Your guide to what is sandblasting and its benefits

As its name suggests, it is the process of propelling sand at a high force and speed. It is used to clean or strip surfaces and also to engrave them with designs, logos, or patterns. Sandblasting is also an umbrella term for the propulsion of other abrasive particles. This process has a wide variety of industrial, maintenance, and craft applications. Chances are there are many objects that have been sandblasted sitting in your home or garage.

Inhalation of sand can lead to silicosis, a serious lung condition. To avoid the risk, other particles such as walnut or coconut shell, powdery abrasives, or steel or copper particles can be used to achieve the same results as using sand. Any tiny and uniformly shaped particle can be used for this purpose. Safety standards have become law, requiring the sandblaster to wear protective equipment and work in a ventilated area while sandblasting.

Sandblasting is not as simple as using a fan to blow sand towards an object. The abrasive needs high speed and concentration of force to work effectively. Someone interested in sandblasting would need an abrasive, compressed air, and a blasting nozzle. A secure work area is also necessary, with a structure to catch dust and excess sand, plus some sort of vice to hold small objects steady as they are cleaned or etched.

You may be surprised to find out that the first sandblasting equipment was invented and received a patent in 1870. Early uses for this technology were for objects with a large surface area, such as bridges and ships. Workers also used sandblasting as a means to prepare a surface for painting. Painting on a prepared surface stopped air bubbles or dirt from getting trapped between the paint layers, resulting in a smoother and more durable finish.

Today, sandblasting is also a favorite tool of home craftspeople, especially those who work in etching glass. Sandblasting is cheaper to use than hand etching and creates sharper results than laser or chemical etching products.

The sandblasting process is relatively simple. A blend of water and abrasive, such as baking soda, silica, or river sand are mixed together and propelled at a high speed to erode any rough areas on an item. Depending on the type of abrasive material used, a variety of finishes can be achieved. If you are crafting, experiment with different abrasives to find the one that makes your project look the best.

Once the abrasive is blended, just place the metal intake valve into the mixture. Choose and install the blasting head onto the wand, power up, and begin. Make sure to be wearing protective gear like a long sleeved shirt, heavy gloves and a face shield unit. These particles could do a lot of damaged to exposed skin. Avoid breathing in dust by providing yourself lots of ventilation

It removes paint or graffiti, oxidation, and greasy residue from all kinds of surfaces large and small. This process is used regularly in industrial and maintenance tasks such as cleaning walls, boats, automobiles, and even fireplaces. Mainly, these items are blasted with small, uniform glass beads, coal, silica, or aluminum oxide.

The cleaning process can actually make quite a mess. Lots of fine dust particles escape into the air throughout the blasting process. These particles contain not only whatever abrasive was chosen but also bits of the material being cleaned. Inhaling even a small amount of these particles can be very harmful to the lungs and other internal organs. Proper safety measures cannot be stressed enough.

For using a sandblasting compressor, OSHA has set forth safety standards and regulations requiring the operator to cover his entire face. Safety glasses and a dust mask will not suffice.