Over the Labor Day weekend I did some sandblasting at my friends house. He’d rented a sandblaster to clean up some of his parts/tools/ect… anyways I thought what a great time for me to repair my RL diff cover. To make a long story short, I went out and bought a sandblasting kit. Now for those of you who do any type of sandblasting, what type of media do you use?
I’ve heard plain old “sand box” sand, White Aluminum Oxide, Quickrete Commercial Grade Sand, Aluminum Oxide, Silicon Carbide, ect, ect… and I know they are all used for different applications. But what has worked the best for you?

_________________
"I'm the guy who does his job, you must be the other guy"
02 Black UNlimited Edition 4X4 Select Trac Liberty Towing/Off Road Packages 245/75/16 on black Moabs
RL diff cover/Super Skink sliders, Rusty's 2.5" Coil Lift w/ clevis lift, Roof basket W/Hella FF75...
On the prowl for an M416/M101/M100 trailer
L.O.S.T. Member 2877

Most of the commercial "Media Blasters" use a ground up walnut shell instead of sand. not as bruttle on the parts and enviormentaly better.

_________________
'07 Ltd 3.7L, Black, OME HD's, OME shocks, Mopar Skids, AEV Bridgers w/ TPMS, Kumho KL78's, ARB Bumper, KC 130 Watters, Warn M8000 Winch, Rock Lizard Gecko Roof Basket KC 150 watters, Cobra 75WSX, 3 ft FireFly, RL Super Step Skinks

"Sand Box" is probably the worst thing you can use. The size is not consistent and will often clog the tip. Also, the moisture content is usually too high and will not flow well. I started off using it, but it's a pain and I will never again use it. I now use sandblasting sand from a local building supply shop. it's not expensive and comes in 50lb bags. Other types of media are usually more expensive and often used in a cabinet blaster so it can be recycled.

_________________
04 Rocky Mountain Edition
Detroit Truetrac in the front, Rusty's 2.5" Coil Lift, Revos
Custom Roof Rack w/ 4 Hella 500s, Optima Red Top, Mopar Rock Rails, All Mopar skids

i didnt know that! what a good idea! i'm not sure what the sand blaster we had in the shop in college was, but i was always instructed that the sand was really really bad for you and that by no means should you let it get out of the booth. so walnut shells sounds pretty good.

_________________
-Jon-
02 Jeep Liberty - LOST Trail Tested Edition - sold
09 VW Tiguan 4motion - current

It is because of the paint, rust, etc that is mixed w/ the sand is the biggest reason it is bad for you. Some types of blasting media are also pretty gnarly and create a fine dust that will really mess up your lungs. I would definately suggest breathing protection if using it in the open and in a cabinet unless it is attached to a vacuum source to clear the air in the cabinet. I have a cabinet in my garage w/ a special abrasive (can't remember the name) that is nasty stuff but it works so well and leaves a fine, smooth finish but it creates some dust that if you breathe it you will regret. I wear a resperator and hook my cabinet to a shop vac w/ a fine filter before using it.

At work, to strip the B2 and other planes, they use wheat starch, mainly for environmental reasons but it does work well w/ high pressure blasters.

_________________
99 TJ
71 C101
04 KJ
03 SFA KJ Sport
LOST JEEPS So-Cal

One of the best tricks I've seen is to buy a sandblasting adapter for your pressure washer. Great for large projects and keeps the sand out of the air. Once it dries you sweep it up or just let it wash into the grass. There is little chance of you or passers buy inhaling it which is the most serious hazard to health.

_________________
2005 CRD "Ol' Blue"
Red Ryder carbine-action, two hundred shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing which tells time.
My build page- RL Komodo Rear and TJM Front Bumper, armored, lifted, JBA Steel D30, 4.10s and ARB air lockers.

The wet sand blast is really good. You just have to decide how aggressive you want to get. With any stipping procedure be it paint or rust it is always a messy process. The walnut shells are great, on more then one occassion I've seen someone go for sand blast but with a very aggressive media ended up punching holes into the part rendering as nothing more then scrap metal requireing total replacement. Some times slow and light will give better results then fast and hard.
just my $.02 worth.
Good Luck

We use stuff called black shot.(I have no clue what it is made of) It is pretty agressive. We also wear hoods and sometimes I wear my gas mask from the military if it is going to be a long job. The stuff turns you black like a coal miner but it works very well. We just did a huge front loader. It will get Caterpillar yellow sprayed over it this week!

_________________

Thanks for all the great feedback, I'm trying to find a place that will sell the stuff by the pound and buy a few different “blasting agents” to try to see which one might work best.
I’m not going to be doing tons of sandblasting but rather not risk it at all. So I’m also on the prowl for a hood.

_________________
"I'm the guy who does his job, you must be the other guy"
02 Black UNlimited Edition 4X4 Select Trac Liberty Towing/Off Road Packages 245/75/16 on black Moabs
RL diff cover/Super Skink sliders, Rusty's 2.5" Coil Lift w/ clevis lift, Roof basket W/Hella FF75...
On the prowl for an M416/M101/M100 trailer
L.O.S.T. Member 2877