Harbor Freight Bead Blaster Modifications Part 1

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After using my Harbor Freight Bead Blaster for many years I have made many modifications to it, and I have just 3 moor, (when completed) I feel that I will have the bead blaster I have always wanted.
Much like my Bead Roller it took many years of use to get to the final product.
Here's wishing everyone a great 2024.
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[@RonCovell]

Jere - I can see how much each of your modifications improved your cabinet. Well done, and I'm eager to see what else you have in store for us.

[@jerekirkpatrick2092]

Ron, The mods came as needed, much like the way the bead roller evolved. Hope to see your next video soon. I always learn something from them. Jere

[@4speed3pedals]

Jerry, I have a larger older HF blast cabinet with the light on top and the 12x24 window. I put in rivet nuts and converted to US threaded screws so it would be easier to change out the glass when it gets blasted. I have window pane glass under the tempered glass so the tempered glass does not get marred. I have the Clemco style gun with a boron carbide nozzle and it way outlives the ceramic nozzles. A really fantastic addition is the cyclonic filter which attaches to a 5 gallon bucket between the cabinet and the vacuum. My vacuum is clean and the cyclonic filter deposits the dust into the 5 gallon bucket. I hardly have to clean the vacuum filter but you should check it regularly so your vacuum is not destroyed. I set one on fire once, that is when I added the cyclonic filter. HF now sells them but it is a little smaller than the Chinese one I purchased online which is a clone of an American one which I would strongly recommend over any Chineseum products as we now know helping the CCP is going to come back and bite us.I also disassembled the cabinet and 4 welded rods directly under the screen to help support it and when reassembling, I used a latex caulk (Phenoseal) to caulk up all screw holes and wherever sheet metal attaches to prevent air and dust leaks. Painting the inside white and replacing the flourescent light tube with an LED replacement tube was a big improvement. Hope these tips are helpful.

[@jerekirkpatrick2092]

I will be painting the inside of the cabinet white and adding the LED lights for sure. Thanks for those suggestions. Would you please give me your name so I can acknowledge you in the next video? Jere

[@outsidescrewball]

I moved my unit outside and my unit has a simple dump hatch so I remove the media when I know the unit will sit unused…adding the vibration unit to the cabinet is a great improvement, FYI I protect my lens with standard Saran Wrap, changed the light source to LED inside the cabinet…HNY

[@jerekirkpatrick2092]

Chuck, I will be painting the inside of the cabinet white and switching to LED lighting as suggested by another viewer. I'm glad I made this video so I get new ideas and can pass them on in my next video. Like you I like sharing information. Jere

[@upyours1256]

@@jerekirkpatrick2092 jerry , why would you bother painting , when you will only blast the paint off again ? 😉

[@mattthescrapwhisperer]

Thanks for this series Jere. I picked up an old Harbor Freight bead blaster at an auction that needs quite a bit of work. I will be incorporating your mods when I start the project.

[@jerekirkpatrick2092]

Hi Matt, It took a long time to get all of these mods built into my cabinet so I figured it would help others to see all of them at once. Jere

[@upyours1256]

when it packs on the bottom , i just block the nozzle with my hand and reverse blast , so it unblocks the feed

[@upyours1256]

another thing you can do that i do , instead of using the useless peel off plastic . i use buffing machine with a wool buffer pad, with acrylic paint compound to make the acrylic screen clear again , but im gonna get a hardened glass screen made by glass suppliers later

[@upyours1256]

i love the funnel , cause the hopper they have already is useless , im always shaking the whole box to get the blast grit to the bottom all the time

[@rtkracht]

Jere… great video. I’ve got similar and the very same problems, mostly due to humidity. Really like your mods. Thanks!

[@jerekirkpatrick2092]

I will be finishing part two over the weekend. The mods in part 2 may be of interest to you also. Jere

[@seanalexander9531]

I have a similar cabinet - thanks for the great ideas!

[@jerekirkpatrick2092]

Sean, There will be more mods than the ones mentioned in this video, so stay tuned. Jere

[@Joe.Doucette]

Hi Jere. You will be making that cabinet work better than a much more expensive one. :) I'm glad that you are enjoying the warm, bright shop. The diesel heater I ordered for my brother's shop should be here tomorrow or the next day. Hopefully we will be happy with it's ability to fend off some of the cold and keep the place drier than the propane topper. I hope you have a healthy and happy new year, Jere. Joe

[@jerekirkpatrick2092]

Joe, It took looking at other cabinets and using mine to figure out which upgrade would offer me the most benefit. Usability was the main factor for each modification. Thanks. I hope 2024 will be a good year for you and yours. Jere

[@upyours1256]

thanks jerry , i love your mods , gives me thought as to how to make mine better 👍

[@jerekirkpatrick2092]

I will answer all of your replies here. If you look on "outsidescrewball's" channel (you will find his channel in this thread) he has installed a shaker to his blaster that does away with pounding on the cabinet to make the sand go into the hopper. If you look at the video again you will notice that the red paint is only blasted away in one corner. With the rest of the cabinet painted white it will reflect the light from the front side of the cabinet and make the working area much brighter. I will continue to use the plastic coverings held on with clear shipping tape since I have an abundance of both. Nether hardware store in my small town has LED lights as replacements for what I have now. I will continue looking. I'm sure that I will be pleased with the brightness that the new clear glass will provide. Jere

[@janq-h8139]

This is just what the doctor ordered, I will do the same to my cabinet. Why I havent done this allready……… Had it for years, and the suction pipe allways keep popping up to suck air, highly irritating. Thanks!

[@jerekirkpatrick2092]

Jan, So you can see how many things have irritated me over the years with this cabinet. Jere

[@91rss]

lightly wrap the pipes with window curtain sheer fabric, allows dust to pass and media stays, as the fabric moves around as air blows by it. glass protection is Mylar ?

[@jerekirkpatrick2092]

Thanks for the suggestion. I have some fine cheese cloth that is used for painting. I will give that a try. Jere

[@91rss]

@@jerekirkpatrick2092 think they just saw some at a thrift shop, You string it over a 5 gallon pail to strain house paint thats older. to put it to use

[@upyours1256]

can i suggest another mod ,? aliexpress sells great led lights that are about 50cm long to replace the useless light they have in the blaster ? i got one and it is sooo much better