blasting alloy

[brightspark]

just thought id show the results of sand and beads on an old aluminium pulley for comparison .one shows just with sand to remove rust and corrosion blasted at 90 psi the other side is sandblasted then half masked off then beadblasted using a suction gun in the cabinet one a matt finish the other a smooth satin finish . I keep the beads clean by using sand 1st. if its carburettors and machined stuff it only gets beadblasted as not to alter any tolerances

 

[Lewis_RX8]

Interesting different finishes from those, I've only ever used copper slag abrasive.

Is the bead blasting the same suction gun as copper slag and those types or is it a different setup.

 

[brightspark]

I use pressure pots for the sand and copper slag and a small cabinet with a suction gun in for doing the beads . the larger cabinet I have will accommodate car wheels so I can use sand in the pressure pot in the large cabinet as well as a suction gun using sand

 

[Brad93]

The abrasive you want is olivine.

 

[brightspark]

The abrasive you want is olivine.

theres all types of abrasive depending on your application requirements. ive used sand and beads for the last 45 years. the sand is fine and plentiful at 4 quid a bag the beads are expensive but reusable and I scored 2 bags for 15 quid each well under half price

 

[Brad93]

theres all types of abrasive depending on your application requirements. ive used sand and beads for the last 45 years. the sand is fine and plentiful at 4 quid a bag the beads are expensive but reusable and I scored 2 bags for 15 quid each well under half price

The olivine will give a much better finish than the sand but no where near the price of beads.

 

[brightspark]

The olivine will give a much better finish than the sand but no where near the price of beads.

its actually coarser than kiln dried sand and more abrasive https://surfaceprep.com/product/synthetic-olivine/

 

[Brad93]

its actually coarser than kiln dried sand and more abrasive https://surfaceprep.com/product/synthetic-olivine/

Kiln dried sand breaks down into free silicon

 

[brightspark]

Kiln dried sand breaks down into free silicon

yep I know that's why I have a woodchip extracta on my cabinet and a shotblasting air fed helmet when open blasting .nothing stopping u using it for personal use as long as its not used in industry. just the same rules apply in private workshops with machinery with no guards

 

[fizzy]

Kiln dried sand breaks down into free silicon

I survived several bad sand storms in desert regions. Am I doomed?
I am guessing repeated exposure is the problem. Professional blasters for example.

 

[Brad93]

No the problem is when the sand breaks down

 

[fizzy]

No the problem is when the sand breaks down

It is breaking down naturally in the desert all the time. A proper sand storm can easily turn a car windscreen frosty or strip paint off an aircraft.
Apparently people do get silicosis from the desert and other dusty environments. Desert lung disease it's called. Also dust pneumonia in the Mid West during their huge dust bowls. Animals also get silicosis from foraging in dusty fields.

I suppose common sense dictates that breathing this in can't be good for you!