Sandblasting questions

[gamble]

I'll admit, I don't know squat about sandblasting. I have a $99 HF cabinet and some glass media. I upgraded the gun to the big one from bad boy blasters. I have a small 5gallon bucket top vacuum hooked up. Does nothing. i can't see anything and it blows media all over the garage. I sealed it up too. Most of it from the back air vent.
So before I throw this thing out, what can/should I do to make the most out of it?
Can I put an air filter in the back to vent out without letting media everywhere? Where can I get that round 4 hole adapter for the side and should I get a larger vacuum or dust collector from HF? I've heard good things about it.
Next - I have to keep stopping and moving the media back over the pick up tube. It doesn't "fall" on it's own and i have a lot of media in there, but that's the least of my concerns.

Also I leaned against my water table while blasting and I got zapped. Never have i gotten a static charge from blasting before. What are the causes and what can I do to prevent it?

[cbassjr]

Same problem and cabinet interested in the solution. I just had to quit using it.

[Gamelord]

The shock is from static electricity. You get that when blasting, unavoidable.

As for the dust, use a shop vac. Any home depot one will work and should plug right into the side of the cabinet. Check hose sizes on your shop vacs to find one that fits. Mine fit perfectly without any mods (rigid model). I would also recommend getting a LED light for it. Try to find one that is magnetic or can be mounted on the back of the cabinet easily. Lighting is a must. The shop vac will do wonders for you as well. When you hook up the shop vac, make sure you have an adequate air intake with a filter as well...or it will cause other issues like sucking off your gloves or burning up your vac.

As for the media just laying there.....

Not sure what cabinet you have but if it is the table top one, I would suggest cutting a hole in the bottom of it and welding some angled 14 guage plates to drop the media down into a smaller area that is further away from where you are blasting. Move the pickup down there as well (obviously).... That should help both in the pickup and the dust control. If you don't have the ability to go below, maybe an angled plate in the bottom that will move the media to one side...or two that angle towards the middle.....just ideas.

Silicone the entire inside of the cabinet, that will help with leakage but sandblasting is messy. All you can do is to keep it down to an acceptable mess. All the above will cut it down tremendously.

[gamble]

Thanks.
I sealed the bottom and my little shop vac doesn't work too well. I'm assuming because of the gun I have it's moving far too much media,it's way overkill for the cabinet.

If my gloves start to blow up a little is that due to have too large or small of a vacuum? Because somethings i think it's too much, but I still can't see. I bought a magnetic drop light to put on the top of the cabinet but media goes everywhere so it doesn't want to stay on very well. It falls all the time.

I'll see if I have any round clamps or anything that will help keep the pick up tube in place. Odd part about the static is that it's never happened before.

[Gamelord]

Make sure you have an air intake to compensate for the shop vac and what it is sucking out. If your gloves are blowing up, you are pulling the air out without letting more in. Your cabinet should have two holes in it, one for the air in and one for the shop vac to take the air out. Even with good flow you will get a lot of dust and may have to take a break for a minute or so for it to clean out, but the dust should clean out very quickly if your set up is right.

[acourtjester]

Another thing you will need is a dust cyclone to keep the dust out of the vac. It will plug up the filter real quick.
Here is a link to DIY typehttps://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=dust+cyclone+diy

here is one I built for me daughter's router table. Go to a muffler shop and get them to swedge a short pipe to fit you vac hose. I mean they really work great all the dust stays in the bucket below the cyclone.