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Blast media for diy use
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andycars



Joined: 03 Dec 2007
Posts: 239
Location: South Wales

PostPosted: Wed Sep 11, 2019 1:20 pm    Post subject: Blast media for diy use Reply with quote

I bought a bench top blast cabinet at Beaulieu last weekend. It's similar to the Machine Mart one but I bought it much cheaper from C J Autos at £90. It takes soda, glass beads or aluminium oxide. Someone suggested kiln-dried sand, much cheaper and available from garden centres - does anyone have knowledge of this (or other) media in such machines?
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Bitumen Boy



Joined: 26 Jan 2012
Posts: 1728
Location: Above the snow line in old Monmouthshire

PostPosted: Wed Sep 11, 2019 2:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The most common choice for such a cabinet would, I believe, be aluminium oxide. The problem with using sand is it produces silica dust which isn't too clever health wise - especially with a cabinet used indoors where it's pretty well inevitable that you'll breathe at least some of it in. Personally I've used sand as a blast media - ordinary builder's sand dried in an equally ordinary gas oven - but that's as part of a total loss system, working outdoors on a breezy day which doesn't really give the nasties chance to accumulate.
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MikeEdwards



Joined: 25 May 2011
Posts: 2459
Location: South Cheshire

PostPosted: Tue Oct 01, 2019 10:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I bought some media for my suction blast gun (the kind where you stick a pipe in a bucket of media and it sucks it up for a few seconds, then the pipe blocks, you stop to clear it, blast a bit more, repeat all day) and that was from eBay, labelled "25KG Medium Glass Grit Blast for Abrasive Shot Sand Blasting Cleaning metal wood". I am sure the description said something about it being silica-free. £15-odd for 25kg.
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Kenham



Joined: 12 Mar 2012
Posts: 209
Location: Kent

PostPosted: Tue Oct 01, 2019 10:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kiln dried sand will probably give you the best results if blasting rusty metal and you can use it 2 or 3 times. Whatever you use you will need a good means of breathing apparatus preferably air fed, rust dust will be just as bad for you as any other dust and yes silica sand can give you silicosis. All dust will get in your lungs to stop you breathing. An air fed helmet will be a lot cheaper than bad health and it stops your face being blasted. Being in a cabinet will not necessarily stop dust getting in your lungs if used for any time, good cabinets will have an extractor to take the dust away. As for the pipe in the bucket of sand get a drum or bucket with a small hole in the bottom , raise the said bucket or drum 2 or 3 inches from the surface ,( a sheet of steel is good ) ,let the sand form a small heap underneath and insert the suction pipe into the sand. if you make it adjustable it will keep feeding the blaster without getting blocked. When the heap gets to reach the bucket it will stop coming out, hope this makes sense.
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Ray White



Joined: 02 Dec 2014
Posts: 6264
Location: Derby

PostPosted: Tue Oct 22, 2019 11:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I purchased a cheap syphon type sand blaster.... a complete waste of money.
I then bought a pressure fed sand blaster (60-125 psi) which again suffered from blocking up until I changed from glass to iron sulphate. The machine I have will work with aluminium sulphate for a once only use but will soon block up if I try re using it.
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