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The Newbies Arena Are you new to knife making? Here is all the help you will need.

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  #1  
Old 02-23-2017, 11:57 AM
dennyg dennyg is offline
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Bead blast info

I'm trying to set up a small bead blaster to use on 440C blades. However, I have no idea what grit glass beads to get. I'm looking to produce a smooth satin finish.

Could any of you bead blasters point me in the right direction?

Thanks,denny
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  #2  
Old 02-23-2017, 01:50 PM
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Ray Rogers Ray Rogers is offline
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If you want a smooth satin finish you should probably be sand blasting. The only way glass beads have much of an effect on a hardened blade is if you mirror polish the blade first. Then you get a finish that looks more cloudy than satin (at least that's what I got).

I had two cabinets, one for sand and one for glass beads. I used the sand quite a bit but the glass beads almost never.

You could also try other media like crushed walnut shells. There is all sorts of stuff designed to be run through blast cabinets. BTW, when we say 'sand' it isn't actual sand, it's AO grit in various sizes...


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Old 02-23-2017, 04:11 PM
dennyg dennyg is offline
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Thanks for the advice! What grit would be the best? I see everything from #80 to #220 in AO on amazon.
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Old 02-23-2017, 06:14 PM
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Ray Rogers Ray Rogers is offline
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Finer grit for lighter color on the blade. If you have a Harbor Freight nearby you might get some from them and save the shipping. I got 50 lbs from HF and it lasted me 17 years so far. I'm not sure the grit matters a great deal unless you're trying to create art work. Light air pressure with coarse grit gives a finish not much different than very high pressure with finer grit. At any rate, I couldn't see much difference and after you put some Ren Wax on it the finish darkens up quite a bit anyway ...


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Old 02-23-2017, 06:21 PM
dennyg dennyg is offline
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I have a HF within 10 min. Thanks so much for the help!
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Old 02-24-2017, 07:32 AM
dtec1 dtec1 is offline
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HF may not have it in the store, mine didn't they wanted me to order it. I was told to check auto part stores. First I check the big name like auto zone and advance auto parts. they were the same had to order it. I started checking "mom and pop" auto stores and then I found it. just ask for a AO grit, it will come in a big bag like the size of a bag of rock salt. However most likely they are going to carry a low grit. As that is what is used when blasting a car for auto body work. At first I got a very dark grey result but as ray said if you drop the pressure you will get a lighter result. Personally IF I am going to sand blast a blade I like the darker grey color its different .....a satin finish can be done in other ways little bit different look but just play around with the pressure youll find out what you like,
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Old 02-24-2017, 06:33 PM
dennyg dennyg is offline
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Yes, I'd like the darker grey also. Our HF had it in stock a couple of weeks ago but I haven't had a chance to get over there yet.

Any thoughts on a cheap blasting gun with gravity or syphon feed?
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Old 02-24-2017, 06:48 PM
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Depends on how much blasting you intend to do. If this will be a once in a blue moon type of thing then any gun you can find will probably suffice. But, if you plan to do this even moderately often get a cabinet. HF has several cabinets around $100 last time I looked (been a while). The cabinets come with a gun and siphon system and will keep your sand inside and less on you and your shop. Wear your respirator anyway, even with the cabinet sealed up you will still easily smell airborne sand and that is something you really don't want to do for long. Very bad for the lungs ....


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Old 02-25-2017, 07:14 AM
dtec1 dtec1 is offline
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Below is a link to the one I have from harbor freight it wors great this is a bench top model they also have one with legs if you don't have a table to put it on if you want the one with legs just do a search on their site for sand blast cabinet but here is the bench top...comes with a gun

http://www.harborfreight.com/benchto...net-62454.html
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  #10  
Old 02-25-2017, 07:58 AM
dennyg dennyg is offline
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That looks like a great little cabinet for what I'll be doing. I hope to get over there today and see what is available.
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  #11  
Old 02-25-2017, 11:06 AM
dtec1 dtec1 is offline
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the store by me always has those cabinets in stock. But the A.O. GRIT they never do you would have to order it from them. I finally found it at a mom and pop auto part store. But it took a couple days to find it. I am notoriously impatient so I tried buying a bag of sand first. It was clean sand that can be used in some sand blasting scenarios. But it didn't work for me. The gun wouldn't suck up the sand very good at all. I thought there was something wrong with the gun. When I got the A.O. grit and cleaned out the sand and put that in it worked fine....So don't even bother with regular sand if you cant find the A.O. right away the sand wont work with that cabinet and gun.
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440c, advice, art, auto, bead blast, bee, blade, blades, cheap, finish, gun, knife, knives, mirror, ore, play, polish, salt, sand, satin finish, small, store, walnut, wax


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