different blasting again

daniel · Post by **daniel** » Thu May 21, 2009 11:50 am

i think this may be the best blasting so far made by me.
tell me what you think.

i happened to blast open about 15 sand pits on one of the pipes.
it´s going to stay in my pocket.

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » Fri May 22, 2009 12:34 am

Daniel,

Are you buffing over the blast when your done?

If your not, I think you should switch to a higher grit/smaller micron media. The media your using is blasing the wood and is a good depth blast but there is no definition in the blast. I think switching to something smaller would help.

Sorry so being so vague, but most makers wont tell what they use.

Ryan

JimBridger · Post by **JimBridger** » Fri May 22, 2009 1:58 am

I agree. The blast looks rounded.

daniel · Post by **daniel** » Fri May 22, 2009 11:18 am

ok, thanks!
sounds like a good advice, i have something in my mind.

oh, and if i am buffing, i should buff lighter, right?

ToddJohnson · Post by **ToddJohnson** » Fri May 22, 2009 12:14 pm

It looks like you're using aluminum oxide--which will give you some nice depth, but rounds the edges. Try 320 grit glass bead at about 110 PSI and slowly step down the pressure moving the nozzle closer. This will give you much greater detail.

Todd

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » Fri May 22, 2009 12:49 pm

Todd's right with the media to use.

Once you've blasted and stained it go strait to carnuba.

Ryan

FredS · Post by **FredS** » Fri May 22, 2009 4:49 pm

My first (and only) blast looks like Daniels. I used the general purpose blaster at work and was not at all happy with the result. It's loaded with 80 or 100 grit aluminum oxide, and it blasted deep (real deep in areas of softer wood), but rounded the "peaks". Now I know why. Thanks for the insight guys.

ToddJohnson · Post by **ToddJohnson** » Fri May 22, 2009 5:05 pm

Ryan wrote:Todd's right with the media to use.

Once you've blasted and stained it go strait to carnuba.

Ryan

Hey Daniel,

If you do use carnauba you'll need to buff with a sisal and muslin wheel. Otherwise you'll get a shine just on the high points and plenty of buffing wheel lint caught in it. If the blast isn't that sharp or that deep, carnauba on an unstitched muslin wheel will do a pretty decent job.

TJ

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Sat May 23, 2009 1:40 pm

You can also use aluminum oxide if you use a fine grit. This is particularly useful for folks who have smaller compressors or smaller guns, since AO is far more aggressive than glass bead. You can blast at a lower pressure, with less flow, and using a relatively inexpensive setup.

There are tradeoffs, of course. You need to watch the progress like a hawk, because if you keep the gun on one area too long, it'll dig a hole right through the briar. Also, AO is dusty and makes it extremely difficult to see in the blasting cabinet - particularly if you have a small cabinet like a Cyclone unit. It also eats lens shields, jets, and nozzles as if they were made of cardboard - so you need a ready supply on hand for when they wear out.

All that said, I still suggest you try a bunch of media in different sizes. You might find something that works better for your particular setup than what someone else uses.