Replacing the window in my blast cabinet.

[BT]

Hello chaps.

Simple one for most I would only assume but I'm struggling a little bit.

At my work we had an old shot blaster. It was past its best and I was given it to make some use for it. I replaced the lines, regulator, gun and nozzles but am having a problem with the window.

Over the years the window has become so damaged and cloudy it is now impossible to see through it and needs replacing. I remember I used to be able to go to johnstones om the corner and get Perspex super cheap but it now seems pretty much impossible.

Does anyone know of a cost effective way to replace the screen in my shot blasting cabinet? It's probably 40cmx60cm. I have checked screw fix, but they have a minimum order of ten sheets and ideally I would like to pick it up in a store.

Any suggestions would be super, I just want to blast and rebuild my calipers!

Thanks.

[Wilk]

Check ebay or B&Q

From memory I got mine from eBay delivered for around a tenner

[BT]

Checked B&Q and from memory they either didn't have any or it was chronically expensive. Looks like it may have to be eBay!

[village]

can you polish out the imperfections on the current window? maybe one of those headlight polishing kits would do the job.

[Mantasport]

I've just replaced nine with a sheet of toughened glass from the local glass guys, cost about £10 and i had to make strips of steel for the inside to sandwich it in place.
They said it would still deteriorate with the sand if its hit at high speed, but i'm not pointing the nozzle at the glass and so far it seems much more resilient of the lower speed media hitting it that perspex ever was. Had it in for a week and done quite a bit of blasting and its still clear as new, even if i have to replace it after a year i don't mind as perspex only lasts a month before its milky and hard to see what you are doing.

I did a couple of other mods while i was at it and the improvement is massive.
I moved the original strip light to my side (above the gloves) and turned the cover around for fresh clear plastic. Its going to get a lot less hits from the blaster if its behind the gun rather than in front of it.
I also added sheets of alloy into the base at each side so i have 4 sloping walls to get the media to the center and shortened the pickup nozzle to the middle of it.
Finally i have copied a dust filter tube mod idea i found online made with plastic waste pipe. With a henry hoover stuck in the end on low speed i get a bit of dust in the first tube, virtually none in the second and nothing gets to the hoover filter. keeps the vision nice and clear with a pipe across the rear (where the light was) with holes drilled in the side to suck the dust in.



With all that done its a lot easier and quicker to blast stuff and well worth the time and less than £20 all in

[composimmonite]

I've wondered if the mesh from the door of an scrap microwave placed a few mm from the lens of a sandblasting cabinet might help stop some of the damage.
I've also read that you can cover lens with high quality cling film, - ie clearer than cheap stuff, to give a rip off cover that is cheap to replace.
Maybe some sort of demister type vent around the lens that blows air across might deflect some of the sand as well

[rusty998]

Go to your local glass merchant with the old one as a pattern and get one made up in laminated glass.

[barty]

if your going to get it made up i would get two done so you will have a replacement to hand when the first one goes.
Just out of interest can you contact the original manufacturer and order a replacement glass?
Being on the cautious side be careful what you use as your face would normally be right up close to the glass and if it shattered you will end up with a face full of splintered glass

[Deleted]

Line the inside of the glass with plastic. Not sure what it's called but the historic rally boys have to put it on the inside of any glass they use. We use it, just peel it off when it gets cloudy, glass underneath still perfect.

[rusty998]

Johnybravo mentioned a film to put on the inside on the new glass,
Security film is what I used to fit on West Surrey Racings Bttc car's, it's very good stuff, I can't remember the thickness of the film I used to fit but would think that the thinnest would protect the glass and be easier to remove and then replace,
Just a note on the types of glass that could replace your one,

Toughened glass will shatter into thousands of pieces but is 3 time's stronger than laminated

Laminated glass will crack if hit but the laminate holds most of the broken glass in place

Plate glass is not ideal for the use you have in mind as it breaks into large shards,

Hunt on the net for security film but make sure that it's not stippled as you will need the best clarity with all the dust in the cabinet,

[mdh]

2000 grit wet & dry then compound the hell out of it!