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I'm picking up an air compressor and blast cabinet tomorrow. What would be the preferred grit blast media to start learning to blast pipes? What type to use and what to stay away from? I know there are secrets but would just like to know where to start.

I think the idea is that glass beads give a nice texture, but don't cut much, so you need something else mixed in, whether it's Al/ox or Si/Carbide.

Really, you'll have to buy a few products and see what works with your rig. If you have access to 220 grit stuff, I'd say that is a reasonable place to start.

Glass beads are a good place to start. They're also cheaper. The al/ox runs about 3 times the price of glass bead out here.

Most people buy the #13 glass bead; it's often listed as "extra fine glass bead" or "325 grit" or "170-320 grit". Regardless, you can find it here: http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PART ... O=16717765

Go with granite I love the result

Hello there, I've contacted my blasting media supplier to place an order, and he told me that in glass beads the grit number is refering to weight(not like Al/ox or sandpaper grit) so 300-400 is heavier and more aggresive than 100-200.

Do I need to order the most aggresive 300-400 or the smaller and finer 40-100?

Um, no. Here in the US the number refers to media size. Larger number, smaller media. I think your supplier is confused.
Chris, have you ever run into this on your side of the pond?

andrew

Your supplier should be able to get a sample of each to confirm. Don't buy it without finding out for sure.

andrew

Your supplier might be listing micron size. That's what mine does, for example 300-500 will be media of between 300 and 500 microns. So in my case 100-200 is finer than 300-500

Yeah Grit vs Micron is totally F'd up. 50 grit is huge, 50 microns small. 600 grit tiny, 600 micron big.

Be very careful with Silicon based media. It is very very very toxic. Better to use Glass for safety, but you will still need proper collection and filtration.

I've contacted another supplier and seems that everyone in Greece is using micron size as reference....100-200 is the number that fits me.

PremalChheda wrote:Be very careful with Silicon based media. It is very very very toxic. Better to use Glass for safety, but you will still need proper collection and filtration.

This. I have my cabinet mounted on a furniture dolly I bought at HF. I pull it out on the driveway and then close the garage door. Grant it, I am limited to blasting on warm days, but I save my lungs and the dust doesn't end up full of glass beads. Oh, and I tape the lid closed so nothing eeks out the top.

Glass is made of silicon too, kids. It's no better for ya.

Yeah, I'm not sure why glass bead media is listed as ok for you. Just checked the msds. Normal glass is like 3/4 silica, so... seems like it could still give you silicosis. Anyone here know for sure?

andrew

How about: DON'T BREATHE ANY OF THIS STUFF!
Chas.

andrew wrote:Yeah, I'm not sure why glass bead media is listed as ok for you. Just checked the msds. Normal glass is like 3/4 silica, so... seems like it could still give you silicosis. Anyone here know for sure?

andrew

Silicosis is caused by crystalline silica, glass contained fused silicone dioxide. While you still don't want to go around breathing in buckets of the stuff it won't give you silicosis.

See, this is what I was wondering about. I know it's fused and no longer crystalline, but once the bead is broken I wonder if it's more dangerous. Probably not as bad as crystalline, but not as good as unbroken bead.

andrew

Either way, DON'T BREATHE IT.

andrew