The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest what media to use in blasting cabinet

I'm getting a blast cabinet, what would be the best media to use, I'm considering either glass beads or crushed glass. I'm going to use it for any thing I can get in it, trim, small parts, most anything. Suggestions Please. Dave

Crushed glass cuts better, from what you want to do sounds like that's the better choice.

Grigg

Should I get the finest grit?

Depends on what you want to do.
If you want to polish, go with glass bead.
If you want to remove material like rust & paint, use the ground glass. Ive been using ground glass in both my sand blaster and my small cabinet. I like it , it works well.
I use both the fine and medium grits.
Get a bag of each and try them, that's what I did
The stuff I buy goes for about $13.00 a bag
It's put out by Opta Minerals. They have a web site http://www.optaminerals.com/
I get it from my welding supplier.

Depends. If you plan to blast everything with ONE media I would recommend FINE sand. If you plan on blasting some "delicate" stuff I'd say use glass beads.
These are "my" opinions.
Very little stuff will need the aggressiveness of Black Diamond and its pricey.
Platic will cut nothing but paint. Period.
Its costly but not sure how much. A friend that uses it gave it to me.

Glass will work on most stuff but may be a little to "soft" for real rusty stuff...however, I do like it but it is also a little pricey to use all the time.
I think its about $30 now for a 25lb box.

Sand... I buy REAL blasting sand at the local concrete mixing place in 50lb bags. It come in Medium, Fine and Extra Fine and cost $3.50 a bag so its not real expensive and you can "dump" it often when it gets "dusty" or contaminated and won't cost you an arm and leg. This sand is also "sized" and will flow and blast good.

I think you'll find after some use you will do like I ended up doing. Under my cabinet is a bag of Medium for cruddy stuff along with a bag of glass and a 5 gal bucket of plastic. I hardly ever use the plastic but I do pull out the glass when doing pistons or rods ect... or delicate trim type pieces.
Hope this helps.

I guess when I get the cabinet I'll have them bring a bag of fine glass when it is delivered. Thanks for all the opinions, I would tend to classify my work as paint removal and mild to moderate rust on small parts/trim or anything that will fit into the cabinet. Dave

I use alox in mine. But it is a monster.

I prefer glass bead for the cabinet, usually the parts that go in there are more delicate stuff, the coarse stuff we use aluminum oxide in the blasting room for larger heavier stuff

I have a Scat Blaster Cabinet (see link)

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2316270570054402330qPrAFH

All I've ever used is the glass from Harbor Freight, I tried the course Grit (for heavy Rust) and it just tore up a nozzle in about 15 minutes of use. I also have a bag of Walnut shells for etching glass.

About once a year I usually change out the media.

Jake, I wore the steel nozzles out in a philadelphia minute. I switched to Ceramic which is much better but its best to bite the bullet and buy a carbide.... .

I use boron carbide nozzles.

When I purchased some ceramic nozzles from HF they came in a 4 pact of different sizes. How do you know which size to use with each media and/or size?? Right now I just do the try and see method.

Martin, I think TP Tool has a web site and has some real good info on blasting. I bought one of their Skat-Blast cabinets about 10 years ago and remember seeing the info in a book and on line. That may help understand a lot of this stuff. They also have, or did have, good info compressors, and air lines.