Sandblasting small parts

[Matthew Reid]

Electrical tape works great for protecting bearing surfaces that you do not want blasted. Use 3 layers and you will have to actually try to get through it to blast it off.
Electrical tape is soft enough that the sand just bounces off it.
Glass Bead will help as it is less agressive than sand. But it is not good for removing scaly rust.


Matthew

[Snowy]

For me, I'd pick one of my all-time favourite tools "the poor man's sand blaster" I call it - a cheap angle grinder with a rotary wire mop. Cleans rust, paint, you name it right off anything, and produces very little abrasive by-product. I use mine all the time. The only thing it can't do is get into tight spaces. For that I use a cheap Dremel knock-off with a tiny wire brush

Steve.

[Lynn Eades]

I note that you like to play with the "edit reason" as well.
Was it a major invasion, or just a minor one?
By the way, if your going to clean up a rusty carrier that way, then you would be 100% right. You would be doing it ALL the time.

[Snowy]

Uhh just a minor invasion, thank you for asking

Yes as you've pointed out, rotary wire brushing is slow, I should have mentioned that. I've been doing my Weasel hull with it and it is indeed taking a while. I just do a square metre or two and then prime it. But for small items it's quite a reasonable sandblasting substitute which leaves the brushed surface nice and polished without pitting, and for thin panels there's no heat distortion.

Steve.

[cantankrs]

Originally Posted by Stuart Fedak

...came across one of those wire brush units that mounts in place of a grinding stone on a bench grinder. I picked up a 6 inch wheel and will try that out. That will force me to finally mount the bench grinder with bolts on the bench rather that chase after it on the bench top.

Hi Stuart,

Bench grinders are handy but for heavy work you need a unit with enough power, otherwise the motor just wants to slow and stall - not good for it. I've managed to get 3 phase so I'll get a 3 phase one someday as crikey they can remove metal with a grinding wheel! ..And I know what you mean about chasing them around the bench!

Regards

Alex

[Bob Carriere]

....when do you start production...?

Boob

[Jordan Baker]

Those look really good. Ive used the wire wheel a lot on my carrier restoration. Since getting the Princess Auto sandblasting cabinet Ive been going back and redoing a lot of the smaller bits. One thing ive noticed is how much rust has "grown" back and how easy the paint comes off from parts that had been wire wheeled.

I much preferd sandblasting now as I find it also gives a great surface for the primer/paint to adhere.

As for you pictures I initialy thought they were PIAT bombs. Boy was I disapointed to see they were Iltis parts.