Well, having had my tools stolen last week, I'm having to rethink how I spend my time until I have replaced them. So, today, I set about something that I have been planning for a for a while.
It comes from being reluctant to buy a blast cabinet. I don't think you get much for your money. My idea was to build one that is rough and ready, and to make my mistakes without incurring any cost, and then build something bigger and better.
So, take one of these -
Turn it on its back and add a dummy floor that slopes to a central channel, and seal all seams with silicone.
Cut a viewing hole in the grill, and fit a perspex screen and seal with silicone.
Make a tray to sit in the bottom.
Put it in place and feel pleased with yourself.
Play around and then make two arm holes.
Take an old piece of ply that is sitting in the garage and cut two more holes.
Staple your gloves to the piece of wood.
Screw the piece of wood to the cabinet so that the cuffs of the gloves act as a gasket.
I forgot to record that I had a piece of thick perspex that I siliconed into the door (sitting on the grill with the viewing panel).
I need to decide how I get the pipe to the gun into the cabinet whilst keeping it air tight.
Tomorrow, I shall install a light, a sealable "drain" in the bottom, and also add some mild steel sheet in the areas of the wood that are most likely to get blasted. A filtered exhaust will also be added.........made from a 13/60 air box.
Already, I can tell that the arm holes are in the wrong place, but it should be good enough to clean-up some suspension parts and to stop me sulking about my tools.
Once I've worked out all the areas for improvement. I shall build Mk II that will be big enough to take wire wheels and a rear spring.
Total outlay........zero.