A Simple CNC Sandblaster

When you think of sandblasting, what likely comes to mind is placing a part inside of a chamber to brush with a spray of sand until it’s de-rusted or textured to your liking. As Fabien Chouteau demonstrates with his latest project, it’s entirely possible to use this type of mechanism in a more precise manner, forming letters with a cheap CNC gantry system.

Chouteau’s setup, as seen on the AdaCore blog, uses air from a compressor to pressurize a chamber filled with sand — a soda bottle — as well as pipe air downstream and out of a nozzle. This nozzle is held in the same orientation that a rotary cutting tool or laser would normally be, which enables it to engrave several letters before the sand runs out, as the sand used is not recirculated and simply returns to the environment. Air flow is handled manually, and CNC movement is controlled with a nice touchscreen setup.

Sandblasting is shown in the video below, along with the touchscreen GUI in the second clip. If you listen closely, you might even notice the sound of sand hitting the camera intermittently in the zoomed-out view! It’s a neat hack, but definitely one which would require the proper safety gear.