what grit for sandblasting cabinet

[pony]

Hello, could I get a quick refresher on what sort of grit I want to my new sandblasting cabinet? First one I have and don't know the differences between the various sorts of grit. I mainly wish to clean up auto parts and corroded\rusty steal. Mine looks like this one. If you need the type of nozzel I have I can get the details.

 

[imported_banzaitoyota]

What are you blasting? What are you trying to accomplish with your blasting?

For GP rust removal on cast parts you cant go wrong with black beauty
For turbine blades I like plastic abrasives

 

[74-77Camaro]

Glass Bead is a fairly safe, general purpose medium, but it does wear out. Works great on aluminum, and will remove rust. Does not do well on paint, for that I use Black Diamond, which is a coarse black slag that is very sharp.

 

[pony]

That's what I'm wanting to read..... keep it coming. Since I haven't used this, or any before, any tips or caveats?? I hear not to set it up near my compressor so as not to allow any escaped dust from getting sucked into the filters on the compressor. Although the tricks of the trade will reveal themselves in time.... what do I need to get started?

Oh, my goal is to clean up auto parts, including aluminum, rust, cast. Painted products can be stripped first if needed but yeah General GP type stuff.

 

[Craig Balzer]

Media Blasting

Ken

Some day when you have an hour or two to kill check out this site:

http://www.consolidatedstripping.com/pages/1/index.htm

The owner, Don, appears to have a PhD in blasting. Looks like his shop has 5 or 6 cabinets and an oven or two -- big enough to cook and blast an entire car frame. He'll let guys rent his stuff on site. The first time I found this site I think I was looking for 3 hours. He talks about 4 or 5 grades of blasting, media, and stratia, etc.

I have never talked to Don but have corresponded with him on e-mail. I'll bet that if you can't figure out the media to use for a particular job, he'll help ya out on the phone; he came across as that sort of guy.

I have saved a lengthy e-mail response from him in which he discusses compressors. I can post it here if you are intersted in that, too.

Craig

 

[KCHOTBOAT]

I use 80 Grit Brown Aluminum Oxide or glass beads. I also mix the two sometimes. The aluminum oxide also makes the least amount of dust.

 

[Cebby]

I used 5 gallon buckets to store various media types. Since it was just a matter of removing the plug and draining the cabinet, it is a simple task to change media.

I don't have a strong enough compressor currrently, but when I was doing alot of blasting, I had 5 different medias.

Coarse sand
Fine sand
Starblast (like the black slag listed above)
Medium glass beads
Walnut shells

I'm sure there have been advances in media though since I was doing alot of this. Like others said, depends on the piece being blasted and what you hope to accomplish.

I'd be really interested to see the contents of the emails about compressors for blasting. Not alot of good info out there on the subject. Other than adequate CFM and good dry air, know nothing on the subject.

 

[outlawbob]

I've used sand and black beauty, sand is a mess, a lot of clogged nozzles, black beauty will do just about anything. Have done aluminum wheels steel wheels and every other car part you can imagine, have not done car skin, but am about to try it on that. Cabinet is fine for small pieces, I use a pressure blaster for large items, set up a small tent, blast away then lift all 4 corners of the tent and scoop up the blast and sift back into empty cat food containers,lol, seriously them hold just the right amount.

 

[74-77Camaro]

I haven't ever used sand, heard it was too much hassle. I get the 40 lb bags of Black Diamond (slag) from Northern Tool for like $5 a bag. I spread out a tarp so as not to kill the grass, and stick a cheap siphon gun into the bucket. I wear a blast hood, long sleeves and pants, rubber gloves, and a supplied air mask system. I don't try to save too much of the slag when it's so cheap.

I have alum oxide that I use in a medium sized Harbour Freight cabinet. I have a little cabinet like the one you show above that I got at a garage sale. I use glass bead in it. You will have to figure a way to fasten the siphon tube to the bottom so it won't become uncovered by the media.

Wear proper breathing protection, try to do it outside if possible. If you get the super fine dust into your lungs you can get silicosis (sp?), messes up lung capacity and never comes back out. Just use your head!

 

[krooser]

Ken

Some day when you have an hour or two to kill check out this site:

http://www.consolidatedstripping.com/pages/1/index.htm

The owner, Don, appears to have a PhD in blasting. Looks like his shop has 5 or 6 cabinets and an oven or two -- big enough to cook and blast an entire car frame. He'll let guys rent his stuff on site. The first time I found this site I think I was looking for 3 hours. He talks about 4 or 5 grades of blasting, media, and stratia, etc.

I have never talked to Don but have corresponded with him on e-mail. I'll bet that if you can't figure out the media to use for a particular job, he'll help ya out on the phone; he came across as that sort of guy.

I have saved a lengthy e-mail response from him in which he discusses compressors. I can post it here if you are intersted in that, too.

Craig

Great site...Thanks

 

[SprintCC]

I used 5 gallon buckets to store various media types. Since it was just a matter of removing the plug and draining the cabinet, it is a simple task to change media.

I don't have a strong enough compressor currrently, but when I was doing alot of blasting, I had 5 different medias.

Coarse sand
Fine sand
Starblast (like the black slag listed above)
Medium glass beads
Walnut shells

I'm sure there have been advances in media though since I was doing alot of this. Like others said, depends on the piece being blasted and what you hope to accomplish.

I'd be really interested to see the contents of the emails about compressors for blasting. Not alot of good info out there on the subject. Other than adequate CFM and good dry air, know nothing on the subject.

I know Walnut Shells are good for delicate parts, internal engine parts, etc. Unfortunately my Wife is incredibly allergic to nuts and if I used Walnut Shells it would probably kill her. What alternative to Walnut shells are there?

Chris
Blue Bell Pa

 

[Ed ke6bnl]

I haven't ever used sand, heard it was too much hassle. I get the 40 lb bags of Black Diamond (slag) from Northern Tool for like $5 a bag. I spread out a tarp so as not to kill the grass, and stick a cheap siphon gun into the bucket. I wear a blast hood, long sleeves and pants, rubber gloves, and a supplied air mask system. I don't try to save too much of the slag when it's so cheap.

I have alum oxide that I use in a medium sized Harbour Freight cabinet. I have a little cabinet like the one you show above that I got at a garage sale. I use glass bead in it. You will have to figure a way to fasten the siphon tube to the bottom so it won't become uncovered by the media.

Wear proper breathing protection, try to do it outside if possible. If you get the super fine dust into your lungs you can get silicosis (sp?), messes up lung capacity and never comes back out. Just use your head!

Is that an error I get the 40 lb bags of Black Diamond (slag) from Northern Tool for like $5 a bag. Sound too good thanks would like to try black Diamond for may next project. Looking for the best price with shipping thanks Ed ke6bnl

 

[abaran]

When I had my cabinet set up I used glass beads and a product called Jet Mag. It's a synthetic product made in Canada. A lot of the shipyards in the Norfolk area used the stuff because it did not cause any additional environmental problems. A 55lb bag was fairly cheap and it lasted a fair amount of time. You could tell when it was at the end of it's life when the amount of dust increased and you had to go slower to get the same amount of crud off. The neat thing is it comes in a wide variety of mesh (sandblasters term for grit) from very fine to mildly course. Another benefit was you didn't go through tips like **** through a goose.

Just my two cents.

Happy Blasting.

Andy

 

[tkellytn]

Sand

Check around your town I have a local TrueValue and a TSC that stock blast sand and the black beauty that is good on rust

 

[pony]

Great posts I have enough info to make my purchase. Great reading, especially that site Craig Balzer linked to

 

[pony]

Oh another question. Do those cabinets leak dust in a manner that I wouldn't want my air compressor within a certain distance of the cabinet?

 

[iiibdsiil]

What would ya'll recommend for plexiglass? Wanna sand blast a design into a piece eventually. Be 1/2".