DIY Vapor Blasting Cabinet with Pressure Washer

[@jasons4745]

Great idea, please do another follow up video and how did you go with different media, for a weekend warrior this saves a lot of money with the need for a big air compressor

[@HTMR]

I actually tried this concept last summer. I moved and did not have 220v to run my compressor in my garage. I used my gas pressure washer. It did not work as good as air since the gun was not optimized. I also hooked it up to a water source and it adds 1-2gpm to the system which is not ideal. My basin fills up fast, and water would have to be purged every few minutes. I wouldn't feel comfortable with filtering water from slurry source, especially when you end up running finer media. I plan to revisit the concept soon with a better gun design.

[@WorkshopRebuild]

Hi there, it's nice to know you tried this out as well! The gun is different from a standard vapor blasting machine that uses air, and therefore it must be custom made to suit a pressure washer with the correct valve. The amount of pressurized water in this system does not change the cleaning effect, the abrasive material does. This system could be improved to accept different types of material with a "quick-change-system" and when using finer media, one must use a finer filter material. There are many synthetic filters out there that will work just fine, but I will make sure to follow-up on this topic. Thanks for watching and leaving an insightful comment! Regards Andreas

[@ACEGAMER120]

Well today I learned that not all houses have 220V running to them. I'm guessing this is an older home you moved into?

[@HTMR]

@@WorkshopRebuild I installed a 50amp outlet: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3aomHitq5mMr80 Also, here are my thoughts on pressure washer vapor blaster: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpeVhpppiJJgoas

[@ToddTATP]

Looks very interesting! Please keep us updated with your project revisions. I'm sure there are tweaks to come. By the way, I was involved in using high pressure water and an injector to draw in media over 30 years ago. A PhD hydraulic engineer told me that the media being drawn into the water stream picks up 1/3 of the pressure. So, a 1500psi pressure washer will result in media hitting the object being cleaned at an effective 500psi. We were using 10,000psi at 8gpm but for the same horsepower, we could have done more at 15,000psi at 2gpm. In this type system, pressure is more important than flow.

[@cryoine7194]

would it be the same pressure drop seeing as he has a different pump feeding in the media? from your explanation it sounds more like a system that is drawing media into the high velocity stream and using that drop in pressure to pull the media in and accelerate it

[@MrInnovativeEnergy]

80-100 mesh glass is going to look really good!

[@WorkshopRebuild]

I agree with you! This crushed glass was used in order to prep the surface for Cerakote

[@Boogz-gd3lo]

I would also like to see a follow-up video with different media and upgrades

[@7un05]

Are you going to make your follow up video? Im keen to see how you made your custom blasting gun! Well done mate 👏🏽

[@WorkshopRebuild]

Hi there, yes I would like to make a follow up video about this machine. I‘m nor exactly sure when I‘ll get to it, but hopefully sooner than later! Thanks for letting me know, I‘ll be sure to talk about the gun and the upgrades I have made so far. Thanks for tuning in 😊👍🏽 Regards Andreas

[@mischahoeper4577]

I'm super curious about this project. I recently built the traditional style vapor blaster using compressed air. Using a pressure washer to propel the slurry is a great idea though. I'm curious if a pressure washer is a bit overkill being that you generally limit the air pressure to around 60psi on a traditional setup. I did some Google searching and it looks like you can buy water pumps in all sorts of pressure ratings including 60psi. I'll be on the lookout for an update when you try out a finer media!

[@marceltoms]

Would love to see more videos on this machine. How to and more👍👍

[@WorkshopRebuild]

Thank you for your feedback. I'll keep this in mind for an update video. Regards Andreas

[@savage6394]

This video popped up in my feed and I’m happy it did! I wish you would have went into more detail about the homemade trigger. I’m very interested in seeing how you did that. Plus, maybe by showing it one of the viewers could suggest ways on making it better. Great idea. I cannot wait for the next version

[@WorkshopRebuild]

Hi there! Thanks for tuning in to watch this video and leaving a positive comment! I didn't go into too much detail in this video, because I just wanted to put this concept out there. I haven't seen a setup like this before and wanted to see if it would work and I just made a video around it. I have since made some upgrades and I will share an update video about this machine in the near future. It would be a great idea to make this project accessible for anyone that wants to build this for themselves (with plans, parts list etc.). Regards Andreas

[@akumabito2008]

@@WorkshopRebuild I really like this concept! It seems like a great alternative to sandblasting. I'd be very interested in a Part 2 with more tech details. Subbed just for that :)

[@Mr10usdad]

Great video! I cannot wait for the next video. @@WorkshopRebuild

[@pospouris]

Thank you sir. This is a perfect execution of a brilliant idea. Thank you for sharing. I will attempt to make a similar machine. Do you have any suggestions for improvements?

[@johnclamshellsp1969]

Absolutely great solution to not having to purchase a air compressor. One can buy those small power washers just about anywhere. 60107 USA says hi.

[@WorkshopRebuild]

I appreciate it, John! I will try to make an update video on this and publish as much infromation as I can about this system. Regards Andreas

[@johnclamshellsp1969]

@@WorkshopRebuild Absolutely. I even see portable solutions in making a unit gas powered for field service crews to clean parts at minimum expense, and non toxic too!

[@FongVibez-xz6ud]

Great video. What the pump specs and how you mod the gun to work with the pressure washer.

[@shafferjoe1962]

What a great idea. You could build a second tank that would filter the water and recycle it and not have to use fresh water.

[@WorkshopRebuild]

Thanks a lot, Joe! I agree with you. Many filtering compartments on machines use a type of overflow system to capture their desired liquid (oil, coolant, water etc.) The main goal is two capture two different types of fluid: 1: Water & Media for blasting 2: Fresh water for the pressure side With this in mind, any type of system that can separate this will work just fine. I will try and share an update video on this topic sometime soon👍🏽 Regards Andreas

[@brianbak6405]

Hi, I am also working on a project similar to your setup. I would like to know if you have completely abandoned it and switched to compressed air instead of a pressure washer. Have you continued working on your idea? I have also made a filtration system and am about 80% finished. The pressure washer I use is 110 bar! Do you think that's enough to be effective? I would love to hear more about your solution and whether it is still working.

[@luckystrike240]

Any updates? Interesting take on the wet blasting setup, very interested to hear of further iterations of the project.

[@WorkshopRebuild]

Hi Dan, thanks for tuning in to watch this video! I have made some small upgrades behind the scenes and the machine is working well. I have since used it to vapor blast all BMW motorcycle engine parts and it did an excellent job. I will take some time to share an update video about this system, but I can't tell you exactly when. If you have any questions about this system I can include the answers in that video. Thanks again! Regards Andreas

[@jmvwindscreesjmv655]

@@WorkshopRebuild can you give a full brake down and build vid please please please 😂

[@axisvaporhoningindustries4312]

Glass beads preferably no 13 or 170 to 325 is what you want. However the pressure washer is to high of a pressure and will destroy the media as well if any media gets into the pump of the pressure washer it will be destroyed

[@WorkshopRebuild]

Hello there! Thank you for your suggestion about the glass bead. I think that would give these parts an awesome finish and a neat shine to them! Using a smaller bead would mean I need to change out my filtration system for a finer material. I am planning on upgrading the filtration system so I have 3 levels of "security" before the water is clean enough for the pressure washer. I really wouldn't want the media to chew up the inside of my pressure washer haha.

[@axisvaporhoningindustries4312]

@@WorkshopRebuild First rule of filtratration is gravity

[@wogelkrafts]

Looks good for a proof of concept! :) , have you thought about adding additional compressed air to furthermore increase the efficiency? 💥

[@bryanannas]

No video but I did this with a pressure washer. Only difference is that I use Venturi effect with dry media. I dry and recycle the media. No pump needed. Works great but if I could eliminate that step I'd be happy

[@smurfgudrun]

Thanks for the great video. Looking to build something similar to eliminate the need of a high capacity air compressor for vapor plasting. However, the results looked a bit closer to traditional glass/sand blasting than vapour blasting. Have you done any more testing with other media and gun/nozzle optimizations? Would love to have a follow up video!

[@WorkshopRebuild]

I'm glad you enjoyed this video! That is correct, the results are similar to any regular blasting application. The choice of material is actually what is going to give you your finish...crushed glass or anything with sharp-edges will leave a rough surface, glass-bead or any other beaded-material will leave a smooth finish...etc. Crushed glass was chosen in order to prep the surface for Cerakote (This is also recommended by the manufacturer) I will showcase an update in the near future and go into further details on this machine. Thanks for leaving a comment with great questions! Regards Andreas

[@elchavoquiroga1210]

Que buen trabajo yo tengo una maquina igual hace 7 años y el problemas de filtrar el abrasivo lo hice con 3 recipientes los cuales uso filtros de cafe donde el sistema que uso es por decantacion . Entra agua por el recipiente por abajo y pasa al otro recipiente por arriva y en cada conexión tiene el filtros de cafe y uso esferas de vidrio de grano 100 es muy bueno el acabodo que deja por que la arena me dejaba las piezas opacas sin brillo

[@WorkshopRebuild]

That's very interesting! Do the coffee filters still contain residue in the last bucket? Do you use a pressure washer or a regular pump? Cheers

[@Joseph_langlois]

i want to see the final version!!!

[@WorkshopRebuild]

Hi Joseph, thanks for viewing! I will share an update about this machine in the next couple of weeks.

[@Joseph_langlois]

its hard to compare to those air power vapor blaster. it looked pretty similar to the air powered unit but how could we know if this is equivalent to 12 cfm at 60 psi or 5 cfm at 100 psi is hard to say. you would probably need to inspect the glass beads after using them. if the manufacturer says use the glass beads under 60 psi or they will break, if they you don't break then you know you are under the equivalent of 60 psi. but realistically, as long as you get the finish that you are looking for, who cares how it compares. earlier I was thinking why not with a power washer that is what they use for outside application pressure washer with an attachment at the tip. Then start looking then bam, I found your video!!! glad to see I'm not the only crazy one to have had that taught

[@WorkshopRebuild]

I would say they are very comparable, when it comes down to the function of the machine. I could install pressure gauge to see what values I have, but I know that this systems already works the way it should, so I don‘t need to. The glass bead will always break down over time, but I‘m not sure at what rate. If I could regulate my pressure, I could probably reuse the same media for a very long time! I noticed the pressure isn‘t as important as some „experts“ say it is, but the media is! In this video I chose crushed glass for my application, but I‘m going to try glass bead and see what results I can achieve. Updates will follow and thank you for your great comment. Maybe you‘d like to build one like this yourself😎👍🏽 Regards Andreas

[@user-jg6bd7se8u]

Hey man you surely proved the concept! Only way I've ever seen to achieve "dustless" blasting. Definitely a great idea! Curious to see if you find that sweet media that works best. Always used silica myself but never wet like this. I think they use granite in water jets. I was pondering if this could be construed as a high volume low pressure water jet lol. Obviously would only cut paper. Lord knows I've spent lots of hours trying to improve the function of a blast cabinet, I think you've done an excellent job. Since the concept works, time to throw more power! Bigger pump on the media solution and higher pressure washer pump. Can't wait to see what you can figure out. Maybe some solvent or acid in the water? Keep in posting brother, we love it!

[@WorkshopRebuild]

I'm really glad it worked out this way and now I'll try and optimize the system. That's right, it really is a dustless form of sandblasting/media-blasting. The media is a little bit too coarse for this aluminum, but I have a feeling a smaller grit will work much better! I'm not even sure how strong water jets are, but I know this pressure washer cannot reach such pressure! The one I used in this video has a max rating of 2000PSI. If I need to bring the pressure up a little bit, I can always make a smaller orifice, without damaging the pressure washer. You know exactly what it means to improve and optimize a blasting cabinet, especially since you've done it yourself! What media do you usually run and for what materials? Thank you for your kind words!! I'll do my best to make this system better and hopefully I can get a better camera setup. The blasting footage was very poor, because the water shot up against the glass. This is something I'd like to improve, to make better timelapses of the parts I clean. Thank you for your comment and support. I appreciate it! -Andreas

[@johnclamshellsp1969]

​@@WorkshopRebuildKeep on doing the concept research on this. I can see this to be perfected and you enjoying a nice retirement and company owner.

[@caio2306]

Are you still using the vapor blasting cabinet? Will there be an update video on this? Is the filtration system still good and did not break the preasure washer?

[@ghffrsfygdhfjkjiysdz]

At psi above 60 with just air you would be breaking glass beads and turning them into crushed glass. Water will have some cushioning effect, but 2400psi, which is about what the pressure washers run at is way too much. you need an additional reservoir that has low pressure water flowing in as well to reduce water psi and increase flow rate by like 20x to get to sub 100psi at the nozzle.

[@masterofnonetv8361]

I like the idea because I hate listening to my compressor run but you need to be able to regulate pressure from the pump since these electric pressure washer pumps are all or nothing.

[@ng4410]

Maybe incorporate gun parts from an air sandblaster wet attachment?Some have replaceable ceramic tips. Cheap on ebay etc..

[@proshop11]

Brilliant idea

[@WorkshopRebuild]

Thank you!

[@stuartbaade3550]

Hi Mate great Concept!! What sort of pump do you use to withstand abrasive medium?

[@WorkshopRebuild]

Hi Stuart, thanks for tuning in! I am using a submersible impeller pump at the moment and it is holding up just fine! Regards Andreas

[@zongsmotor]

Hi, it looks like a good idea, but when you go with smaller material, how can you efficiently filter out the clean water from used water? Mesh cloth doesn't look like a suitable choice.

[@WorkshopRebuild]

Hello, I will be testing finer media very soon and once I do, I will introduce a layered filtration system. Mesh cloth will be sufficient, but it needs to be of a certain quality to ensure proper filtration! I will share updates. Thanks for your great question!

[@zongsmotor]

@@WorkshopRebuild happy to get your reply, hope can see your update soon!

[@bryanannas]

I hook up to a hose and the sand drops and the excess water is drained out. I use it outside.

[@Radar8717]

If the pressure washer isn’t using a nozzle what’s the output pressure ? and I wonder if different spray tips behind the media would increase the cleaning action.

[@WorkshopRebuild]

I technically do have a "nozzle"in this setup, but it cannot been seen. At 04:25 I mention I have a built-in orifice right after the valve. Usually on a pressure washers, you get different nozzle tips or even one that you can turn in a circle, to choose your desired output. The smallest hole (nozzle setting) for this pressure washer, was a 1.5mm hole. I didn't have a 1.5mm drill bit, so I had to drill a little bit bigger. If the orifice would be smaller, I would increase the pressure and the pressure relief valves within the pressure washer would still be able to handle it. It would be great to be able to read the output pressure and to adjust the settings. I'll have to figure out how I can integrate that into this setup. It probably would increase the cleaning action and that's something I'll take into consideration. Thanks for your comment, CJ!

[@randyhigginbotham961]

I did a double take on this video. This has potential. Not everybody can afford a compressor and electric pressure washers are cheap. Your media is too abrasive. It’s damaging the aluminum. But lets see what it does with the glass bead.

[@WorkshopRebuild]

Hi Randy! Thank you so much for watching this video and leaving a comment. I agree, air compressors can get pricey, pretty quickly and that‘s exactly why I tried to go this route😁 I am aware that this 30-60 crushed glass abrasive is very rough and I might only use it for the BMW rebuild project. I‘ve seen many oxidized and discolored cast aluminum parts before, but this metal is in very rough shape. The oxidation layer is very thick and I was trying to approach this as a „roughing“ stage. I have since collected some information about aluminum preservation and I will explain why I‘m opting for a rougher grit abrasive on the BMW cast aluminum parts. I will make a follow up video with slight modifications I made to this Blast-cabinet and also shed more details on the machine. Thank again! Regards Andreas

[@laserfalcon]

Doesnt the abrasive material damage the pump?

[@WorkshopRebuild]

Hi there, with the correct filter material in place there shouldn't be an issue. To be on the safe side I will add more filter material around in front of the pickup tube to ensure the pressure washer pump does not see any blast media. Great question! Regards Andreas

[@olivierbruhaux7240]

J’utilise de la microbille céramique c’est vraiment très bien mais assez onéreux à l’achat.

[@WorkshopRebuild]

The goal for this finish was to make the aluminum surface rough, to accept cerakote. If I were to polish the surface I would opt for a different type of media. Do you polish aluminum with ceramic bead? If so, what grit? Regards Andreas

[@jonnymotoritz4393]

I was searching for this for long. How do you build this nozzle?

[@WorkshopRebuild]

Hi Jonny! I‘m glad you found my video and hopefully it gave you a little insight on how you could build one yourself😃 The nozzle consists of two parts: pressure washer feed and the front portion is dedicated to the media feed. Most pressure washers have high pressure ratings and therefore you‘ll have a strong valve. I actually used the exact same valve from a pressure washer handle. This was integrated into the back of an existing „sandblasting-gun“ and I just merged the two parts together. Pretty simple actually and it turned out to be very compact! I hope this helps. Regards Andreas

[@jonnymotoritz4393]

@@WorkshopRebuild Thank you for your answer. So am i right? You dismantled a pressure washer gun, boned to the valve, and put on a dry sandblast gun Tip?

[@WorkshopRebuild]

Basically, yes! Since you do not have the pressure washer tip (which builds your pressure), you must install an orifice. This is between the pressure washer valve and the media flowing into the handgun. I hope this helps.

[@novianpandito880]

how minimum pressure need for work ?

[@jamescole3152]

If you are using a pressure washer then that is the place to start. Don't tell us anything until you explain how it works with the pressure washer.

[@WorkshopRebuild]

I'll remember this for my upcoming video, James. I appreciate your feedback and this will help me produce better videos. Thanks for your advice. Regards Andreas

[@Trumpet0729]

Pressure washer is causing your pitting. Just use a pump you will get better finish

[@WorkshopRebuild]

The pitting is more or less from the aluminum oxidation, as it is over 50 years old. The crushed glass I used in this video did create a rough surface finish and that is what I was after. What type of pump would you recommend? Thanks for your comment😃👍🏽 Regards Andreas