help with sandblasting media
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 547
Likes: 13
From: Carlstadt NJ
help with sandblasting media
So I put together a small sand blast cabinet and got one of those low cfm siphon guns (5 at 90 PSI) with a 3/16 tip. What would be a good media type and grit for removing paint and rust? Also, is black beauty media only used for external bucket type sandblasters?
Danny
Danny
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,871
Likes: 6
From: Sault Ste. Marie Ontario
I use Black Beauty in my cabinet and it works well. I've also used crushed glass with good results but it breaks down quicker.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 6,640
Likes: 287
From: Ann Arbor Michigan
I use the glass beads which will remove all but the really bad rust. If you keep air pressure to not over 70 PSI, it doesn't break up and will last a lot longer. For heavy rust, use one of the abrasive media.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 993
Likes: 44
From: Jefferson Hills PA
The black beauty will cut faster and leave a slightly rougher surface. It also makes more dust in a cabinet and is harder to see. If you hook up a shop vac hose to the upper rear corner of the cabinet it will help with the dust removal. A light of some kind is good to have in the cabinet too. I used glass beads on all of my parts in the cabinet. It does breakdown faster with higher air pressure and doesnt cut as fast as black beauty.
Pro
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 683
Likes: 4
Good Luck
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 2,609
Likes: 12
From: Massapequa Park NY
Black beauty will remove heavy rust quickly, but will leave a rough finish. I use Aluminum Oxide for steel & heavily rusted cast parts. Final cleanup of the cast parts with glass bead and glass bead on aluminum parts.
Clean & degrease the parts first and the media will last longer & it will be easier to see. Also I wire wheel the heavy rust and any scale off first.
Jim
Terrorizing Orange Cones
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,572
Likes: 17
From: Northern CO
Black beauty will remove heavy rust quickly, but will leave a rough finish. I use Aluminum Oxide for steel & heavily rusted cast parts. Final cleanup of the cast parts with glass bead and glass bead on aluminum parts.
Clean & degrease the parts first and the media will last longer & it will be easier to see. Also I wire wheel the heavy rust and any scale off first.
Jim
Clean & degrease the parts first and the media will last longer & it will be easier to see. Also I wire wheel the heavy rust and any scale off first.
Jim
I use a 70 grit alum oxide in my cabinet. Shop vac connect to suck up dust and parts come out finished like new, ready for wash-dry and protective coating of your choice.
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Instructor
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 240
Likes: 58
From: Jacksonville, Florida
You are probably going to call me crazy because that's exactly what I thought when I was told the following..... I was restoring the seats in my '77 and wanted to get all the old rust and paint off. I went to Wal Mart and bought one of those long flat plastic, under the bed storage boxes, and 6 gallons of vinegar. Sounds crazy, but trust me, after about 36 hours in that bath, those frames and tracks came out better than any sandblasting job. Shot it with a high pressure garden hose and down to the bare metal. Here is a before and after pic. I used spray paint primer and flat black to finish them off. Good Luck.
