blast media

[Ron Luebke]

what do you guys use in your blasting cabinets?

[Cecil]

I've been using black beauty. But I have a bag of glass and a bag of black beauty for the new cabinet when it gets here. A friend said to mix the glass and the black beauty together for better results. I can't remember the ratio but when I do it I will ask and let you know.

[ScottyD'sdad]

I have used black beauty, with good results. Reasonably priced, too . Ed

[Ron Luebke]

aluminum oxide what are some of the pros and cons?

[Jim Becker]

A friend said to mix the glass and the black beauty together for better results.

When I bought my blasting cabinet, it was loaded with a mixture of glass beads and crushed glass. The idea, as presented to me, was to get a better finish (beads) with higher speed (crushed). Based on what I know about sand paper, I suspect the result is the finish from crushed glass with the speed of the beads. I would expect any mixture to have similar results.

There is no single right answer for media. It depends on what you are working on and what you want for results. That is why there are so many different media available. Currently, I am using one of the finer grades of aluminum oxide for rusty cast iron.

[grumpy]

Black beauty is what I use. Leaves a rougher finish but works quicker. Anything that leaves a smooth finish takes a lot longer to clean up. Grump