Engine Drivetrain 2nd Gen S Make your own Walnut Shell Carbon Blaster

Discussion in 'Tuning and Performance' started by Metalman, Dec 4, 2012.

  1. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    Sure that isn't a lightweight MINI flywheel your turning Chuck?

    Dave it looks like your MINI needs shells. That is a pretty neat camera.
     
  2. Minidave

    Minidave Well-Known Member
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    Yep, it needs something for sure.....

    Now I'm a little stymied, not only was I hoping to get the dealer to do it under warranty but my car won't throw a code, plus I also found out we have this super zoomy MotorVac thingy at school that's supposed to be able to clean the valves chemically and I want to put it to a tough test.......

    At the same time I have my blaster all done and ready to go, and all I need is a free couple of days to try it out, and I'm buried between work (finals week and grades due in) and working on a fellow MINI owner's car.......

    Oh well, I'm still in warranty for another couple of months......

    Metalman might have his done and operational before I get to mine.

    Metalman, are you going to follow the model that the "factory" unit uses? If so, where are you going to get the dual flow handle? How much are you going to restrict the outflow nozzle?

    On mine I see it as just a 2 man job, one guy guiding the nozzle and the other turning on the handle that lets the shells into the blast stream, then shutting them off again to allow the air to blow the remaining stuff out to the vaccuum.
     
  3. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    Been searching the web for a two stage blast gun but to no avail.... I really like the one they include in the BMW kit... Pretty sweet how it switches from air to blast media with valve control in the gun itself.... All along I've realized the construction of the tank will be the easy part...

    There doesn't seem to be much selection when it comes to blast guns...
    I may need to control the media at the gun with a switch operating a solenoid valve that starts and stops the flow of walnut chips..... But this could be easier said than done....
    Wish I could get my hands on the one they use....
     
  4. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    #44 Metalman, Dec 19, 2012
    Last edited: Dec 19, 2012
    Today's Update.....

    Welded up part of the tank today...

    [​IMG]

    Assembled the lid with the "O" ring seal....
    Price on the Viton Fluoroelastomer "O" ring.... $4.62 USD

    [​IMG]

    Everything fits well....

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    I still need to add some bungs to the lid and some on the side of the tank. These will hold the safety "Blow-off" valve, pressure gauge and fitting attachments. The bottom also needs to be added as well...
     
  5. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    Nice work MM and if you don't use it for carbon blasting it would make one hell of a pipe bomb.:devil:
     
  6. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    ^^^ Aw carp.... you just set off NSA alarms in Fort Meade, Maryland.....
     
  7. 05r50

    05r50 Well-Known Member

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    I know NUTH_THING!! I see NUTH-THING!! :cornut:
     
  8. Minidave

    Minidave Well-Known Member
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    What are the three allen screws in the top for?
     
  9. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    The lid is made from two plates 3/8" thick. I didn't want to weld the two together so I bolted them to eliminate heat distortion from welding. There is a 1/4" groove on the outside edge of the smaller disc that holds the O-ring that forms the seal with the rim of the tank...
     
  10. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    Still having no success finding the 2 stage media blast gun.... Wish there was some way to purchase that exact same gun....
     
  11. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    Got my Kick A$$ walnut blaster installed and it's workin great....
    You guys would not believe the improvement....
    Increased HP, MPG and totally eliminated my cold start issue. Radio's also workin much better...

    [​IMG]
     
  12. Mr. Jim

    Mr. Jim Mudshark
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    Don't they roll off when you take off?
     
  13. 05r50

    05r50 Well-Known Member

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    No Jim. They got Velcro :D
     
  14. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    Walnut blasting media is considered a consumable item....

    I have a supply on hand... Err "on head"...:D
     
  15. Minidave

    Minidave Well-Known Member
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    Ha!

    I still haven't used mine, I guess I keep hoping it will throw a code and I can get the dealer to do it for me under warranty, but I'm down to the last few weeks on that.

    School has resumed and now that I have access to the shop again next week I may go ahead and try the Motorvac to see how it does, at least I'll learn something about it.
     
  16. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    Apparently the indicator to look for is knock or super knock.... Get those codes to store for you and you have a case for a cleaning under warranty....

    At this point I'm not worried about it.... I will soon have a tool to address this....:D
     
  17. Crashton

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    Topical walnut treatment. Simply brilliant! :Thumbsup:
     
  18. eMINIparts

    eMINIparts Well-Known Member
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    Now what happens if you get a squirrel infestation?
     
  19. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    Oh.... I have a different blaster just for squirrels.....
     
  20. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    A little more progress today...

    Bottom floor plate.... Figured I need to come up with something to keep this thing upright...
    This is a leftover part from a former project.... So free to me..
    5/16" thick 12" x 12" with a few holes... Cleaned the rust off the piece... Good as new...
    Approximate metal value... $5.00

    [​IMG]

    Got the pipe cap welded on to the body.... And added a 1" pipe coupling in the bottom where gravity and pressure will feed the walnut shells to the media gun.... I will need to add a "Stand Pipe" to the bushing to control the feeding of the shells so I don't get media bridging (but that will be built later on)...
    Had to buy the coupling $0.55 each x 1
    SS Pipe bushing 1" to 3/8 NPT $7.70 each x 1
    SS Pipe nipple 3/8" NPT x 1-1/2" $2.07 each x 1

    [​IMG]

    Added a 1/4" NPT 2" pressure gauge 0-160 PSI $9.85 each x 1
    Added a 3/8" NPT 115# Pressure Relief Valve $21.52 each x 1
    Added 3/8" NPT coupling $0.40 x 2
    Added 1/4" NPT coupling $0.35 x 1

    [​IMG]

    That's it for today....
    More to come....:D
     

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