Auto Paint Jobs

5 Tips to Pick the Right Medium for Your Sandblasting Project

24 February 2020

Gavin Lawson

Sandblasting abrasives are essential media used in removing old coatings by using specialised equipment such as sandblasters. A sandblaster has a small nozzle that shoots the media at hard surfaces at amazingly high speeds to remove grease, paint or rust. There are different types of abrasive media, and you can choose any as per your application needs. To understand where to use a specific sandblasting medium, you must first select the right one.

Here are five tips for choosing the right abrasive media for your sandblasting project:

Always Work With Softer Media First

If you are still new to sandblasting, you may have no idea your sandblasting material's resistance is. For instance, using stronger media such as steel balls on a balustrade may cause uneven dents and rough surfaces. Therefore, it's crucial to start with softer mediums such as corn cobs to avoid etching. Also, begin with media that's biodegradable and friendly to the environment.

Choose Glass Beads for a Shiny Finish

To achieve a stronger and safer cleaning result for your auto parts or stainless-steel surfaces, consider using glass beads. This medium consists of highly recyclable soda-lime glass with the least negative effect on the surface. Hence, it is a cost-effective medium for cleaning metal castings or rough surfaces. When you want to save an extra buck, then consider glass beads. 

Achieve Excellent Glass Etching With Aluminium Oxide

More hard and tough industrial surfaces that require scraping and repainting can make use of aluminium oxide, finely worked on the glass. Aluminium oxide is characteristically sharper and harder compared to glass beads. For this reason, you must understand the type of surface you are working on before utilising it. 

Try Aggressive Etching With Silicon Carbide

For harder sandblasting or etching, you require silicon carbide. This media has an extremely high cutting capability since it can effectively cut through glass, metal and other harder surfaces. It's useful in scouring off paint and rust from surfaces to achieve a clean finish.

Consider Peening With Steel Shots

If you are resolute in attempting a different type of sandblasting using super-hard media, consider steel shots made from carbon steel. The round-shaped steel shots can help in various peening and polishing applications. After the sandblasting process, you can get a sharper and angular texture on the plane. Besides, they can be highly effective in removing rust, scale and paint from more hardened steel surfaces.

Conclusion

These are five tips highlighting various abrasive media you can use in your sandblasting projects. Hopefully, by now, you have a clue which one is undoubtedly the most suitable for your application. 

Share  

Search