Sandblasting glass

Greetings..

I have read through the old post via google search, but have ended up
more confused than ever.

I am looking to do some light sandblasting (decorative). Nothing more
really than "frosting" the glass in patterns. I purchased the $20
"spray sand in a can", and although it is a realy mess, I was more
than pleased with the results, and decided I really wanted to do a
little more.

So....I have determined I need a cabinet for sure to contain the mess,
and we have a fairly large air compressor, and also a larger shop vac,
that apparently somehow connects to the cabinet...so now my last
question is the actual sanding gun.

I have seen the large sanding "pots" I think they call them, that can
hold 10, 20, even 40 pounds of sanding material. They are big round,
and for some reason usually painted red (in case it is not called a
sanding pot, you might know what I am talking about

The specs usually look something like this:

10 gallon, 40 pound capacity media tank.(20"tall x 12"dia.)
Spray valve with 4 nozzle sizes.(9/64", 1/8", 7/64", 3/32")
Media filler funnel.
10' long hose.
Water separator, pressure gauge, pop-off pressure relief valve, valves
at air inlet, sand outlet, and at nozzle.
Teflon wheels for portability.
0-150PSI overall capacity, 65-125PSI operating pressure, 6-25 working
CFM.
Overall dimensions are 33-1/2"H x 18-3/4"L x 13"W


Am I on the right track? I really just want to do the basic stuff,
like sanding
designs onto plates, cups, etc. Not a lot of items, or heavy sanding.

Thanks for your time and any thoughts.

"Hey Rescue Lady...Can you help me get rid of my dog?"
wrote in message om...
Greetings..

I have read through the old post via google search, but have ended up
more confused than ever.

I am looking to do some light sandblasting (decorative). Nothing more
really than "frosting" the glass in patterns. I purchased the $20
"spray sand in a can", and although it is a realy mess, I was more
than pleased with the results, and decided I really wanted to do a
little more.

So....I have determined I need a cabinet for sure to contain the mess,
and we have a fairly large air compressor, and also a larger shop vac,
that apparently somehow connects to the cabinet...so now my last
question is the actual sanding gun.

I have seen the large sanding "pots" I think they call them, that can
hold 10, 20, even 40 pounds of sanding material. They are big round,
and for some reason usually painted red (in case it is not called a
sanding pot, you might know what I am talking about

The specs usually look something like this:

10 gallon, 40 pound capacity media tank.(20"tall x 12"dia.)
Spray valve with 4 nozzle sizes.(9/64", 1/8", 7/64", 3/32")
Media filler funnel.
10' long hose.
Water separator, pressure gauge, pop-off pressure relief valve, valves
at air inlet, sand outlet, and at nozzle.
Teflon wheels for portability.
0-150PSI overall capacity, 65-125PSI operating pressure, 6-25 working
CFM.
Overall dimensions are 33-1/2"H x 18-3/4"L x 13"W


Am I on the right track? I really just want to do the basic stuff,
like sanding
designs onto plates, cups, etc. Not a lot of items, or heavy sanding.

Thanks for your time and any thoughts.



The set ups you describe are usually for auto body sand blasting. They use
a fairly coarse sand.

A gun with to much pressure , and to coarse of sand can break the glass or
cause cracking. The finish on the glass will reflect the particle size of
the sand. The sand you buy for these type of guns is pretty coarse to remove
paint and rust quickly.

You can get sand in finer particle sizes for much softer finishes. This type
is like what was used in dental offices. Just use enough pressure to pick up
the sand. I use 60 to70 psi.

I personally use a shaker sieve and sieve down ordinary beach sand. I first
dry it in a oven. I end up with mostly a medium coarse. It's hardest to make
any quantity off fine sand. I have to sieve a lot to get a little. But the
price is right.

Unless you are going to do major size pieces, I would just get the smallest
set up. If you want to do fine detail work. (which will be tough with a
bulky gun and hoses)
there are smaller guns available.

Good luck,

Randy Hansen
SC Glass Tech
Scam Diego, Comi-fornia

Take a look at the small unit sold by Harbor Freight .
I have one that I use for frosting and etching patterns .
I use silica carbide grit .
( It did wear through the valve though)
New valve - $20 .

Ol'Fred


On 24 Feb 2004 21:45:37 -0800, (Hey Rescue Lady...Can
you help me get rid of my dog?) wrote:

Greetings..

I have read through the old post via google search, but have ended up
more confused than ever.

I am looking to do some light sandblasting (decorative). Nothing more
really than "frosting" the glass in patterns. I purchased the $20
"spray sand in a can", and although it is a realy mess, I was more
than pleased with the results, and decided I really wanted to do a
little more.

So....I have determined I need a cabinet for sure to contain the mess,
and we have a fairly large air compressor, and also a larger shop vac,
that apparently somehow connects to the cabinet...so now my last
question is the actual sanding gun.

I have seen the large sanding "pots" I think they call them, that can
hold 10, 20, even 40 pounds of sanding material. They are big round,
and for some reason usually painted red (in case it is not called a
sanding pot, you might know what I am talking about

The specs usually look something like this:

10 gallon, 40 pound capacity media tank.(20"tall x 12"dia.)
Spray valve with 4 nozzle sizes.(9/64", 1/8", 7/64", 3/32")
Media filler funnel.
10' long hose.
Water separator, pressure gauge, pop-off pressure relief valve, valves
at air inlet, sand outlet, and at nozzle.
Teflon wheels for portability.
0-150PSI overall capacity, 65-125PSI operating pressure, 6-25 working
CFM.
Overall dimensions are 33-1/2"H x 18-3/4"L x 13"W


Am I on the right track? I really just want to do the basic stuff,
like sanding
designs onto plates, cups, etc. Not a lot of items, or heavy sanding.

Thanks for your time and any thoughts.

You said:
Am I on the right track? I really just want to do the basic stuff,
like sanding designs onto plates, cups, etc. snip

You're on the right track. Here's a few additional thoughts.

1) Personally, I'd avoid sand. In addition to the very real risk of
silicosis, you get a far finer, more predictable result from silicon
carbide. It's more expensive by the pound but cheaper by the hour (because
sand breaks down after a single use, whereas the carbide can be recovered
from your cabinet and reused many times).

2) The hardware you described is generally called a pressure pot, and that's
a better choice for most types of blasting than tha alternative, which is a
siphon system. You will find many folks, though, who would say that a
siphon would suit your needs. They're less expensive.

3) In either case, the blasting medium is passed through a tip, which will
wear out over time (how much time depends on what the tip is made of, what
you're shooting, the amount of pressure, etc). Check with a supplier for
your options.

Etchmaster has a tutorial on their site that might answer a lot of your
questions. I'm in no way affiliated with the company, but I did take their
etching class to get started. They sell equipment, but their cabinet
systems may be larger than your interest. Anyhow, here's the info:
http://www.etchmaster.com/information_site/index.htm

good luck -
~s

"Hey Rescue Lady...Can you help me get rid of my dog?"
wrote in message om...
Greetings..

I have read through the old post via google search, but have ended up
more confused than ever.

I am looking to do some light sandblasting (decorative). Nothing more
really than "frosting" the glass in patterns. I purchased the $20
"spray sand in a can", and although it is a realy mess, I was more
than pleased with the results, and decided I really wanted to do a
little more.

So....I have determined I need a cabinet for sure to contain the mess,
and we have a fairly large air compressor, and also a larger shop vac,
that apparently somehow connects to the cabinet...so now my last
question is the actual sanding gun.

I have seen the large sanding "pots" I think they call them, that can
hold 10, 20, even 40 pounds of sanding material. They are big round,
and for some reason usually painted red (in case it is not called a
sanding pot, you might know what I am talking about

The specs usually look something like this:

10 gallon, 40 pound capacity media tank.(20"tall x 12"dia.)
Spray valve with 4 nozzle sizes.(9/64", 1/8", 7/64", 3/32")
Media filler funnel.
10' long hose.
Water separator, pressure gauge, pop-off pressure relief valve, valves
at air inlet, sand outlet, and at nozzle.
Teflon wheels for portability.
0-150PSI overall capacity, 65-125PSI operating pressure, 6-25 working
CFM.
Overall dimensions are 33-1/2"H x 18-3/4"L x 13"W


Am I on the right track? I really just want to do the basic stuff,
like sanding
designs onto plates, cups, etc. Not a lot of items, or heavy sanding.

Thanks for your time and any thoughts.

While this unit can work for small decorative projects, it is too bulky for
doing delicate work, there is a product, tool actually, made for what you
want to do. Try to find an "air eraser", I do believe that Paashe or Badger
sold them, but try a search under that name. It is a small tool like an
airbrush, if you use aluminum oxide, 80 to 100 grit, it will last along
time, and the more you use it the softer the finish, and you can always add
more new material to mix with what has been used to get a real delicate cut
in glass. Of course, this stuff is used in a cabinet to reclaim what you
have used, sift it upon refilling the gun. From what you are describing,
this is just the ticket.

"Steve Roberts" continued the misinformation in
message hlink.net...

1) Personally, I'd avoid sand. In addition to the very real risk of
silicosis, you get a far finer, more predictable result from silicon
carbide. It's more expensive by the pound but cheaper by the hour
(because
sand breaks down after a single use, whereas the carbide can be recovered
from your cabinet and reused many times).


Begin rant

Ok ok....I'm just about sick of all the BS going around about silica sand.
You DO NOT avoid silicosis by using sand alternatives! The glass dust
generated in ANY blasting operation will give you silicosis. I've been using
SAND for 32 years to etch glass, so I am obviously dead from disease by
now....correct? Duh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Actually my lungs are in better
shape than most city-dwellers. I wear a face .. a good mask. Now a face mask
IS something to make a big noise about!!!

Yeah, sand breaks down a little with each use. So? Exotics are contaminated
with silica dust after the first use! So? That's the parameters....work with
it. Personally, I scoop the crap right back off the floor (booth, not box)
and strain it through a medium screen to use again for big areas, stripping
silvering, whatever does not require a clean uniform granule size. Works
great. For my detail or other critical work I scoop fresh from the $4 / 100
lbs bag of sand. I even use sand quite happily with commercial photoresists
(for text only) by using lower pressure and etching easy, instead of
aggressively.

Yes...there ARE advantages to the exotics. They are available in, say, 200
grit and finer, if that's what you need for something. They carve faster if
deep-carving is your thing. Actually, that may be the only advantage.
Personally, I find carving rather limited, so I carve only when the
situation demands it, and sand does carve too. I work in incredibly detailed
'surface etching' primarily and achieve effects that are impossible with
carving ..... that is, when I do etching. After 32 years of etching, I try
to limit the etch projects I'll even accept, because I prefer more
fulfilling methods of glassworking.

I don't expect my arguments to make a bit of difference to the 'exotic
abrasives' crowd... but if this gets through to a newby, not already blinded
by marketing dogma, then I've done my job..... thank you. In short, if you
WANT to spend 10x $ for exotics, that is a personal CHOICE..... but don't
wrap 'facts' with Fear, or vague performance claims, especially at the
Newbie level of involvement.

Sand is good, kids .....don't forget it.

End rant

Best regards, Jacques Bordeleau



PS.... recommended unit for OP ALC Co. "Sandy-Jet" siphon gun ...
models $50-100+ Eastwood Co., or many others. I'm STILL using my first one
(32 years old) and did buy a second 'spare' 10 years back. ALC makes very
nice Pressure Pot units too ... again, they last forever, and are reasonably
priced. I haven't yet seen a siphon gun to recommend higher than the
Sandy-Jet, and I've seen quite a few.

Hey Java...... the Air Eraser is from Paasche, but is too fine for almost
anything but dental casting cleanup. It requires more like 200 grit abrasive
to even flow, and it wants to clog a lot. Used one, but never owned one for
the above reasons. Spendy too. Still have the abrsive around here somewhere.
Maybe it works better if you stop and dry your abrasive in the oven every
day? (I am in a 'dry' climate, BTW).

Regards, Jacques Bordeleau


================================================== ==
"Javahut" wrote in message
...

"Hey Rescue Lady...Can you help me get rid of my dog?"
wrote in message om...

While this unit can work for small decorative projects, it is too bulky
for
doing delicate work, there is a product, tool actually, made for what you
want to do. Try to find an "air eraser", I do believe that Paashe or
Badger
sold them, but try a search under that name. It is a small tool like an
airbrush, if you use aluminum oxide, 80 to 100 grit, it will last along
time, and the more you use it the softer the finish, and you can always
add
more new material to mix with what has been used to get a real delicate
cut
in glass. Of course, this stuff is used in a cabinet to reclaim what you
have used, sift it upon refilling the gun. From what you are describing,
this is just the ticket.

Jacques!!!! I was wondering just yesterday what had happened to you.
Hadn't seen a post from you in quite a while. Good to see you again.


"Sundog" wrote in message
ink.net...
"Steve Roberts" continued the misinformation
in
message hlink.net...

1) Personally, I'd avoid sand. In addition to the very real risk of
silicosis, you get a far finer, more predictable result from silicon
carbide. It's more expensive by the pound but cheaper by the hour
(because
sand breaks down after a single use, whereas the carbide can be
recovered
from your cabinet and reused many times).


Begin rant

Ok ok....I'm just about sick of all the BS going around about silica sand.
You DO NOT avoid silicosis by using sand alternatives! The glass dust
generated in ANY blasting operation will give you silicosis. I've been
using
SAND for 32 years to etch glass, so I am obviously dead from disease by
now....correct? Duh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Actually my lungs are in better
shape than most city-dwellers. I wear a face .. a good mask. Now a face
mask
IS something to make a big noise about!!!

Yeah, sand breaks down a little with each use. So? Exotics are
contaminated
with silica dust after the first use! So? That's the parameters....work
with
it. Personally, I scoop the crap right back off the floor (booth, not box)
and strain it through a medium screen to use again for big areas,
stripping
silvering, whatever does not require a clean uniform granule size. Works
great. For my detail or other critical work I scoop fresh from the $4 /
100
lbs bag of sand. I even use sand quite happily with commercial
photoresists
(for text only) by using lower pressure and etching easy, instead of
aggressively.

Yes...there ARE advantages to the exotics. They are available in, say, 200
grit and finer, if that's what you need for something. They carve faster
if
deep-carving is your thing. Actually, that may be the only advantage.
Personally, I find carving rather limited, so I carve only when the
situation demands it, and sand does carve too. I work in incredibly
detailed
'surface etching' primarily and achieve effects that are impossible with
carving ..... that is, when I do etching. After 32 years of etching, I try
to limit the etch projects I'll even accept, because I prefer more
fulfilling methods of glassworking.

I don't expect my arguments to make a bit of difference to the 'exotic
abrasives' crowd... but if this gets through to a newby, not already
blinded
by marketing dogma, then I've done my job..... thank you. In short, if you
WANT to spend 10x $ for exotics, that is a personal CHOICE..... but don't
wrap 'facts' with Fear, or vague performance claims, especially at the
Newbie level of involvement.

Sand is good, kids .....don't forget it.

End rant

Best regards, Jacques Bordeleau



PS.... recommended unit for OP ALC Co. "Sandy-Jet" siphon gun ...
models $50-100+ Eastwood Co., or many others. I'm STILL using my first
one
(32 years old) and did buy a second 'spare' 10 years back. ALC makes very
nice Pressure Pot units too ... again, they last forever, and are
reasonably
priced. I haven't yet seen a siphon gun to recommend higher than the
Sandy-Jet, and I've seen quite a few.

Take a look at Sandcarver.org you´ll have most of your questions answered.
You could also join the Sandcarvers Forum at Yahoo´s. It´s a fountain of wealth.

Good Luck, Deet
















wrote in message ...
Take a look at the small unit sold by Harbor Freight .
I have one that I use for frosting and etching patterns .
I use silica carbide grit .
( It did wear through the valve though)
New valve - $20 .

Ol'Fred


On 24 Feb 2004 21:45:37 -0800, (Hey Rescue Lady...Can
you help me get rid of my dog?) wrote:

Greetings..

I have read through the old post via google search, but have ended up
more confused than ever.

I am looking to do some light sandblasting (decorative). Nothing more
really than "frosting" the glass in patterns. I purchased the $20
"spray sand in a can", and although it is a realy mess, I was more
than pleased with the results, and decided I really wanted to do a
little more.

So....I have determined I need a cabinet for sure to contain the mess,
and we have a fairly large air compressor, and also a larger shop vac,
that apparently somehow connects to the cabinet...so now my last
question is the actual sanding gun.

I have seen the large sanding "pots" I think they call them, that can
hold 10, 20, even 40 pounds of sanding material. They are big round,
and for some reason usually painted red (in case it is not called a
sanding pot, you might know what I am talking about

The specs usually look something like this:

10 gallon, 40 pound capacity media tank.(20"tall x 12"dia.)
Spray valve with 4 nozzle sizes.(9/64", 1/8", 7/64", 3/32")
Media filler funnel.
10' long hose.
Water separator, pressure gauge, pop-off pressure relief valve, valves
at air inlet, sand outlet, and at nozzle.
Teflon wheels for portability.
0-150PSI overall capacity, 65-125PSI operating pressure, 6-25 working
CFM.
Overall dimensions are 33-1/2"H x 18-3/4"L x 13"W


Am I on the right track? I really just want to do the basic stuff,
like sanding
designs onto plates, cups, etc. Not a lot of items, or heavy sanding.

Thanks for your time and any thoughts.

"Sundog" wrote in message
ink.net...
Hey Java...... the Air Eraser is from Paasche, but is too fine for almost
anything but dental casting cleanup. It requires more like 200 grit
abrasive
to even flow, and it wants to clog a lot. Used one, but never owned one
for
the above reasons. Spendy too. Still have the abrsive around here
somewhere.
Maybe it works better if you stop and dry your abrasive in the oven every
day? (I am in a 'dry' climate, BTW).

Regards, Jacques Bordeleau






While employed at Dow we had a dental blaster set up. It was so fine that I
would use it like a pen and sign my work with it.

We used tanks of dry Nitrogen instead of compressed air. We never had any
clogging problems. One tank of Nitrogen will go a long ways since so little
is used on a system that small.

Randy Hansen
SC Glass Tech
Scam Diego, Comi-fornia