Blasting media - glass bead, soda etc.

Tim

Tim

Administrator
Staff member
Where on earth do you buy this stuff? I need some glass bead to do a final cleaning of the bottom of my engine. Should have just blasted it in the first place.

Princess Auto carries nice cheap blasting guns, and sells the bags of glass beads, but if you can stand it, only carries the beads west of Ontario! MF'ers. No easy to find alternative to PA to buy the stuff in the GTA either.

So if anyone knows, let me know!
 
Most autobody shops have small blast cabinets to clean small parts etc... you could always head into one with bucket, a plead, and a $20 bill :D

Seriously!

Of course that does you absolutly no good on the Saturday evening of a long weekend :(
 
I called every PA within an hour's drive and nothing. They can't even say when more would be in.

I did get 220 grit sand - just about 2 pounds of it to play with. Going to wait for glass though - will pick some up next week somewhere. Got to be some around here somewhere. Otherwise I'll fly to Edmonton and bring a bag home.
 
Wonder what a 40 pound bag of glass beads would cost to mail...

Now, if you wanted to split a bag, that might be a little more reasonable in terms of shipping - 50 pounds would cost $28 to mail.
 
Try Chandler Industrial supply in Miss. Thats where I bought my glass beads. They carry all grades.

Steve
 
Yeah, I was really hoping to find some at PA today so I could play with it this weekend, but will likely go to Chandler next week when they open up.
 
I'd stay away from the sand. I'd use walnut shells ground up. They have an oil in them that impregnates itself into the aluminum and gives it a really nice finish. Oily fingerprints won't dirty up the cast aluminum like it will after regular sand blasting. Also, you can use baking soda.
 
I'll explore some options when I talk to the guys with the material. I was thinking of really fine glass beads just to clean the surface off. The walnut shells sound interesting - I've heard of them being used but not so much on aluminum. Have you done this?
 
Tintin said:
I'll explore some options when I talk to the guys with the material. I was thinking of really fine glass beads just to clean the surface off. The walnut shells sound interesting - I've heard of them being used but not so much on aluminum. Have you done this?
Click to expand...

I myself have not, but I have seen the results. It was done on a triumph engine, and the results were really nice.
 
Tintin said:
Wonder what a 40 pound bag of glass beads would cost to mail...

Now, if you wanted to split a bag, that might be a little more reasonable in terms of shipping - 50 pounds would cost $28 to mail.
Click to expand...

I have a partial bag in the garage... for the life of me I don't remember what it is (it's been in the rafters since I had the pavers installed) I'll check it out later... but it sounds like you'll have the problem solved by the time I could get anything to you.
 
I fooled around with the small bottles of 220 grit sand I picked up at PA with the gun on some scraps. Not the finish I was looking for from the sand. We'll see what the beads do next week.
 
phone a napa,or benson's(auto parts extra) etc, etc ,,,,,,,,,should be no problem finding,avoid glass bead that has been made from recycled glass,,,,,,it's too course!,,and leaves a rough finish!!!!!!
 
People are suggesting walnut as well - any experience with this? I'm not rushing into it, but want the engine ready to go into the frame once I have the wheels ready etc.
 
Tintin said:
People are suggesting walnut as well - any experience with this? I'm not rushing into it, but want the engine ready to go into the frame once I have the wheels ready etc.
Click to expand...

I just bought 12 grit walnut shell at Harbour Frieght but it's too big for the gun I have. I am going back to see if they have bigger tips for my sandblasting gun. I bought a cheap one, but it should work okay for finer material.
 
Hey Guys,

I own a shop in Mississauga, I sell the equipment and ANY media you can blast with.

We also manufacture the blast equipment and I run a couple of cabinets in my demo room.

Chandler is only a part timer in blasting, blasting is my business.

I have like a trailer load of glass bead alone.

Brian

local 905-890-5837
toll free 800-661-3842 push #5 for Mississauga location
 
Cafe_to_go said:
I just bought 12 grit walnut shell at Harbour Frieght but it's too big for the gun I have. I am going back to see if they have bigger tips for my sandblasting gun. I bought a cheap one, but it should work okay for finer material.
Click to expand...

PA in kingston have glass bead, it is a relatively fine one that will not do any damage. /i bought quite bit coareser one that looks suspiciousky ike the beads in reflective paint from a local alternator rebuilder, it is much coarser and seems to not abrade too much either, it is faster than the PA stuff for old oxidation for sure. for perfection i will use coarse then fine. fine takes a while but does do the job eventually.
walnut shells are supposed to be great too, haven't tried them.

one IMPORTANT thing about glass bead- it wil stick in the threaded holes - guaranteed- check each and every one of them afterwards for crunchy sticky feeling- you have to wash part in varsol after maybe not just blow it out. been there, seen it on the CBX head i did. good thing someone told me. lotts places for it to hide.
 
Freak Daddy said:
Hey Guys,

I own a shop in Mississauga, I sell the equipment and ANY media you can blast with.

We also manufacture the blast equipment and I run a couple of cabinets in my demo room.

Chandler is only a part timer in blasting, blasting is my business.

I have like a trailer load of glass bead alone.

Brian

local 905-890-5837

toll free 800-661-3842 push #5 for Mississauga location
Click to expand...


Well Dang. Already dropped the $40 on the 50 pound bag of glass.
 
Sorry to hear that Tintin, you paid about $15 more than my standard pricing on glass beads.

I stock about 10 different grades of glass beads.

Also stock - Aluminum oxide, steel shot & grit, stainless shot & grit, plastic media, walnut, corn cob, ceramic, etc.

All parts and pieces for most makes of sandblasting equipment.

FD
 
Freak Daddy, what gun tips do you recommend when using walnut shell? My gun came with 3 different sizes, with the largest tip, it barely shoots anything. Do I need another type of gun. I have a gun that has a hose that goes into a bucket, it's a cheap one.
 
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