Blasting Media

[sk83r005]

I was just wondering what is the best blasting media by your experience. I want to know which is most effective on fairly small parts such as pulley's etc. And where can I get the specific media's? Lowe's or Home Depot? Thanks

Tom

[85 Notchback]

Depends what you are blasting :P Different media for different applications....

For pullies, I would use glass beads...

[Marz]

I bead blasted a nice pair of 83 "powered by ford" Al valve covers.. at LOW pst btw.

It now oly depends on the type of media you use... but also the PSI at which you blast.

[slickshift]

And where can I get the specific media's? Lowe's or Home Depot? Thanks

I'm new to media-blasting
85 Notchback convinced me to try it
I'm having the same problem with finding the media
The NAPA and ACME dudes give me that look like I have two heads
I can't find it at HD or L's
I can order it from Eastwood Co. but 85 Notchback get's his media way cheaper, so I figure there's got to be a good local source
I got the (rudimentary) sand blasting kit at HD, but the only "media" they had is play sand
Cheap but it really doesn't really inspire me to put anything other than practice pieces of junk under the gun here
Any suggestions on suppliers for media for me and sk83r005?

[85 Notchback]

Ask your local body shops who supply them, as they also look for the cheapest buy ;)

I use sand mostly, cause mine is mainly for small rust removal.

FYI: I don't get the sand "cheap". I sweep it all up after using it, filter it, and use it all again :)

I just go to my old high school to get plastic or glass bead medias, as the teacher gives me deals 8)

Calon

[Capri50]

I picked up a 50lb bucket of medium grit glass bead from Eastwood. They are only 50 mins from me, and I wanted to check the place out anyway. It's a candystore of cool tools, paints, etc.

at $35 it seems reasonably priced compared to some other vendors I found. I've been using it for months and still have plenty left thanks to a leak-free blasting cabinet.

[Mumfts85gt]

I bought some play sand after reading a post on here and tried it out. Some of the sand was too large to be consistant. After that didn't work. I went to harbor freight and bought a portable media blasting kit and a small box of Aluminum oxide (10lbs.?). It works well, but at $19.99 forget about it. At work, I get to use glass bead in an industrial cabinette. Last saturday I bought a 50lb bag from work for a little over $15. I haven't used it yet because I was having difficulties finding some 3M Weld Thru primer. Once I got my hands in that, it has been rainy and too cold to use the primer. Hopefully, conditions will be better tomorrow and I can get my torquebox, rear suspension project ready for welding this week.
Calon, what do you use to filter or sift out the larger pebbles? I would still like to use the sand when possible.
Capri50, Are you able to reuse your glassbeads? The beads we use at work are toast after one use. It is pretty fine grit and turns into a fine powder.
Rob.

[I H8 GM]

Try a local body shop supply or paint supply store.

I have never used "play sand", I'm not sure how well thats gonna work. My local supply house sells 50lb of blast sand for around $5 if I remember correctly. It's been a little while since I bought any. This is really aggressive stuff, great for rust removal and the like. I use this for outdoor blasting, I don't try to reuse it.

Glass bead I think is the best overall "clean up" media for small parts, but it's expensive. I think I paid $40 for the last bag I bought. Glass bead can be used for a while if sifted to remove the trash from it. I use an old window screen in a metal frame for sifting and put it back in the cabinet. It also helps to use a dust collector on the cabinet to get the really fine stuff out of the media.

There are other medias available for more fragile items.

Does anybody here have any experience with soda blasting? I'm thinking of having my Mach 1 body blasted before paint.

[Mumfts85gt]

The glassbead we have must be way finer than the stuff you bought. I tried the window screen thing with the sand, but the screen was too large. Even the sand it did seperate had too large of pebbles to work through the blast gun. I have read that soda blasting leaves a protective coat on the surface to protect from rust until it can be prepped for paint. It sounds like good media, especially for what you want it for.
Rob.

[85 Notchback]

Just use an old window screen to filter the sand... I also, have never used "play sand" just "blasting" sand?

[saleenjunky]

I have an old eastwood siphon blaster and play sand always got clogged up in it.I started going to a concrete co. to buy fine sand in 50lb bags for about $5.The other week I went to Eastwood and bought the 50lb bucket of aluminum oxide and it worked good on my frame rail.

[79 cobra]

The EPA just put a stop to selling sillica sand .
It was $8 for 80 lbs .
Now dupont has something called Starblast to replace it .
It sucks .
Now it's 50 lbs for $9+ .
We've just gotten in something more aggressive than that .
(People bitched)
It's $12+ a bag . about 70-80 lbs .

I've tried to filter and reuse sand before .
It don't work very good the 2nd time used .
Waste of time .

I've bought sand before at Sears hardware store .

[XxGATORxX]

for you fans of Harbor freight, you can get bead and alum. oxide there.

The best stuff i ever used was from TP tools, and I think it was one of thier own mixture. It was a white powder that cut through pretty much anything and was a lot easier on the finish than anything I have ever used.

The only problem with it is that it didnt last as long as a cabinet full of bead blast

[eric5oh]

TPTOOLS have some great stuff. Check their website or they actually have media on Ebay right now

[Capri50]

TPTOOLS have some great stuff. Check their website or they actually have media on Ebay right now

also a fan of TP tools. Bought one of their blasting cabs for $299 a while ago after ripping my hair out with one of the POS $99 specials at Harbor freight. It's a quality built cabinet and could easily fit a set of heads or intake in and get this, it doesn't leak like that HF crapola.

to answer the q earlier, I have re-used the eastwood glass bead twice with decent results, but keep the PSI low at 60-65.

[frankiesaysrelax]

My buddy get media from Granger? Grangier? That big supply company. It comes in like 5 gallon plastic buckets.

[FoxChassis]

Grainger

http://www.grainger.com

[slickshift]

My buddy get media from Granger? Grangier? That big supply company. It comes in like 5 gallon plastic buckets.
Grainger (snap) S-O-a-B....I forgot about them guys
I found a branch not to far from me this winter
I keep forgeting to check them out for stuff like that
Thanks man

[capri650]

Here is a site that gives all companies that sell blast equipment and media. Found it thought might help some one locate what they need.

http://en.thomasnet.com/nsearch.html?which=prod&what=Abrasive+Blast+Equipment&heading=20503&cov=EP&navsec=modify__re4_74_175394er__

[85 Notchback]

Here is a site that gives all companies that sell blast equipment and media. Found it thought might help some one locate what they need.

http://en.thomasnet.com/nsearch.html?which=prod&what=Abrasive+Blast+Equipment&heading=20503&cov=EP&navsec=modify__re4_74_175394er__

Your local napa store will sell small blasting equipment, which is about $40 and sufficent for most small rust jobs...

Calon

[slickshift]

Your local napa store will sell small blasting equipment, which is about $40 and sufficent for most small rust jobs...

Calon
8O :fried: :nuts: <---My local NAPA guys when I asked about blasting equipment and media
That's the first place I went
They are really great guys, this one just threw them

[85 Notchback]

Wierd, when I went to Napa with a friend to get his blaster they had tons in stock and gave us exactly what was needed.

[anthonydalrymple]

I used "play sand" years ago to blast the bed of my former '70 Ranchero.
It worked very well, but i think it was due to several things going "just right'. I had a very old but good blasting gun with a huge "tip"\orifice & a high volume\pressure air compressor. i reused the old sand w\paint chips in it with no problem......