Dennis, they ALL will get dusty. The more you use it the more it breaks down and gets dusty. I've used Black Diamond and think its expensive at $8 a bag(50lb) from Tractor Supply. I use and keep the glass beads around to. I get a 50 lb glass in cardboard container from Tractor Supply for $30. I also have a 5 gal bucket of Plastic media that was given to me for free but have not tried it. I do know that platic will NOT take off rust. Its ONLY for peeling off paint!! I could write a tech tip on the darn plastic!!
You ask for the BEST and the CHEAPEST....its hard to have both but here is what I do.
The local concrete place sells blasting sand in three sizes.
EXTRA fine, FINE, and MEDIUM. It is all consistant size and it is ONLY $3.28 for a 40/50 lb bag. I buy the fine sand for the rust and it does a good job. During blasting the plastic window cover gets beat up and you can't see. I use a soft "bee brush" that I brush it off everytime I open the door. I also wipe it ocassionaly with windex but it don't help much. Just brush it off and keep trucking!
You can buy the plastic window protectors at Tractor Supply and save shipping UNLESS you have the BIG window like mine and in that case I have to buy them from TPTool since tractor supply don't carry the big ones. I am actually going to see if I can find it at a craft store. I know its out there somewhere. I have also noticed that when my friend bring something here to blast they hold the gun and piece up close to the window which will ruin a platic cover in a heart beat. I have a stool I sit on while blasting and I try to hold the piece at "arms length" and it sure helps the platic cover last longer.
My cabinet is easy to change the media so I keep a container with a plastic bag under my cabinet in case I want to switch to the glass beads or whatever I need for the piece I'm blasting.
Soooo, cheap is SAND....Good is SAND....on RUSTY stuff. Just use good sand like I mentioned.
AND...does your cabinet have ONE light or two??? Mine has two and it sure does help seeing when the sand starts to get fine and dusty.
EDIT: depending on what kind of vacumn you use be careful. The fine dust will get the bearing in it!!
Last edited by Achipmunk; 10/12/2008 8:19 PM.
