Abrasive blasting media

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artie727

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Bought a 90# sand blaster today from Harbor Freight and they do not carry sand. The salesman told me to use play box sand. Well it didn't work at all. It seems like it compacts to much and has a lot of rocks and debris in it.
Bottom line is what type of sand do I need to buy?

Thanks in advance,
Artie Perilloux
 
From what I know "sand" is not really the preferred "sandblasting" media. I use glass bead for the blasting cabinet but you can other use alternatives like walnut shells or soda blasting. The soda is good because you can just wash it off (I think). I think that in some cases sand can actually heat and warp sheet metal. Disclaimer: I'm not an expert.
 
The sand was inside of the local Home Depot but who knows where it's been. What I really need to know is where to buy what I need.

Thanks,
Artie
 
Sandbox sand is the worst thing you can put in your blaster. It's too soft (won't cut), has too much other crap in it, and it can give you deadly silicosis. Avoid it like the plague!

I'm going out on a limb here to say I probably do more blasting on a weekly basis than 90% of the FABO membership combined. For my powder coating purposes, aluminum oxide is good (but expensive) and glass beads and walnut shells leave too soft of a finish. I use Black Beauty black slag in a fine grit almost exclusively. It cuts extremely fast, costs $16.50 for a 100 lb. bag around here, and lasts at least four times as long as a similar sized bag of blasting sand.

Though I've never used it myself, there's a couple guys on the board who have soda blasting businesses; I don't recall their user names offhand but one is very well versed and the other just got into it. Do a term search for "soda blast" and you should see a recent thread about that very thing.

Good luck and have fun with your new Harbor Freight blaster! Check with a place online called TPTools.com for ceramic tips, better guns, evaporators, etc., to keep your investment in top shape. (There are also several threads on here about blasting / cabinets you may want to read through -- lots of good info in there.)

* * *

Oh yeah, you're the father/son team from my old stomping grounds!!! :-D

You can find fine grit, true blasting sand at Landry Lumber on Sugarhouse Road in Luling ... think it was about $3.00 for fifty pounds.
 
Hi there, ok my buddie has restored a number of b body Chryslers to some of the highest standards.. what ever that is.. I have seen his work and it is winning awards for that type of workmanship.. He uses this company below and has nothing but great things to say regarding minimal to no metal warp issues, blasting off undercoat (which is generally impossible) and high rate of cut / no residual contamination of substrate.

http://surfacetekinc.com/pot_st_abrasive_blast.htm

They are in the mid west or I would have a pallet of this stuff already.
They are very friendly on the phone and can reccomend the media you need for the job.

:)



artie727 said:
The sand was inside of the local Home Depot but who knows where it's been. What I really need to know is where to buy what I need.

Thanks,
Artie
Click to expand...
 
CudaChick1968 said:
Sandbox sand is the worst thing you can put in your blaster. It's too soft (won't cut), has too much other crap in it, and it can give you deadly silicosis. Avoid it like the plague!

I'm going out on a limb here to say I probably do more blasting on a weekly basis than 90% of the FABO membership combined. For my powder coating purposes, aluminum oxide is good (but expensive) and glass beads and walnut shells leave too soft of a finish. I use Black Beauty black slag in a fine grit almost exclusively. It cuts extremely fast, costs $16.50 for a 100 lb. bag around here, and lasts at least four times as long as a similar sized bag of blasting sand.

Though I've never used it myself, there's a couple guys on the board who have soda blasting businesses; I don't recall their user names offhand but one is very well versed and the other just got into it. Do a term search for "soda blast" and you should see a recent thread about that very thing.

Good luck and have fun with your new Harbor Freight blaster! Check with a place online called TPTools.com for ceramic tips, better guns, evaporators, etc., to keep your investment in top shape. (There are also several threads on here about blasting / cabinets you may want to read through -- lots of good info in there.)

* * *

Oh yeah, you're the father/son team from my old stomping grounds!!! :-D

You can find fine grit, true blasting sand at Landry Lumber on Sugarhouse Road in Luling ... think it was about $3.00 for fifty pounds.
Click to expand...

Great info. Thank you.
 
wifehatesmycar said:
From what I know "sand" is not really the preferred "sandblasting" media. I use glass bead for the blasting cabinet but you can other use alternatives like walnut shells or soda blasting. The soda is good because you can just wash it off (I think). I think that in some cases sand can actually heat and warp sheet metal. Disclaimer: I'm not an expert.
Click to expand...
if you use soda watch getting it in seams where 2 metel over lap like where door skins trunk skins come together if you don't get it all out and it gets wet it can swell and in some cases rip the metel apart so be careful
 
CudaChick1968 said:
Sandbox sand is the worst thing you can put in your blaster. It's too soft (won't cut), has too much other crap in it, and it can give you deadly silicosis. Avoid it like the plague!

I'm going out on a limb here to say I probably do more blasting on a weekly basis than 90% of the FABO membership combined. For my powder coating purposes, aluminum oxide is good (but expensive) and glass beads and walnut shells leave too soft of a finish. I use Black Beauty black slag in a fine grit almost exclusively. It cuts extremely fast, costs $16.50 for a 100 lb. bag around here, and lasts at least four times as long as a similar sized bag of blasting sand.

Though I've never used it myself, there's a couple guys on the board who have soda blasting businesses; I don't recall their user names offhand but one is very well versed and the other just got into it. Do a term search for "soda blast" and you should see a recent thread about that very thing.

Good luck and have fun with your new Harbor Freight blaster! Check with a place online called TPTools.com for ceramic tips, better guns, evaporators, etc., to keep your investment in top shape. (There are also several threads on here about blasting / cabinets you may want to read through -- lots of good info in there.)

* * *

Oh yeah, you're the father/son team from my old stomping grounds!!! :-D

You can find fine grit, true blasting sand at Landry Lumber on Sugarhouse Road in Luling ... think it was about $3.00 for fifty pounds.
Click to expand...


Sand might not be the best route ,but is probably the cheapest route..but please people use the proper gear when blasting..if nothing else use glasses and a filter apparatus... black beauty is nice..but make one heck of a mess..... I bought a cheap blaster to run sand thru... just make sure your sand is dry..and screen it well..
 
umm, i heard people use crushed up walnuts to sandblast some things, can anyone enlighten me on what they parts they use this method for?
 
CudaChick1968 said:
Sandbox sand is the worst thing you can put in your blaster. It's too soft (won't cut), has too much other crap in it, and it can give you deadly silicosis. Avoid it like the plague!

I'm going out on a limb here to say I probably do more blasting on a weekly basis than 90% of the FABO membership combined. For my powder coating purposes, aluminum oxide is good (but expensive) and glass beads and walnut shells leave too soft of a finish. I use Black Beauty black slag in a fine grit almost exclusively. It cuts extremely fast, costs $16.50 for a 100 lb. bag around here, and lasts at least four times as long as a similar sized bag of blasting sand.

Though I've never used it myself, there's a couple guys on the board who have soda blasting businesses; I don't recall their user names offhand but one is very well versed and the other just got into it. Do a term search for "soda blast" and you should see a recent thread about that very thing.

Good luck and have fun with your new Harbor Freight blaster! Check with a place online called TPTools.com for ceramic tips, better guns, evaporators, etc., to keep your investment in top shape. (There are also several threads on here about blasting / cabinets you may want to read through -- lots of good info in there.)

* * *

Oh yeah, you're the father/son team from my old stomping grounds!!! :-D

You can find fine grit, true blasting sand at Landry Lumber on Sugarhouse Road in Luling ... think it was about $3.00 for fifty pounds.
Click to expand...

So, let me get this straight, play sand is OK for your kids to play in, but not for blasting??? It's like anything else, if you are going to do a ton of blasting then I agree you should use the proper media, but for the once or twice a year car guy, use a good respirator and go for it.
 
I use garnet.
Sounds like you lot don't use it or it's not available over there.
I was recently told that soda blasting isn't good enough for heavier work such as rust,seam sealer etc.Brilliant fr the "softer" jobs.Apparantly has it's drawbacks with residues,etc.
Disclaimer - I'm not an expert.I just know a lot of people.
 
CudaChick1968 said:
Sandbox sand is the worst thing you can put in your blaster. It's too soft (won't cut), has too much other crap in it, and it can give you deadly silicosis. Avoid it like the plague!

I'm going out on a limb here to say I probably do more blasting on a weekly basis than 90% of the FABO membership combined. For my powder coating purposes, aluminum oxide is good (but expensive) and glass beads and walnut shells leave too soft of a finish. I use Black Beauty black slag in a fine grit almost exclusively. It cuts extremely fast, costs $16.50 for a 100 lb. bag around here, and lasts at least four times as long as a similar sized bag of blasting sand.

Though I've never used it myself, there's a couple guys on the board who have soda blasting businesses; I don't recall their user names offhand but one is very well versed and the other just got into it. Do a term search for "soda blast" and you should see a recent thread about that very thing.

Good luck and have fun with your new Harbor Freight blaster! Check with a place online called TPTools.com for ceramic tips, better guns, evaporators, etc., to keep your investment in top shape. (There are also several threads on here about blasting / cabinets you may want to read through -- lots of good info in there.)

* * *

Oh yeah, you're the father/son team from my old stomping grounds!!! :-D

You can find fine grit, true blasting sand at Landry Lumber on Sugarhouse Road in Luling ... think it was about $3.00 for fifty pounds.
Click to expand...

Thanks Cudachick, I'll take a quick run across da river and check them out and visit a friend while on dat side of da river.
By the way all I am trying to blast is the under carrige and the front k-member, no body parts.
 
ricbrann said:
Sand might not be the best route ,but is probably the cheapest route..but please people use the proper gear when blasting..if nothing else use glasses and a filter apparatus... black beauty is nice..but make one heck of a mess..... I bought a cheap blaster to run sand thru... just make sure your sand is dry..and screen it well..
Click to expand...


Any time you use a pot blaster rather than a blast cabinet, you make one heck of a mess regardless of the media you're using ... it's just a matter of what color the mess is. :-D

Sometimes a really big cardboard box is helpful to contain it -- and keep your costs down -- if you're blasting loose parts like the k-member, but you'll end up screening out bits of paper when you sift the leftovers for reuse. At a minimum, goggles, particle filter mask (a good one, not the cheesy $1.50 paper thing with the elastic strap and nose brace), long sleeved shirt and heavy gloves should always be worn.

The argument bikers use about helmets can be analagous here as well (if you have a ten-dollar head, buy a ten dollar helmet). Yes sand is cheap but can easily turn into a lifelong health expense if you use it without the proper equipment.
 
Put down a large tarp and you should be able to catch most of your sand. Then just screen and re-use. Or I have done it on my asphault driveway, just sweep first, blast, then sweep again and recycle.
 
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