Blasting Advice......

[Chaznsc]

No, not dynamite........ Meda Blasting

I picked up a vintage angle iron shear that I am going to restore. After I disassemble and document it I am going to blast it in my blast cabinet.

Tractor Supply has black silica or glass beads. Quite a cost difference. $8 vs $30............ which would you choose?

 

[astroracer]

Use the Black Diamond. Glass beads are okay for aluminum and delicate paint removal but you will want some aggressive rust removal. Black Diamond works very well. Also, as the BD wears out, I keep a bucket of it around for cleaning parts prior to painting. Doesn't cut like the new stuff (doesn't have to) and leaves a perfect surface for paint.
Mark

 

[plow]

Pics dude. You know the rulz.

 

[EOC_Jason]

Yeah that BD slag stuff that is super cheap works great. Glass beads and other fine powders are for real delicate work. I like to get it done quickly and it leaves a good texture once you wipe it down it's ready to paint and prime.

 

[Chaznsc]

Thanks guys....I will post a project thread soon.

 

[Garage Dog]

I have used a variety of blasting media over the years and each has its application. I am not a fan of using BD in a blast cabinet for a number of reasons:

The BD I have used (maybe 20-30 bags) has a very inconsistent grit size and tends to plug the nozzle unless you are using a large nozzle.

The BD is breaks down quickly and performance when re-used is not as good as Aluminum Oxide (AO).

The BD is softer and therefore creates more dust than AO, thus your cabinet will fill with dust rather quickly.

Yes the BD is cheap and I will still use it if I can't recover the media, but then I always pre-screen the media to get rid of the larger grit chunks that plug the nozzle.

I don't know if BD quality varies around the country or by supplier, it could.

I would read up on blasting media bit and buy some smaller quantities of what you think will work for you and do a little comparison to see what your preference is.

Just another perspective to consider.

 

[ihateimacs]

I just bought a blast cabinet and have been using it for a couple days with BD. Its was cheap and cuts through rust VERY well. My biggest issue is with the nozzle clogging but I am 99% sure thats due to moisture in the lines. Everything works AWESOME when i first start blasting and after about 15 minutes it starts going down hill and eventually I give up and come back in a couple hours and repeat. I guess I need to figure out a better filtration system.

 

[J Persons]

If you are using a single stage compressor and an inexpensive blast cabinet, (like a Harbor Freight) the coal slag will probably clog the blast gun. This is caused by the small orifice in the blast gun. A better solution for blasting ferrous metals is aluminum oxide from HF or others. It is more uniform in size than the Tractor Supply coal slag. For aluminum, I use glass beads. It leaves a very nice finish and doesn't peen the aluminum like the aluminum oxide will.

 

[Chaznsc]

If you are using a single stage compressor and an inexpensive blast cabinet, (like a Harbor Freight) the coal slag will probably clog the blast gun. This is caused by the small orifice in the blast gun. A better solution for blasting ferrous metals is aluminum oxide from HF or others. It is more uniform in size than the Tractor Supply coal slag. For aluminum, I use glass beads. It leaves a very nice finish and doesn't peen the aluminum like the aluminum oxide will.

I have a two stage compressor. Whats the recycle rate on AO?

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

 

[J Persons]

Here's a website that talks about the properties of the various types of blast media.
http://www.preprite.com/sandblasting.htm

 

[Monkey Milk]

Use the Black Diamond. Glass beads are okay for aluminum and delicate paint removal but you will want some aggressive rust removal. Black Diamond works very well. Also, as the BD wears out, I keep a bucket of it around for cleaning parts prior to painting. Doesn't cut like the new stuff (doesn't have to) and leaves a perfect surface for paint.
Mark

Yeah that BD slag stuff that is super cheap works great. Glass beads and other fine powders are for real delicate work. I like to get it done quickly and it leaves a good texture once you wipe it down it's ready to paint and prime.

X2 BD may make more dust but it's cheap and cleans faster then glass beads. On harder metals BD, softer metal- glass or garnet. Just shift the BD before you introduce it into your cabinet, when it breaks down just throw it out(cheap).

If your having trouble with your sand blaster or cabinet and you shift your media before you insert it into your pot or cabinet 95% of the time it's moisture in your lines or the media itself. If the media feels a sticky, put it outside on a flat pan in the sun or in the oven to dry.