Sandblasting is the practice of shooting small sandblasting media through a handheld nozzle with compressed air or siphoned air. While sand is the traditional media used, hence the name sandblasting, many other sandblast media are available. These include walnut shells, garnet and copper slag. Each abrasive serves a different purpose. For example, sand is appropriate for sandblasting rust off an oil rig, while garnet is too fine for that purpose.

Even the smallest sandblasting media can cause serious injury to people or property. Therefore, it is imperative to know the proper techniques and safety methods to avoid injury when working with this sandblast media. Consider the following sandblasting abrasives education and training to ensure safe use of the equipment and media:

1. Take a class that teaches the techniques for the sandblasting abrasives your company uses.

2. Know the special considerations for sandblasting glass.

3. Learn and practice safety procedures for using sandblasting media and equipment.

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Get hands on instruction to learn or improve techniques for working with sandblast media

Each type of sandblasting media has specific techniques that are appropriate for that type of media. Knowing the techniques and learning them in a hands-on setting is necessary to ensure safe use. This is especially true in industrial settings, where the sandblasting usually happens when other workers are near.

I recommend: Hosted by Ron Clamp, the Memorial Design sandblasting course is designed to show sandblasting beginners basic techniques or help sandblasting business professional sandblasters improve their techniques. Mr. Clamp provides his students with innovative uses for uncommon media for sandblasters. SSPC: The Society for Protective Coatings offers on site and off site seminars about using commercial sandblasting abrasives. The course is appropriate for use on oil rigs and other industrial applications.

Learn appropriate techniques for using sandblasting media on glass

Sandblasting glass for the purpose of etching the glass or altering its look is popular in the home and office decor industry. Knowing the best techniques to make the designs you need for your clients a reality saves your company time and money. For example, using garnet as the sandblasting media produces very fine etching, while sand produces very course etchings.

I recommend: Riordan Artistry offers detailed explanations about the different types of sandblasting techniques. The information includes instructions and tips about how to choose the most appropriate sandblasting media or the best mixture of sandblasting abrasives. Delphi Glass offers numerous books and instructional CDs with techniques for using sandblasting abrasives to create glass designs.

Ensure safe use of sandblast media

Sandblast media is sometimes mixed. While this is usually a very safe practice, there are some special considerations when doing this. For example, sandblasting with a mixture of sand and walnut shells has a high range. This means that the particles will go farther when bouncing off the sandblasted item.

I recommend: Trowel Trades offers frequently updated information about new uses and mixtures of sandblasting abrasives for cleaning new masonry. This website also offers archived records of sandblasting abrasives for refinishing older masonry. Sundance Art Glass offers safety instructions for properly operating sandblasting equipment. The information provided is appropriate when using any type of sandblasting media, including sandblasting abrasives for construction projects.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When working in a sandblasting booth, ensure the booth enclosure is appropriate for the sandblasting media. For example, when using sand, a metal enclosure or hard plastic enclosure is most appropriate. A soft plastic enclosure, such as Visqueen, will rip or tear. You should also ensure proper ventilation.

In the "Star Trek" episode “Mudd’s Women,” frontier bride Eve McHuron cleaned the frying pans in the blowing sand on Rigel XII. On Earth, sandblasting uses a jet of compressed air or water to push a stream of sand across a surface to clean and abrade it.

Commercial sandblasting abrasives can clean cast iron and granite buildings or prepare metal surfaces for painting, enameling or galvanizing.

Media for sandblasters come in coarse, medium and fine grits; the higher the number, the finer the grit. Commercial sandblasting abrasives include walnut shells, coal slag, corn cobs, steel shot, glass beads and even baking soda, but three abrasives are the most common:

1. Silica sand is economical, but cuts slowly and can be reused only once or twice; fine grit sand often includes coarse and medium grains that can ruin finer materials.

2. Aluminum oxide cuts fast, is even-grained and is reusable, but generates static electricity, causing it to stick to etched glass, and can give its user a mild static shock.

3. Silicon carbide sandblast media has none of the drawbacks of either silica sand or aluminum oxide. Instead of wearing smooth as it blasts, it chips into smaller sharp-edged pieces. It also makes sparks when it hits, creating a flashlight effect to show the results of deep carving.

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Get the right amount of sandblasting abrasives for your needs

Many sandblasting abrasives can be used over and over, great if you're a glass artisan on a tight budget. But if you make your living in the sandblasting business, you need lots of abrasives. Some companies accommodate both needs equally well.

I recommend: Abrasive Depot carries a full line of artisan, commercial and industrial sandblasting abrasives, with sandblaster media available in 32- and 64-ounce containers, as well as containers ranging from 3 to 50 pounds.

Deal with sellers who know the sandblasting business

Knowledgeable sellers of sandblasting abrasives offer a wide selection of sandblast media and help their customers select the right equipment.

I recommend: ToolsUSA offers a selection of sandblasting media–walnut shells, glass beads, garnet, aluminum oxide and silicon carbide–from 12 to 325 grit and a media separator to recover your abrasive after blasting. MetFin provides an extensive line of sandblasting abrasives for cleaning and other purposes, along with blasting equipment and the ability to customize systems for customer needs.

Strip for less with plastic sandblasting abrasives

Media for sandblasters isn't limited to metals, minerals or glass. Plastic abrasives provide a cheap, non-toxic alternative that's easy on both the blasted surface and the person running the blaster.

I recommend: Composition Materials makes five varieties of Plasti-Grit sandblasting abrasives for cleaning and coatings removal. Plasti-Grit is a custom-engineered, recyclable plastic sandblast abrasive that won’t damage finished surfaces.

Let the dust settle into a dust and fume collector

Sandblasting abrasives create a lot of dust, both from the abrasives themselves and the particles they abrade from the blasted surface. Unchecked, this dust can be anything from a minor irritant to a potential carcinogen.

I recommend: Farr Air Pollution Control’s Gold Series® cartridge dust and fume collector features high-entry cross-flow and specially treated, vertically arranged high-efficiency filters designed to trap dust particles as small as half a micron.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Dress right when sandblasting. Wear a safety helmet with goggles and ear covers, coveralls, work boots and forearm-length gloves.
• •  Sandblast machine operators should also wear a standard air-breathing apparatus to deliver clean air, and not remove it until well away from the work area, as finer particles from sandblasting abrasives can hang in the air long after the job is done.

Sandblasting abrasives are the abrasives used for abrasive or cleaning sandblasting (also called bead blasting) operations. These abrasives abrade the undesired material from the component surface exposed to the pressurized flow of abrasives.
Whether you want to buy abrasive sandblasting equipment or want to use abrasive sandblasting services, you will need to understand various technical terms relating to characteristics and types of sandblasting abrasives. This guide will explain some key terms relating to sandblasting abrasives, such as specific gravity, friability, blasting pressure, silica sand and abrasive blasting respirator.

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Specific gravity

Specific gravity (sometimes referred to as density) of a sandblasting abrasive is the ratio of its density with the density of pure water at standard pressure and temperature conditions. This is an important specification for a sandblasting abrasive, as it affects the cleaning rate and the depth of abrasion for the sandblasting process.

I recommend: For the definition of this term, you can read through the glossary at ElastoTech SouthWest. To learn more about specific gravity of an abrasive and its effect on the abrasion process, get information at Reade, a supplier of specialty chemical solids.

Friabilty

Friability is another important characteristic of abrasives that affects the result of the sandblasting process. Friability is defined as the ability of the grain to fracture and self-sharpen under stress. A highly friable abrasive cuts more easily, but wears faster than abrasives with lower friability.

I recommend: Abrasive Engineering Society provides a glossary of the abrasives terms, such as friability.

Blasting pressure

For the sandblasting process, blasting pressure indicates the pressure applied on the abrasive media at its nozzle. This pressure decides the performance of the sandblasting equipment.

I recommend: Hyers' Sandblasting, a sandblasting service provider, offers a glossary of terms relating to sandblasting operations.

Grit

Grit (sometimes referred to as grit size or grit number) is a number that gives an idea about the coarseness of a sandblasting abrasive. If you need a fine surface finish, you must select sandblasting abrasives that have higher grit numbers.

I recommend: To understand the definition of this term, read through the glossary at WoodworkingHistory.Com.

Silica sand

Silica sand is the most commonly used sandblasting abrasive media that contains dry, fine and sharp silica particles. For sandblasting operations, silica sand must not contain any clay or dust particles.

I recommend: Cohesant Materials (PDF), a reputable supplier of industrial chemical products, offers a glossary that provides the definition for this term.

Silicon carbide

Silicon carbide is a synthetic sandblasting abrasive. It is used as an abrasive for metallic as well as non-metallic materials, such as wood and leather.

I recommend: Etchworld.com, a supplier of glass etching products, provides information about silicon carbide.

Abrasive blasting respirator

The abrasive sandblasting process exposes the operator to various hazards, such as abrasive dust and abrasive grains that rebound at high speed. This might result in breathing problems or severe injuries. To protect the operators from these hazards, you must provide them with abrasive blasting respirators that supply fresh air and protection from injuries.

I recommend: Bestofblasting, an information resource for abrasive blasting applications, provides a short description about this device.