Newbie here - blasting

[UlicniTrkac]

Hello to everyone

I do this for a hobby - it all started with fixing and improving airguns, but now I have moved on on firearms

recently, I got a sandblasting cabinet, and a 12 gallon compressor, that works on 5 bar.
I want to blast a Tok in 9mm, to have a satin finish, but I don't want to use sand - way too dirty - and I am looking to steel beads instead.
My question is, to what size of the abrasive should I look for? Tried with soda today, no luck.

Any tips are welcome (steel beads are available to me, the rest of the abrasives isn't that easy to acquire).

[DCM]

It has been 25+ years since I worked with steel shot blasting but I still recall it giving a bright shiny finish.
Glass beads give a nice dull satin finish.

[UlicniTrkac]

Thanks for the tip, that means that I have to consider other options - to look for glass beads.

[paul h]

I think you're going to find that your compressor is too small to run a blast cabinet. I burned up a small compressor like using an HVLP sprayer and hadn't even shot 2 gallons of paint before the compressor overheated. Running a blast cabinet is a similar application that requires alot of air and you really need at least a 60 gallon two stage compressor for that use.

[375RUGER]

Your 12 gal compressor will be fine for your small projects. I used a 20 gallon compressor to blast a Corvair and all the engine cowling and lots of other parts, plus lots of other stuff over the years. That compressor died last year, 16 years later. New Mexico sand finally got the best of it.
I would use glass beads, to answer your question.

[Cactus Farmer]

I have an 80 gal. tank and an old Leroi compresser that will make 18 CFM at 150psi. I use a product I get locally called Oklahoma #4. It a fine very white sand and is cheep. Beads left too much shine for me. I blue over the blasted metal and it appears like a dark gray parkerized finish. Check your local abrasive shop for what they have.....

[LIMPINGJ]

Listen to Lewis, I have seen some of his work and his workmanship is of the highest quality.

[MtGun44]

120 grit gives a nice finish, but really glass beads does better.

Bill

[oldred]

These fellows are right about the compressor, that thing is going to cause a lot of frustration trying to run a blast cabinet. You need a minimum of 12 CFM@90 PSI and even that will run out of air fairly quickly but would do ok for small jobs. CFM is what makes a bead or sandblaster work and "gallons" has almost nothing to do with it but it's almost a certainty that little 12 gallon tank is going to be in combination with a CFM rating that is waaaaaay too low for a bead blaster. If you do try to acquire a larger air supply look for the CFM rating first because that's what really matters, a bigger tank will mean longer and less frequent run cycles while a small tank will mean shorter and more frequent cycles but in the end the time available to run the blaster will be the same regardless of tank size if all else is equal (CFM).

[beezapilot]

Lewis- A Stillwell fan?
I've been sanding away on the worlds ugliest shotgun and have come to the conclusion that is is never to be a showgun, so blasting with fine sand is sounding like a good option to equalized the finish for bluing this field piece. I ues walnut shell in my cabinet and would not have thought of sand blasting prior to bluing. This is my first shot at cold bluing- wish me luck. The engraving on the reciever is in pretty good shape with a minimum of rust defects and I was hoping to save it. Perhaps mask it off when blasting and then blue the whole thing.

[UlicniTrkac]

Thanks for the tips fellas. I have found a source for glass beads, I went for 90-150 micron granulation, 25kg should arrive in a few days, I'll post the results - before and after.
All I have to do are small jobs - this is a hobby, and I work mostly on my guns.

[UlicniTrkac]

I have done it today - srry didnt take pics, I'll post them tomorrow, but that sanding finish is the best I have seen on guns here. And it took me 3 hours to prep the metal, and a half an hour to blast it. Just wonderful!

[beezapilot]

I'm awaiting sand- got an old BHPS that is pretty much ready to go... Looking forward to the photos.

[Blue2]

I have found that to get a nice result that the glass beads available to me were too mild and only gave a mild texture change. Sand was ok for an aggressive surface to give a military type finish followed by a hot blue. But to get a really nice satin finish---sand blast first and then go over the job again with the glass beads. Sort of like plowing a field first to give a raised surface and then harrowing it to knock down the higher texture. Looks very nice followed by a hot blue.