What media are you using in your blaster?

[86 slo-vo]

Picking up a new blast cabinet this week, just wondering what everybody else uses.

Will be most used for some rust clean up and paint/powder coat removal.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[A2ZUK]

Go to Shreckers and tell them you want Black beauty sand. very aggresive and last a long time. Comes in 80 lbs bags.

[Mikes79bronco]

Originally Posted by A2ZUK

Go to Shreckers and tell them you want Black beauty sand. very aggresive and last a long time. Comes in 80 lbs bags.

x2

[jamscal]

Black Beauty is a trade name for coal slag.

Make sure it's not too coarse or it won't go through most cabinet sized nozzles.

The equipment rental places usually carry it.

[86 slo-vo]

Here's the cabinet I picked up,$100 and never been used so I figured it was a decent deal.

http://www.harborfreight.com/40-lb-c...net-93608.html

[Elvis-n-Texas]

Originally Posted by jamscal

Black Beauty is a trade name for coal slag.

Make sure it's not too coarse or it won't go through most cabinet sized nozzles.

I currently use glass bead. It's a bit slow; but does not harm the surface.
Is coal slag to aggressive for aluminum?

What size (gauge) should I ask for when purchasing?

I may try some and change out the media between jobs. (My cabinet is a gravity media feed design)

[kf4zht]

I use a mix of glass bead, alluminum oxide and black beauty, depends on what I am doing. For heavy paint/rust removal on steel/cast BB rocks. For all around use without too much surface damage AO is good. For cleaning AL without risk of damage Glass beads are good.

I keep 5 gal buckets of each under mine so I can swap out as needed.

[usmcdoc14]

aluminum oxide. Coal slag is some naaaaasty shit to inhale unless your unit is sealed well

[86 slo-vo]

Where can the aluminum oxide be bought from?

[usmcdoc14]

Originally Posted by 86 slo-vo

Where can the aluminum oxide be bought from?

Harbor freight, northern tool.

[370]

i use coal slag. you can get it at menards or home depo for like $8 (50lb bag) i even shoot aluminum with the coal slag. i wouldn't shoot aluminum i wanted to polish or machined surfaces with coal slag but if your going to paint it then it leaves a good surface for paint to stick to. my old cabinet held like 8 50lb bags in it.. so swapping media wasn't easy.. coal slag is cheap and effective

[86 slo-vo]

I picked up some of the black beauty today, guess I'll try it out.

[Ed ke6bnl]

Originally Posted by 86 slo-vo

I picked up some of the black beauty today, guess I'll try it out.

I picked some up from Harbor Fright and it is some aggressive stuff very good maybe too much for most alum. jobs but I like it for most of my work is clean up for weld or paint.

[Sroufe7]

I use aluminum oxide in my blasting cabinet. If you use too aggressive of material in a cabinet you'll eat the insides up. In my pressure pot blaster I use a lot more aggressive material.