Blasting Media what to use?

[snipes]

After many years I finally have a 60gal air compressor and a new HF blasting cabinet. Now I need to know what to put in it. I did some searching, but did not find any good info on what is the best all around media. I would like to think there is something that could cleans up aluminum engine cases and old steel A-arms. What about making the out side of old carburetors look nice? Can that even be done?

some info here http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/maintenance/how-to-blast-your-car-parts-clean-15997905

 

[Kevin54]

Garnet works really well. If you are going to blast the outside of carburetors, I would rather soda blast them instead of using an abrasive media. Soda blasting will give it a very nice satin look to it. Here is a pic of a Honda intake that was soda blasted.

One thing about blasting anything though....it looks great, but fingerprints show up like crazy if you have a little oil on your hands. So you normally have to have some sort of a coating to preserve the look. If you don't plan on doing anything, and just want to retain the natural look, wipe things down with WD40, and it will give it a uniform look, but will not let fingerprints show up. And it will make it just a tad darker than a freshly soda blasted part. If you would be doing very many carb bodies, you may want to look into having them clear anodized after soda blasting them. Either send them out, or set for home anodizing. You could get in contact with GJ member Deere2210 and discuss with him as to how he did his. He can anodize about any color, and even has pink which he sort of done for some of his projects he sell to recognize or honor Cancer patients.

 

[snipes]

The valve covers look nice. Well maybe I will end up with something abrasive in the cabinet and have to buy a Soda setup? I am sure having both is better. More tools is always better.

 

[GSEninja]

Sodium Bicarbonate for sure! Gentle and able to blast just about anything...

I had this setup for a while and the dual tanks really helped blasting several classics.. i know youre using a cabinet though, not sure what kind of pickups they make for soda/cabinets

http://www.eastwood.com/dual-tank-blaster.html?reltype=3

 

[MP&C]

For steel, I use a garnet abrasive like Kevin mentions:

 

[SM Racing]

I have been using some ground coal bits. It is sold at Tractor Supply. Its a little too course for my tastes, but it quickly removes rust and mill scale on steel, its a little aggressive on aluminum, but leaves a good texture for paint to stick too. I think when I am done with this bag, I will try the finer grit coal and see how it works.

I have also used Garnet and it works well. It leaves a much smoother finish.

 

[MFolks]

http://www.aircooledtech.com/tools-on-the-cheap/soda_blaster/

 

[Kevin54]

http://www.aircooledtech.com/tools-on-the-cheap/soda_blaster/

Now that would be a piece of cake to make. Possibly take the $99 bench top blast cabinet from TSC, or whatever HF sells, then make up your own gun and such and use it strictly for soda blasting. I like it

 

[SM Racing]

http://www.harborfreight.com/21-oz-hopper-gravity-feed-spot-blaster-gun-95793.html

Fill with Soda and let er rip.

 

[bulletpruf]

I use coal slag ("Black Beauty") for deep scaly rust on cast iron parts. Will leave the surface a bit rough. Should be able to get this in different grits. Generally use it in my hopper that I use to blast stuff in the driveway with. I don't use it in my HF cabinet.

I also use blasting sand in my hopper that I use in the driveway. Should be able to get three different grits - fine, medium, coarse. I don't use it in the cabinet because I'm worried about silicosis. If you're not sure what that is, just google it.

I use aluminum oxide in my cabinet. Will get the scaly rust off and don't chew up aluminum too much. Also leaves the surface with a little texture, but no problem if you're going to paint it.

If I'm not painting or oiling parts and want a natural metal look, I'll paint with a flat clear. Eastwood's Diamond Clear is nice. You get protection with the look of natural metal.

Scott

 

[Notgrownup]

http://www.aircooledtech.com/tools-on-the-cheap/soda_blaster/

That is some cool stuff, me like...

 

[kf4zht]

I use aluminum oxide the most, aggressive enough for rust but it won't kill aluminim parts.

I will switch to glass bead for finish on AL and coal slag for heavy de-rusting. Tried using walnut shells and discovered you need a pretty big gun and compress to flow enough to matter.

I built the cabinet with a hatch on the bottom, put a bin under it and it cleans out quickly. Used to store the media in 5 gal buckets, have since switched to the square kitty litter buckets since I can fit more under my blaster. Takes me about 10 minutes to swap anything, unless I am getting rid of coal slag or going to glass bead. Then I take an extra 10 minutes to make sure I don'd have any leftovers that might be too aggressive.

 

[BJ42LX]

Glass bead in the cabinet. Black Beauty coal slag in the hopper out in the yard.

The glass bead is great for cleaning up tools found a yard sales.

I get both from Tractor Supply. They send me coupons from time to time so I make sure to stock up.

 

[SM Racing]

What grit Black Beauty are you guys using? I have noticed the Black Beauty breaks down pretty quickly in my cabinet so I am not sure its worth using it over glass beads or even Garnet. However its pretty cheap if I wanted to blast a trailer or something like that.

 

[snipes]

Now that would be a piece of cake to make. Possibly take the $99 bench top blast cabinet from TSC, or whatever HF sells, then make up your own gun and such and use it strictly for soda blasting. I like it

Kevin,

I hope someone will tell me that I am wrong, but my understanding is that Soda is very sensitive to moisture, so it cannot sit is the cabinet/be reused.

 

[Kevin54]

Snipes.....That I do not know, but even sand in a sandblaster can collect moisture. If you have a hopper on your blaster, you can always empty the soda into a 5 gallon bucket and put a lit on it to keep out any moisture. An empty 5 gallon drywall compound bucket, or an empty 5 gallon paint bucket. I have never filled up a blaster with a lot of media anyways. Sometimes you can get too much media in a blast cabinet and it will hamper the media coming out of the gun.

But again, someone else will know better than me about it drawing moisture. I would think that if the blast cabinet was sealed good, you wouldn't get moisture in it, in the first place. I know that at work, we had one cabinet with garnet, and we had another that had either soda or flour......they always called it flour.....and we used it on some of our lenses for the lights. We never had a problem with moisture, and some days during the summer, it was hot and humid as can be in the shop.

 

[kf4zht]

What grit Black Beauty are you guys using? I have noticed the Black Beauty breaks down pretty quickly in my cabinet so I am not sure its worth using it over glass beads or even Garnet. However its pretty cheap if I wanted to blast a trailer or something like that.

I think 36, whatever northern has piles of. I rarely use it, only when dealing with really nasty stuff.

Now I wish I had 3 cabinets - one for glass bead, one for garnet/al-ox for general cleanup and a smaller "clean" cabinet with fine al-ox for doing prior to paint stuff like guns.

I have found that if you have a very oil sensitive coating (powder, duracoat) that oil can transfer from media to the item. My usual process is blast, degrease, bake, degrease, bake, wipe down, paint. If you degrease then blast you may transfer stuff back.

Also blow off anything that you blast before painting, installing,etc. Media will find its way into the smallest holes, ports, etc. One reason soda blasting is great for carbs, the excess washes away.

 

[snipes]

kf4zht Does adjusting the air pressure with garnet/al-ox help on the softer aluminum parts?

 

[Nicnumber1]

Is there a webpage that shows the different finishes available by media? Or a guide? I'm assuming sand isn't used for much of anything angmore?

 

[hot rod reverend]

Glass bead in the cabinet. Black Beauty coal slag in the hopper out in the yard.

The glass bead is great for cleaning up tools found a yard sales.

I get both from Tractor Supply. They send me coupons from time to time so I make sure to stock up.

- this right here....

The price is pretty good and the black beauty does a good job going through the pressure pot.

I have used glass beads in my Tip Blasting Cabinet for right at 8 years and have never tried anything else. I blast 3 hours a week on the average, and have only changed the media THREE times in that many years! Mostly I blast painted parts in the cabinet, but occasionally there are rusty items to blast...that may be why the media lasts so long and does so well for me.

 

[trentonmakes]

Steel shot?

 

[Joe69]

I have glass beads, sand, and black beauty on hand. I switch depending on what I'm blasting.
When I first bought my cabinet, I only had glass beads. It will work, but is very slow on heavy rust.

Joe

 

[kf4zht]

kf4zht Does adjusting the air pressure with garnet/al-ox help on the softer aluminum parts?

It helps some, but I haven't gotten around to putting a regular on my cabinet so I usually leave it at system pressure.

The finish left is the bigger different I can see. Al-ox leaves a to other finish that is better for paint. Glass bead leaves a matte finish that can be left on its own.

I need to replumb with a foot pedal and on cabinet reg

Sent from my SM-T310 using Tapatalk

 

[Bobcatter]

Is there a webpage that shows the different finishes available by media? Or a guide? I'm assuming sand isn't used for much of anything angmore?

I have a TP Tools blasting cabinet and have been to their store/shop in Ohio. Nice place, nice people. Here is a chart from their web site and it's in their catalogs. Note the time to clean a 6 inch square.
If you check out their web site, they have regular shows they attend and then they have sales back at their store for the display models. They give very nice discounts if you show up at their store!
At the bottom of the chart, click on "back to tech tips" for other good info.

http://www.tptools.com/tech-abrasive-comparison.dlp

 

[M@stern@ter]

I trying to find the right media to use also.

 

[roofster]

I have pic's of parts I blasted with Coal Slag from Tractor Supply. Panels received electrolysis before blasting, while the crossmember didn't. Here are a few pics, more in the album. I can add some pic's of aluminum parts that were glass beaded in a day or two.

Maybe I didn't need to, but I blasted out the black left behind from the electrolysis.

More pics in the album: http://s1199.photobucket.com/user/sparky234/library/Sandbasted%20Parts?sort=3&page=1

 

[roofster]

Here's a link to some aluminum parts and one steel one that were glass beaded. http://s1199.photobucket.com/user/sparky234/library/Aluminum%20Parts%20after%20Glass%20Bead?sort=3&page=1