Sandblast vs. Spray Wash Cabinets: Which Do You Need?

Sandblast cabinets and spray wash cabinets are both enclosed boxes that clean parts, so they're easy to mix up. They actually do very different jobs, and many shops end up with both.

The short answer

• A sandblast cabinet strips. It blasts abrasive media at a part to remove rust, paint, scale and corrosion down to bare metal.
• A spray wash cabinet cleans. It sprays hot, soapy water to remove grease, oil and grime without changing the surface.

Sandblast cabinets

You put the part inside, reach in through gauntlet gloves, and aim a blast gun while watching through the window. A foot pedal controls the blast, and a vacuum system pulls dust out so you can see what you're doing.

Best for: restoration work, rusty brackets and hardware, prepping parts for paint or powder coat, and cleaning up corroded fasteners.

What it needs: compressed air, and plenty of it. The Atlas SBC420 calls for 15 CFM at 80 to 100 PSI, and the larger cabinets call for 24 CFM at 125 PSI. They plug into a standard 110V outlet for the vacuum and light. Read What Size Air Compressor Do You Need? before you buy, because the compressor is usually the limiting factor.

Sizes:

• SBC420 Standard: a 47 1/2" wide work area for smaller parts
• SBC990 Large: a 46" x 34" work area for bigger parts
• PSBC990 Pressurized: pressurized blasting for faster stripping
• SBC1200 X-Large: a 46" x 51" work area with dual doors and two blast guns

Spray wash cabinets

A spray wash cabinet works like a dishwasher for parts. You load the part onto a turntable, close the door, and the cabinet sprays heated cleaning solution from all sides while the turntable rotates. You walk away and come back to clean parts.

Best for: degreasing engine blocks, transmissions, cylinder heads and heavy, greasy assemblies, especially before teardown or inspection.

Key specs on the Atlas cabinets:

• A 50 gallon tank heated to 135 to 175 degrees F
• A 30" turntable that holds up to 1,000 lbs
• A 60 minute wash cycle, hands-free
• 220V single phase power on a 30 amp breaker

Choose the standard Atlas Spray Wash Cabinet (42" inside height) or the Extra Large (54" inside height) for taller parts.

Side by side

Our take

If you restore vehicles or refinish parts, start with a sandblast cabinet, and make sure your compressor can keep up. If you rebuild engines and transmissions or handle a lot of greasy parts, a spray wash cabinet will save your techs hours of scrubbing. Many shops use both: wash the grease off first, then blast what needs stripping.

See them in person

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