Experimental Glass Bead Blasting - How much media

[JonnyAlpha]

Hi,
I have a small DIY blast cabinet and after following some of the mods on here successfully cleaned up some parts using Restofine G500, which I believe is a crushed glass media.

I have some Aluminium parts that I want to clean up and then lacquer with AFC50?

I have been advised (and watched some great videos) to use Glass Bead. Before I waste another £40 - £50 on a 25Kg bag, most places also sell it in 5KG bags. I know this is not cost effective but would a 5KG bag be enough for a small cabinet?

It is one of these and I have done the cooper pipe mod to aid media flow.

 

[Gragson]

Hi I have the same cabinet and have been using this stuff pretty exclusively on aluminium bike parts.
Got it about 2 years ago for £25 irrc delivered free from Belgium!
Cheapest I can see now of ebay is this for £35 - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Glass-Be...hash=item42099b06aa:m:m62g4iY5Fpzl4QIsmzwcjuw

 

[JonnyAlpha]

Hi I have the same cabinet and have been using this stuff pretty exclusively on aluminium bike parts.
Got it about 2 years ago for £25 irrc delivered free from Belgium!
Cheapest I can see now of ebay is this for £35 - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Glass-Be...hash=item42099b06aa:m:m62g4iY5Fpzl4QIsmzwcjuw

How clean / shiny does it bring up the parts? Need a “like new” appearance and then I was going to apply a protective lacquer, I think it’s ACF50.
Do you have any pics of the results?

 

[Gragson]

That grade, on the parts I have used it on to strip paint / ali oxide etc strips and cleans well but certainly does not leave a polished shiny finish, in fact I did not know if you could get a like new shiny finish on aluminum by sand blasting, thought you would always have to polish out after? That's what I had to do with that grade anyway

 

[Seadog]

Even vapour blasting will leave a dull finish.

 

[8ob]

Hi,
I have a small DIY blast cabinet and after following some of the mods on here successfully cleaned up some parts using Restofine G500, which I believe is a crushed glass media.

I have some Aluminium parts that I want to clean up and then lacquer with AFC50?

I have been advised (and watched some great videos) to use Glass Bead. Before I waste another £40 - £50 on a 25Kg bag, most places also sell it in 5KG bags. I know this is not cost effective but would a 5KG bag be enough for a small cabinet?

It is one of these and I have done the cooper pipe mod to aid media flow.

When I was a nipper I got a lad that works in the REME to blast some engine cases for me, he said they stopped using glass and were using coconut shell because the glass was getting embedded into the engine casings. This glass was then getting into the oil and causing havoc, he reckoned no amount of cleaning would get the glass out of the castings. They apparently lost a lot of engines before they realised the problem.

Bob

 

[brightspark]

I did show a post on the finish on aluminium one was sandblasted with kiln dried sand to clean the paint and corrosion off then it was beadblasted to peen the finish on the castings. if your thinking of polishing it shiny after using the beads don't bother it wont be suitable. just hard graft with emery paper and polishing mops have to be used and elbow grease here have a look at post 7 https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/texture-on-alloy-help-pls.50932/#post-580152

 

[Gragson]

I was getting similar to your 2nd pic with glass bead.
Did some mower parts for a mate, masked off internals, flywheel and a few heads.
Did a resto on this punch 43, the head after glass bead, brass brush and clear coat, not a great pic but came up quite artificially shiny. But nothing like mirror finish polish stuff through the grades I have done on bike stuff.

 

[JonnyAlpha]

I did show a post on the finish on aluminium one was sandblasted with kiln dried sand to clean the paint and corrosion off then it was beadblasted to peen the finish on the castings. if your thinking of polishing it shiny after using the beads don't bother it wont be suitable. just hard graft with emery paper and polishing mops have to be used and elbow grease here have a look at post 7 https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/texture-on-alloy-help-pls.50932/#post-580152

Sorry I was a bit misleading (probably because I am not sure what is achievable), the finish on your head after bead blasting is what I am after.
What grade of glass bead did you use?

I have RestoFIne G500 crushed glass which I was going to use to clean up any corrosion and the "sheen" up with glass bead.

 

[brightspark]

I don't know what grade it is to be honest its very fine

 

[JonnyAlpha]

This guy seems to achieve what I am after and linked me to this media.

 

[brightspark]

This guy seems to achieve what I am after and linked me to this media.

its no different to what im using or shown with the cylinder head

 

[Wany]

When I was a nipper I got a lad that works in the REME to blast some engine cases for me, he said they stopped using glass and were using coconut shell because the glass was getting embedded into the engine casings. This glass was then getting into the oil and causing havoc, he reckoned no amount of cleaning would get the glass out of the castings. They apparently lost a lot of engines before they realised the problem.
Bob

Coconut and walnut shell does give a good finish but if you are going to put any coating on it can fish-eye due to the oils in the nuts. I've had some success with amino-plastic and I'll try to get out this afternoon after work to blast some bits to show.

 

[Wany]

Ok, an old bicycle crank I found. Left is crushed glass (not bead) at 60psi. You can see what 8ob meant about the glass contaminating the alloy. Centre is control and right is fine amino plastic at 90psi. It's supposed to be similar to soda but reusable a few times. You can get coarser grades and knowing more now I'd probably go for that next time. Hope this helps (or at least doesn't hinder).

 

[JonnyAlpha]

When I was a nipper I got a lad that works in the REME to blast some engine cases for me, he said they stopped using glass and were using coconut shell because the glass was getting embedded into the engine casings. This glass was then getting into the oil and causing havoc, he reckoned no amount of cleaning would get the glass out of the castings. They apparently lost a lot of engines before they realised the problem.

Bob

I did show a post on the finish on aluminium one was sandblasted with kiln dried sand to clean the paint and corrosion off then it was beadblasted to peen the finish on the castings. if your thinking of polishing it shiny after using the beads don't bother it wont be suitable. just hard graft with emery paper and polishing mops have to be used and elbow grease here have a look at post 7 https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/texture-on-alloy-help-pls.50932/#post-580152

Hmm - I have blasted the inside of an oil filter housing and some Diff parts with the RestoFine G500 - at about 60 PSI - does that mean they're now knackered?

If this is the case when doing aluminium engine parts its best to tape off any holes and only do the outside? But glass bead should be fine right?

I don't fancy using amino plastic due to the plastic pollution issue? What could I use instead to do engine internals (if I ever need to)

 

[8ob]

Hmm - I have blasted the inside of an oil filter housing and some Diff parts with the RestoFine G500 - at about 60 PSI - does that mean they're now knackered?

If this is the case when doing aluminium engine parts its best to tape off any holes and only do the outside? But glass bead should be fine right?

I don't fancy using amino plastic due to the plastic pollution issue? What could I use instead to do engine internals (if I ever need to)

Glyptal paint has been used since god was a boy to seal sand castings and stop sand getting into the works, Massey and Perkins still use it.

https://www.frost.co.uk/glyptal-red-enamel-946ml-us-quart/

Bob

 

[brightspark]

to be honest I just clean ally parts up using kiln dried sand but not machined parts just the outer and mask the parts of that's critical I use the pressure pot for that then if I want them smooth I bead blast them with a suction gun . all the machined parts can be bead blasted without damage to tolerances pistons crankcases anything realy cylinder heads . I clean all the crap of them 1st so that it doesn't contaminate the beads

 

[Wany]

If you want to 100% sure with engine internals use soda as a wash with water will remove any media.

 

[8ob]

I prefer the chemical hot tank/spray bar method for cleaning engine components, a lot less work and more than adequate to remove just about any crud/rust/paint off an engine block or head. Adding anything abrasive to an engines internals is asking for trouble, grit/glass will get into just about everything and I am not so sure any type of cleaning would get it all out.

Bob.

 

[JonnyAlpha]

Glyptal paint has been used since god was a boy to seal sand castings and stop sand getting into the works, Massey and Perkins still use it.

https://www.frost.co.uk/glyptal-red-enamel-946ml-us-quart/

Bob

£70 a tin :-) I have seen pics of people doing the inside of engine blocks with this stuff.

to be honest I just clean ally parts up using kiln dried sand but not machined parts just the outer and mask the parts of that's critical I use the pressure pot for that then if I want them smooth I bead blast them with a suction gun . all the machined parts can be bead blasted without damage to tolerances pistons crankcases anything realy cylinder heads . I clean all the crap of them 1st so that it doesn't contaminate the beads

Due to budget this will probably be the way I go - and only do the outsides.

If you want to 100% sure with engine internals use soda as a wash with water will remove any media.

Now I have modified my cabinet (less the extrator) I may give Soda one last try - I just couldn't get the velocity in my suction cabinet and couldn't get any 3mm nozzles.

I prefer the chemical hot tank/spray bar method for cleaning engine components, a lot less work and more than adequate to remove just about any crud/rust/paint off an engine block or head. Adding anything abrasive to an engines internals is asking for trouble, grit/glass will get into just about everything and I am not so sure any type of cleaning would get it all out.

Bob.

I was considering vapour blasting but would need to get this done comercially