Page 1 of 3

Anyone ever use a bristle blaster?

Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2015 6:53 pm
by Ratimus
Obviously, the best way to get a sandblasted finish is to use a sandblaster. There are those among us (myself included) who, for whatever reason, are unable to do so. My question is: has anyone ever used a bristle blaster?
http://www.mbxit.com/products/mbx-brist ... r-c-6.html

Apparently they are not just a typical wire wheel in that because of the way they are stressed and released, the bristles actually cause tiny impact craters the same way that blast media do. If what I've read about them is to be believed, they actually do leave a sandblast finish on metal. I was wondering if anyone has ever tried to use one on wood?

Re: Anyone ever use a bristle blaster?

Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2015 8:41 pm
by RDPowell
Not ever using one but, just from the looks of it, it looks to be way too aggressive for wood and even with a light touch may only give you the same results as a wire wheel.

Re: Anyone ever use a bristle blaster?

Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2015 11:35 pm
by andrew
Wow. I wouldn't use that. Looks really hard to control.

Re: Anyone ever use a bristle blaster?

Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2015 3:49 am
by Massis
I actually think it might work. Not that the result would look sandblasted persé, but seeing how I've used a wire wheel to do rustications and seeing the impact of those, I'd say it might be worth a shot for a cool rustication...

Re: Anyone ever use a bristle blaster?

Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2015 3:59 pm
by andrew
If you wanted a wire wheel finish it might work. Are the wires canted so They are "digging" into the surface?

Re: Anyone ever use a bristle blaster?

Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2015 6:07 pm
by LatakiaLover
You'll just end up with a fuzzy, trenched mess, I expect. Worth a try, though.

Re: Anyone ever use a bristle blaster?

Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2015 9:53 pm
by Ratimus
So the literature I've read says it leaves a sandblasted finish on wood, which is why I'm curious. My first thoughts are the same: probably tear your briar to shreds, maybe give you a wire wheel effect. But the way the thing is set up, the bristles don't drag across the work. The individual wires ping off of it at high speed, the same way individual grains of blast media do. I can speculate as well as the next guy, but I was wondering if anybody had any actual empirical evidence as to whether or not they might work (marginally?) well for pipes.

Re: Anyone ever use a bristle blaster?

Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2015 11:10 pm
by RadDavis
Give it a try and see what happens.

Re: Anyone ever use a bristle blaster?

Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2015 11:10 pm
by LatakiaLover
That the wheel is designed for used on metal gave me an immediate mental image of something quite stiff and only RELATIVELY springy. That's why the "fuzzy and trenched" reply earlier.

If the wires are thinner than that mental image was, though---that flexibility and bounciness are why the wheel works the way it does on metal for some reason, and they are actually almost "soft"---it could work surprisingly well on briar.

Now I'm curious.

You know what they say in the corporate world: He who comes up with the idea owns it. :lol:

Figure this out, Rat Man, and report back. :mrgreen:

Re: Anyone ever use a bristle blaster?

Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2015 9:58 am
by pipedreamer
nothing ventured , nothing gained.I would like to see what it does!

Re: Anyone ever use a bristle blaster?

Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2015 8:07 pm
by Ratimus
Oh, ye of little faith...

Image

[url=http://s358.photobucket.com/user/ryan_richardson7/media/bristle%20blast02_zpsfl2uhgul.jpg.html]Image


Yeah, I didn't use the aforementioned tool, but a similar one.
It doesn't look like the world's most detailed blast, but for someone who's entire workshop consists of a 4 foot by 8 foot balcony, it's not half bad.
Maybe I'll call it a "blastication." :wink:

FYI, this pipe was dropped off the side of said balcony part way into the shaping process. We live on the 4th floor. Hence the lack of shank.
Also, the top was sanded flat prior to experimentation so what you are seeing is the result of the process, not the natural plateau surface.

Re: Anyone ever use a bristle blaster?

Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2015 8:37 pm
by LatakiaLover
Blastication it is!

Truly NEW tool/tech stuff comes around only occasionally in the pipe biz. (Maybe Delrin was the last one before this?)

Good job! :thumbsup:

Re: Anyone ever use a bristle blaster?

Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2015 10:02 pm
by sandahlpipe
I'm wondering how long it took you to achieve that effect.

Re: Anyone ever use a bristle blaster?

Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2015 10:16 pm
by Ratimus
About 20 to 30 minutes. I think there might be some potential here.

Re: Anyone ever use a bristle blaster?

Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2015 10:41 pm
by Alden
I'm impressed. You want to do an experiment, sand it smooth again, then blast it in a cabinet and compare the two finishes.
I particularly like the top.

Re: Anyone ever use a bristle blaster?

Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2015 11:58 pm
by Tyler
Wow!!

Re: Anyone ever use a bristle blaster?

Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2015 12:46 am
by LatakiaLover
Ratimus wrote: Yeah, I didn't use the aforementioned tool, but a similar one.
Care to expand a bit on that? :lol: Cuz... I did some e-sleuthing, and the Montipower people only seem to sell industrial grade equipment in complete "process sets", and then only sell the consumable components (like the actual wheels) to registered set owners. Sort of a proprietary thing. (Wanting to reap the rewards of their innovation without licensing the patent, I imagine)

PS --- You don't happen to live in this building, do you?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqidwqQzg70

Re: Anyone ever use a bristle blaster?

Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2015 12:55 am
by oklahoma red
I checked out the web site and the concept is designed as a motorized unit (air or electric about the size of a small die grinder) and it spins around 3500 rpm.
It appears that a key component is what they call an "accelerator bar". The tines contact this bar as the wheel spins and it induces a snapping action.
I've sent an email to the company to get their opinion on usage on wood (tho Ratimus has already shown it has possibilities).
These questions come to my mind:
1. Will it work (for our purposes) without the accelerator bar?
2. Does the company have any knowledge of, or advice on, adapting it to a stationary motor whereby the pipe would be hand held and brought to bear like a wire brush wheel on a bench grinder or lathe spindle, etc.
Personally I think that if the accelerator bar is a must that one could figure out a way to put one in its proper position relative to the belt with a little ingenuity. A possible solution would be to use an adapter plate of some sort that would clamp in a vise and hold the contraption.
As a side thought, the thing is made in Germany so I imagine they are proud of it price-wise.

Ratimus, you said you used something similar. Like George, inquiring minds want to know. Can you supply more details?

Re: Anyone ever use a bristle blaster?

Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2015 9:01 am
by caskwith
That looks pretty damn good!

Re: Anyone ever use a bristle blaster?

Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2015 11:41 am
by Ratimus
Okay, okay... I'll confess I didn't want to shell out 250+ dollars for the bristle blaster
(CPO outlets carries the right-angle version for auto body work, BTW, and Nortonsandblasting carries replacement belts).

BUT, wanting to investigate the concept before divesting myself of the funds, I used one of these:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Avanti-4-in- ... 830914-_-N Really, not bad for $17.

So there you go. No accelerator bar, and straight bristles. The finish is somewhat like a cross between a wire wheel rustication (given the striations) and a blast (given the preservation of ring grain).

I'm imaging the accelerator bar would localize the impacts, minimizing the dragging effect and giving greater definition with less of the grooves. I call this initial experiment a success, and plan to take the concept further.