Bead Blasting
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 755
Likes: 1
From: Hobart Tasmania
Bead Blasting
I have heard the term 'Bead Blasting' on the Forum and when inquiring with the local Sandblaster he doesn't know what I mean.
Is Bead Blasting the use of glass beads, polysytrene, garnet stones etc or what substance.
Is Bead Blasting the use of glass beads, polysytrene, garnet stones etc or what substance.
Administrator
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 67,446
Likes: 1,972
From: Chattanooga, TN
CI 2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
NCM Lifetime Member
NCM Sinkhole Donor
Don't try bead-blasting paint off your fiberglas unless you know what you are doing -- otherwise you can put a texture on the glass that is difficult/expensive to remove. 
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,883
Likes: 11
From: North Easton Mass
There are several different types of blasting media available and each has a different purpose. You can look on Eastwood's website to get an idea of the different media types and their purpose. I agree that if your local blaster has no clue what bead blasting is you shouldn't trust him with anything delicate.
Rick B.
Rick B.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 359
Likes: 0
From: PYOTE BOMBER BASE TEXAS
it is possible to use any thing from blow sand ....plastic media.... steel or lead shot...walnut shell ... ect.ect.... the type of media used and the size, will determine the cut rate...and finish desired... from a satin finish, to a heavy metalic flake look.... then if you intend to keep the desired finish...you will need to seal with clear or paint. ...or if you want it have a natural look just spray with a oil finisher wipe dry..and bang you are all set....this is a great way to hide surface blemishes...
as regards to sandblasters.....you most likely not find any living old blasters due to the lung health hazards....when you use a blast cabinet with worn out material...you see what I mean.
if you use a sand blast service and you want everything stripped..ask for a "white blast" and not the " commercial blast"...it will be clean and white.
as regards to sandblasters.....you most likely not find any living old blasters due to the lung health hazards....when you use a blast cabinet with worn out material...you see what I mean.
if you use a sand blast service and you want everything stripped..ask for a "white blast" and not the " commercial blast"...it will be clean and white.
Last edited by TEXASDESERTVETTE; Mar 8, 2007 at 07:53 PM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,078
Likes: 0
From: Santee CA
I would wholeheartedly agree to this one...Bead blasting is commonly used to refer to using glass bead to blast your items. If the blasting service hasn't ever heard of it, I'd look for another service, and QUICK.
I've got a cabinet of my own, and I use either glass bead or aluminum oxide to strip...The glass bead tends to be a very soft material and works well for most of my smaller parts.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 5,236
Likes: 898
From: Myrtle Beach SC
rih...are those valve covers for your 78? Did you paint them after beadblasting? I may be doing the same thing so curious.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 3,758
Likes: 3
From: Surrey
Chris, there's a bunch of people in your area who are into steam engine, railway & military vehicle restoration. If you can get hold of one of them they should be able to point you in the right direction.
