Media Blasters

[Ocelot85]

How many of you use blast cabinets and sand blast all the scale off your peices to save your belts from forge / mill scale, if you do can you estimate how much it's saved you on grinding belts? I'm trying to figure out if it would be more cost effective in the long run for me to purchuse one, rather than presumably purchusing more belts since they're destroyed quickly by scale.

 

[Rick Marchand]

The most cost effective method would be to dissolve the scale in white vinegar. I am intersted in getting a bead blaster, too. I don't have a big enough compressor, which unless I happen to luck out at a yard sale, would set me back over 1K. Then comes the cabinet and whatnot.... too much to take on right now.

 

[AVigil]

I soak my blades in white vinegar and it removes much of nasty. I also glass bead blast some blades and it easily removes any remaining. But the bead blasting is not needed you can do the vinegar soak and then straight to the grinder with no problems.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

As said, vinegar or dilute FC will remove most scale.

 

[Ocelot85]

Thanks for the feedback guys on the vinegar, I've never heard that before. How long would you say it takes for the vinegar to disolve the scale?

 

[Rick Marchand]

In most cases, overnight does the trick.

 

[Broomhead]

Hot vinegar will work much faster than cold.

 

[woodwrkr221]

The last time I soaked steel in vinegar to remove the scale it left pits in the surface of the steel, did I do something wrong?

 

[Rick Marchand]

The last time I soaked steel in vinegar to remove the scale it left pits in the surface of the steel, did I do something wrong?

Nope... the vinegar eats at everything. I would imagine that most of that pitting was there already. Soaking in vinegar removes the scale that would overwise cause your belts to wear prematurely. Don't expect a nice even finish.