop.

I'm going to go ahead and try and build a dirt cheap vapor blasting cabinet. I've been trying to find a cheap-to-me blasting cabinet to start the build, but after searching on Craigslist and other local for-sale ads, I've given up hope. I must have looked at over 9000 ads (yep the number of zeros is correct) and found all of two blasting cabinets. One was a broken down horrible freight that they wanted $100, and the other was a really too nice unit for what I'm contemplating, for $1,200. No bueno

I purchased a Street Rodder magazine, you really can't get far from your roots, and they had a coupon for a Harbor fraught unit for $139. So I guess I'll start there. I went and measured the working area, and it's a bit tighter than I wanted. I based that on trying to get a V6 block into the cabinet.

I've got to decide on using either the waste water pump or the old pool pump that I have on hand...probably that decision will be made by plugging them in and finding out if either still work. LOL

Anyhow, I'll get things together and give it a go. No it won't be pretty, expect a Rube Goldbergian contraption that just gets the job done.

Bob

 

[6alfas]

This guy built one for zero dollars using an old dishwasher:

 

[horsewidower]

This guy built one for zero dollars using an old dishwasher:

I saw that. Really neat. Now if I only had an old dishwasher.

 

[6alfas]

I saw that. Really neat. Now if I only had an old dishwasher.

Not the easiest thing to get rid of. I bet if you put an ad on craigslist or nextdoor looking for one, you would find 20.

 

[horsewidower]

Bought the horrible freight cabinet with the coupon. A buddy came up from the bay area to help put it together, he needs it for some motorcycle rebuilding. I can tell you that 4 hands are far better than two for this operation. We spent a bunch of time sealing everything with an excellent caulk, and this weekend I'll paint the inside white with flexseal.

 

[Vivace]

Anyhow, I'll get things together and give it a go. No it won't be pretty, expect a Rube Goldbergian contraption that just gets the job done.

Great idea. What kind of pump can handle the grit without grinding itself to a pulp?

 

[horsewidower]

Great idea. What kind of pump can handle the grit without grinding itself to a pulp?

I'll end up with a trash pump. You don't want one that grinds, as the grit would kill it in short order. Usually something with a composite pump section is best. Or, so I'm told.

 

[horsewidower]

There are no decent solvents, for cleaning parts, left in California. So, I've had to resort to an old standby. "Gas is for cleaning, alcohol is for drinking and Nitro is for racing"

Still works a treat. It just cleaning the gas smell off that's a bit of a trial. I recently put a set of V6 heads in a buddy's pro-parts cleaner, after two hours of soaking with 160* Ca-compliant cleaner, they still weren't what I was looking for.

Did it ever occur to the regulators that if they dumb down stuff to the point that it won't work that we'll go back to old high VOC solutions?

My rant for the day.

 

[Vivace]

I've been using "Oil Eater" water-based, and it's ok for most things. Or scrub like heck with Dawn and wire brushes and scuff pads. Or recently I tried some magnesium wheel cleaner for alum parts. I hate what most degreasers do to aluminum, while vapor blasting produces beautiful results.

Your title made me chuckle...remember this funny old Tom Waits song? "What's Bob BUILDING in there??"

 

[horsewidower]

I haven't really found anything that works wonders with baked on carbon. And I'm still looking for the right solution for aluminum. Something that provides luster...not shine. It's a subtle but, to me, different look.

 

[Alfa69GTV1750]

There are no decent solvents, for cleaning parts, left in California. So, I've had to resort to an old standby. "Gas is for cleaning, alcohol is for drinking and Nitro is for racing"


Did it ever occur to the regulators ......

That would require a sentient being......

 

[6alfas]

I haven't really found anything that works wonders with baked on carbon. And I'm still looking for the right solution for aluminum. Something that provides luster...not shine. It's a subtle but, to me, different look.

Have you ever tried this? Works unbelievably well on aluminum. 99 cents at the dollar store.

 

[Patillack1961]

Drat, just threw out an old D/W last week.

 

[horsewidower]

Have you ever tried this? Works unbelievably well on aluminum. 99 cents at the dollar store.

I use that and the orange version. Great stuff.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[180OUT]

You know, I'd think that buying Varsol in Nevada and smuggling it into Califa would be a cottage indusry by now. Just sayin' . . . .

 

[DPeterson3]

I haven't been able to find anything like Stoddard Solvent for several years, including in Nevada. So, I just buy "paint thinner" from Home Depot. Sometimes I'll spring for the "aromaless paint thinner", but it costs a bit more, and the aroma of mineral spirits doesn't really bother me. I suspect the aromaless paint thinner is..... stoddard solvent.

Varsol was the go-to decades ago.

Kerosene actually works ok for gunk-cleaning, but I prefer not to have that stink up my shop. I'll take a 5-gallon can out behind the shop for use with my spray-wand. The smell goes away pretty quickly out there.

 

[aguirola]

Amazingly Don, we can still get Varsol here. Of course no EPA...

Regards, Alberto

 

[180OUT]

Bob put new Varsol in his parts washer just in time for me to rebuild my Super's motor in his shop. Clean Varsol in a parts washer is gearhead nirvana!

 

[horsewidower]

Wow, $325 for 5 gallons. https://www.labsupplyoutlaws.com/chemicals-and-reagents/varsol-solvent.htm

Might have to stick to gas.

 

[aguirola]

Here it costs $7 X gallon. Too bad cannot send any.
I think it would be prudent to start sockpiling. Never know we may want to become EPA oriented. NOT

Regards, Alberto