Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Media blaster for gunsmithing

I have a couple projects that I'd like to try media blasting. One is removing Dura/Cera kote.

Any advise on a blaster and media? Don't think I'm looking for a full cabinet. Any recs on a smaller, read less expensive, blaster and media? Ultimately I'd like to try rust bluing on these pieces.

Thanks!

Been using one I got from Harbor Freight for years. As for media, I tend to use McMaster-Carr when I'm in need.

Yep harbor freight and harbor freight glass beads works well

You guys just using the gravity feed gun?

https://www.harborfreight.com/air-t...gravity-feed-spot-blaster-gun-95793.html

I use this one with the HF glass beads.
Sand blast gun

My disposable "blast cabinet" is a cardboard box with clear plastic stretched over the top and arm holes cut into the sides.

I've used the same gravity feed gun on a few occasions. Mostly on bigger projects, and mostly outside - i.e. not in a media cabinet. Works great with the 'black lava' blasting media to remove heavy scale and and paint.

I have a couple of the Harbor Freight cabinets, they work really well.

Be advised though, the media that Harbor Freight sells as "glass bead" is NOT glass bead, it's ground glass. Totally different thing; the HF stuff leaves a dull finish with some bite a lot like aluminum oxide, which is fine if you want to coat over it. True glass bead leaves a bright satin finish though; it doesn't cut into the material (no sharp edges), it just peens it, which is what you want for refinishing stainless and aluminum parts that'll be left as-blasted.

About 15 years ago HF did sell true glass bead, but the stuff they sell now is not the same. Ground glass is a lot cheaper of course, so that's why they sell it. You'll have to go to a better quality hardware store to find real glass bead.

I once had the local NAPA auto parts store bead blast a Model 1908 Mauser barreled action. I't didn't cost much but I've forgotten how much it was. Looked great after being blued.

Call this guy for all of your blasting needs. That's all he's done forever.
http://www.tacomacompany.com/

I got 5 cabinet blasters which I got from Grizzly when Grizzly was in business around Williamsport Pennsylvania. Each of them contains different abrazes for I don't have to change out all the time. 2 with different size glass beads, 1 with walnut, and 2 different size aluminum oxide. I make a trip down to mccaster car at least once every other year and I buy all my glass beads Walnut and aluminum oxide from them. The only gloves that I use are disposable nitrile gloves, don't use the cabinet gloves anymore as I have a strong vacuum and that keeps grit and abrasive coming out of the front of the cabinet

Harbor Freight sells both the glass beads(80 grit) for a satin peened finish that doesn’t remove any surface metal and also the ground glass media(40-70 grit) that leaves a dull finish......I just bought a 25lb bag of the 80 grit beads yesterday.

Having said that, I am in need of some advice from those “in the know”.

I’m just getting started in bead blasting...figured why pay somebody to do something I can do for myself.

Looking to re-blast a couple of stainless barrels. Hoping to achieve a factory like satin finish. Will the above mentioned 80 grit glass beads do the trick and at what PSI should I blast? Or does it matter?
How easy is it to achieve a quality result using the gravity feed hand-held blasting guns(assuming I’m starting with a decently polished barrel)?

Leftybolt

See my post above. That 80 grit "glass bead" you bought is NOT glass bead, it's just finely ground glass. I've tried three different packages of it over the last couple years trying to get the right stuff, none of them were glass bead. Feel the media, if it's glass bead it'll roll between your fingers like tiny ball bearings, and will leave a bright satin finish. The HF stuff feels like sand and leaves a duller finish; it's junk IMO for any application needing real glass bead, and you will NOT achieve a factory-like finish with it regardless what air pressure you use.

Ok, then if the HF stuff is junk, what brand and grit do I need to buy to get a factory smooth satin finish like on a stainless Win 70 or Rem 700?

And, at what PSI should I blast to achieve the right silky-satin finish?

Anybody that has done this successfully, please chime in.

Thanks,

Leftybolt

Brownells.

I'm using 8 micron glass bead, pressure varies depending on the material and your blaster gun and how far away you hold it, you'll have to experiment with it. Harder steel needs more pressure for the same result. Really soft stuff I'll go as low as 35 psi, but go up to full line pressure on other steels. I get it from a local place called Hardware Sales; you'll have to do some searching around in your area.

Edit - if ordering from McMaster Carr online, I'd get the 90-120 grit: https://www.mcmaster.com/3386k72
(their picture does not show glass bead, it's just the generic "blast media" picture)

I run between 50psi to 65psi for all my blasting needs.

I have had a large Scat Blast cabinet for years. It always had coarse ground windshield glass in it. I have blasted many things with it including gun barrels. I run 100 psi for everything, but I have plenty of experience blasting various stuff.

If you were close you could use it.