bead blast media

A

amcjavelin401

Joined
Dec 24, 2006
Messages
51
what is the best bead blast media for blades ?? I'm going to get a new
cabinet and don't know what media to get..
 
It depends on the purpose of blasting.100 grit SC for removing scale. Glass beads for satin finish. Most guys try several types and grits to see what they like the best.
 
Depending on the HP and air supply volume of your compressor, you might have to mix in aluminum oxide media with the glass beads. About 50/50 of150 grit AO and BT8 which ='s 60-100 mesh GB(mesh does not equate to grit size, BTW. It's totally different). Any abrasives supply house will have that stuff.

You can vary the percentages for different finishes. Premix the stuff in 1 gallon milk jugs, writing on the outside the mixture percentage. Counter top blasting cabinets usually have a 10 pound hopper capacity, and a milk jug holds about that weight.
The higher the GB mixture the finer the finish, the more the AO, the duller the finish, etc.

If you can contact the maker of the blast cabinet(probably cyclone) get a ceramic blast nozzle for your gun. It will last a LOT longer than the cheap steel one supplied with it. Also order it a size smaller in hole diameter for better use with marginal air volume(most of us). If it's a 3/8" hole, get a 1/4", etc.
 
Mike
Thanks for the info.
I'm running a 5hp 60 gal tank compressor.
I have a cheap siphon sandblaster and used it a couple times with white
silica sand. I am able to maintain 95 pounds of line pressure for as long
as I want to blast at one time.
In my area I'm very limited to suppliers of the different abrasives.
mainly just farm supply places but they do have a few options i saw
 
Be very careful of Silica sand and silicone carbide media as breathing them can cause silicosis. No cure!!

Your respirator will not filter that stuff out, in fact most warn against using them for blasting filters. There are types to use for that. Call the maker of your respirator and ask them. You are wearing a respirator, aren't you?
 
bladsmth said:
It depends on the purpose of blasting.100 grit SC for removing scale. Glass beads for satin finish. Most guys try several types and grits to see what they like the best.
Click to expand...

What is your favorite GB size for a satin finish? Thanks...
 
As a side note I have used #100 silica on 5/16 drill rod and then tempered it to make a nice little knife steel. Not that I would recomend useing that to finish a blade as it make the surface rough to the touch unlike glass or steel beads...That being said all my knives recive a 100# silica/sand blast before they have their handles put onto them. This gives the epoxy something to"bite" into.
 
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