Advice before you buy
Which Media, Which Job
Most jobs need one of four media, and the right one is usually the gentlest that gets the coating off.
Start Gentle
The question to ask is not what will strip this fastest, it is what is the softest thing that will still take the coating off, because everything harder than that also takes something away from the part. On a steel trailer it hardly matters, and you can use whatever is cheapest. On an aluminum wheel, a brass fitting, a cast iron finial with fine detail or a softwood beam, the difference between the right media and one step too aggressive is the difference between a part that looks restored and one that looks worn out. Harder media also leave a deeper profile, which is good if a coating needs something to grip and bad if the part is to be polished or left bare. So we tend to suggest starting one step gentler than you think, trying a small area, and stepping up only if it is too slow. It costs a little more time and saves a lot of parts, and in all the years of answering this question at the counter I have not seen it go wrong the other way round.
Dana
Common Jobs, and What We Would Use
- A rusty trailer frame
- Crushed glass, medium, or garnet 30/60.
- Cast iron under old paint
- Garnet 80. Fine enough to keep the detail.
- Aluminum wheels
- Glass bead, or walnut shell if the finish matters.
- Stainless to a satin finish
- Glass bead #10.
- Wood beams and log walls
- Walnut shell, at low pressure.
- A fiberglass boat hull
- Soda or walnut shell, gently.
- Engine parts
- Degrease first, then glass bead. Soda if no residue can stay.
- Frosting a pattern on glass
- Aluminum oxide 120, with the pattern masked.
Every one of these is on the media list, with grades and prices.
Pressure and Distance
- Steel, garnet or glass80-100 psi
- Glass bead40-60 psi
- Walnut shell40-80 psi
- Soda20-60 psi
These are where we start in our own bay, with the nozzle about a foot from the work. Closer and higher is faster and harder on the part.
Ask Us
Send a photograph, say what the part is made of and what comes next: paint, powder coat, or nothing. We reply with one suggestion rather than a list. Write through the contact page, or bring the part to the bay and try it.