Bead Blasting Tips for Long Bead Life and Best Finish

[@ArnoldsDesign]

If you're looking for your a simple gift for a family member, I now have a small online store with fishing and deer themed color changing coffee mugs, tshirts, sweatshirts, and hoodies. Go to www.gearbubble.com/gbstore/arnoldsdesign. These designs are not available anywhere else. I will also be adding new items as time permits.

[@dannyl2598]

Thank you. All good points that I had not given much concentration. I have to admit that I am guilty of smashing glass beads.

[@ghffrsfygdhfjkjiysdz]

After playing with many abrasives i have settled on a combination of glass beads and type 3 plastic abrasive. Beads clean up rust and sharp plastic abrasive takes care of soft coatings like paint that bead media just bounces off of.

[@kmcwhq]

Bead Blasting Secrets Reveled! Excellent info! Thanks for the words of wisdom

[@ArnoldsDesign]

Thanks:) That would've made an excellent title!

[@cubul32]

@@ArnoldsDesign Your clip did help.

[@MrSprocket2u]

Best said ,,,, this guy knows his stuff

[@bernhardlist9359]

Thanks for the answer. At the moment I think I will get a small blasting cabinett for dry blasting with glass or ceramic (a friend manufactures the ceramics) beads to start out but still like the result of those vapour blasters. The problem I have with the vapour blasters is that as soon as you get a bigger box the purchase price quadruples and puts it out of my "hobby" range. But in order to do a cylinder of a V8 or even my V12 you need space in the box. Now you might say if one can buy a V12 Jag he can buy a big blaster but I only do this with 2 or 3 engines and that hardly justifies that purchase. Sorry to say that where I live in Germany no one has this equippment to let them do it for me.

[@ArnoldsDesign]

I don't know about a v12 block, but a v8 block should fit fine in an entry level cabinet. Of course you would need to verify. Vixen makes a nice entry level machine, and I think it's available in Europe for around $15,000 not including a compressor. I know a vapor blaster in Belgium who has one. You'll need a high cfm compressor, either a good used rotary compressor or a new piston type which will be about the same price. If you can get a Polar Air compressor shipped to Germany, I recommend them. Good value for the money, and it's what I have.

[@russtuff]

Incredible finish. I really dig what you're doing.

[@bjmaguire6269]

Thank you so much for the tips, I was thinking about hiring out some jobs but I'm the kind of guy who just loves to learn how to do things oneself. Why have someone else do it when you can learn something really useful, if you have the time to spare? This video was very informative and concise, I hope to profit from your excellent guidance. Thanks again, subscribed:)

[@ArnoldsDesign]

Thank you for your comments. I'm glad you found it informative. :)

[@colin-qp4zr]

great. i didnt know you could get such a nice finish by dry blasting, thanks for the pointers

[@ArnoldsDesign]

You're welcome.

[@stephengomes977]

Great informative video - you answered my question that I posted in the Vapor Blasting Weber Carb video. Now I understand this process much better - keep up the great job!

[@TrojanEMT]

2 questions. 1: What size tip is ideal for glass bead media? 2: I'm using a media cabinet. Is 50psi still the ideal pressure to use?

[@richardliston6245]

Very good video...answered a lot of questions

[@corkforbrains]

EXCELLENT video! Thanks for posting!!

[@randalljames1]

your media will last longer if you shoot at a 45 or so.. 90º tends to reduce media faster .. also use about 5 inch space between work and nozzle..

[@richwoodservices3306]

Yup. 45 ideal, 60 degree minimum

[@Void-gn9zm]

I’m about to clean out my aluminum oxide cabinet to use some glass beads to burnish a transmisison. This is gonna be fun lol.

[@itsalldoable]

Hi Arnold, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience and knowledge. I am fairly new to bead blasting (dry) and have been lead to believe that you can't achieve a nice bright finish unless using vapour blasting. I was thinking the other day that I should try a larger bead to see if it improves the brightness and your comments fully support this. Thanks again Kind regards Paul (from "48 Spokes" my car restoration KZbin channel in the UK)

[@richardliston6245]

Very informative!

[@leekhai488]

Today i had a test my sand blast machine..and i found that glass bead could not make shine Aluminium surface...it looks like grey color, not shine...so i was very headache...and tried to find the way how to make shine Aluminium surface... So finally i found out after watching your video . I used Glass bead ( 100~170) and high pressure ....it was problem....so tomorrow i will try it with your recommendation... Thank you for your nice video...very helpful...

[@nairblab4061]

Very informative, thanks man!

[@Vicros]

Thanks for a great video. I blast a lot of titanium medical implants. my problem is that some areas on my components gets polished and other areas blasted. any suggestions on how to cover the polished areas easily before blasting

[@ArnoldsDesign]

I know of no easy way. I usually cover sensitive areas with 3M electrical tape, and cut out areas as needed with an X-acto knife. It's the only thing that will hold up to the water blast for me.

[@pittlessanchez7251]

Can you also do intake manifolds?

[@blechbuchseaustin3262]

Thanks a lot for the great information. very helpful..

[@shopmcustom]

Información muy valiosa, Brad gracias por compartir sus conocimientos

[@ArnoldsDesign]

Gracias, Javier.

[@ajose223w3]

So I’m looking for a media that will have some what of polish what should I use, I’ve used a black diamond coal blend and it gives it a matte finish

[@brianknight4595]

Hi ARNOLD your review and experience using glass beads and aluminium as a media was very interesting I have only just started as I need more information ! I am wanting to clean the very tarnished carburettors in a de-greaser first then and or a ultrasonic cleaner THEN GLASS BEARDS TO FINISH THE ALUMINIUM OFF However what grade of glass beads should I use ? With near all products I blast are alloy with stained parts would you advise walnut shells to clean and glass beads to polish and low pressure ? Cheers BRIAN from the (UK)

[@ArnoldsDesign]

I would blast them with very fine sharp abrasive after degreasing under lower pressure. Get the hard oxide shell off. Walnut shells won't remove that. Then finish with beads at low pressure. I use coarse 40-60 mesh, but a lot of people use #13, (170-325 mesh) with good results.

[@acabadostorres3684]

@@ArnoldsDesign hello arnold I have used the 170/325 mesh but it does not give me a shiny finish what do you think it is due to? Do you want the nozzle of my gun to be very large (6mm) I use 50 psi pressure 

[@ArnoldsDesign]

@@acabadostorres3684 170/325 should give a good finish at 50 psi. Make sure the oxide layer is removed first before finishing. Then you can use lower than 50psi if you want to.

[@thedisc651]

Hi Arnold, what is the size of the beads you use in the video?

[@gyuseongson]

The beadblast I did doesn't shine. What is wrong with this? The pressure is from 6 bar to 8 bar. Is the moisture in the compressor a problem? Or is pressure, nozzle thickness a problem? Is it good if the thickness of the nozzle is big?

[@LightsnRoses]

Hi, I'm a hobby beginner and I have some questions about sandblasting: 1) I have bought a closed cabinet it also have the inlet with a filter to attach the vacuum cleaner ( i also have a professional vacuum clear) do i have to use it? Can I suppose that it won't loose dust in the rest of the garage? 2) I have a 3M 6055 respirator do I have to wear it during operation even with the closed cabinet? Thanks.

[@dsomas91]

Awesome video! Very informative! What kind of gun and nozzle are you using in this video?

[@WillItFreeze]

Have you ever used a fine garnet to deoxidize? Like 100 mesh? I’ve been told it cuts similarly to crushed glass and is just as clean. Wondering your opinion on that. It’s 3 times cheaper by me.

[@ArnoldsDesign]

I haven't worked with garnet, so I really don't know how the two compare.

[@silkcustoms520]

I use Medium Glass bead for blasting. Works pretty good but never tried anything else.

[@firmbutton6485]

What would you coat the finished shiny part with after glass bead blasting?

[@ThaiRoney]

You can use epoxy clear coat or 2k clear coat

[@Lochnivar]

Hey Arnold, I wonder if you can help with your experience. I'm trying to finish a product with fine engraving approximately 2 microns deep. This is enough to use blackfill to make the engraving clearer. The parts are CNC machined and come with a highly reflective mirror finish. I need to bring that finish down to matte/satin dulling any reflectiveness without impacting too much on the fine engraving while making the surface finish look as quality as possible. Up to now I've been using what I think is a no-no approach to getting that finish. I deburr with a red scotchbrite and then bring up the finish with a grey scotchbrite (to take out the brushed effect). Then I paintfill the engraving. After this thoroughly clean and prep the surface. Then I spray adhesive promotor, gloss lacquer and just before curing cover with several coats of matte lacquer. This kind of works but the finish isn't as consistently hardened as I'd like, and it's a very fine art in terms of curing timings and when it goes wrong it's a nightmare . I think I've been going about this all wrong, worrying that bead blasting wasn't an option because I'd lose some depth of the fine engraving impacting the ability to paint fill. Having seen massive manufactures use fine glass beads to product a raw matte finish on steel and aluminium I was wondering if you can recommend a process of blasting with the right media to get close to matte finish on raw machined aluminium. If I can find a blasting solution I can skip the lacquering and bake on the paint after blasting. Any advice you can give would be great....

[@garbageman9145]

Hi, im new to sand blasting, im getting a hopper type and my project is to clean a aluminum block engine the trick is i cannot remove the engine from the care so i have limited room to work with. my goal is to have a metallic look but with as bright of a shine as possible. Im getting a medium soda abrasive to clean everything out with and i think its my safest option to start with. what should i go with after, the glass beads?

[@ArnoldsDesign]

Soda will clean well. Glass beads will leave a good finish, but be careful they don't end up getting into any ports. A hopper blaster is going to take a very long time to do.

[@bernhardlist9359]

Wow, great. You got my thumbs up. I see all the nice vapor blasting videos and wondered already how they differ. My problem is that I will soon retire and want to restore one or maybe 2 old cars to top condition and there is a little rust but they are dull and dirty and I hate cleaning with petroleum which is a mess and smells unhealthy even outside. Also depending on the weather I cannot always sit outside here in Germany. Can you please make a video where you restore differnt parts, from aluminium to cast iron with a table for pressure and media used. I try to avoid having a gallery of blastmachines (this is a hobby not a business) and I cannot swap media just because I have a handful of steelscrews and later on I have an aluminium engine cover. Thanks

[@ArnoldsDesign]

Thanks. I'm glad you found it helpful. Bead blasting can look nice if done properly, though it will still have a different finish than vapor blasting. Vapor blasting continuously cleans the beads, so dust build up and embedding in the material is never an issue. Regarding a table, do you mean how the pressures change the finish? If so, glass bead is about the only one that goes through a big change as you increase pressure, do to the beads crushing at high pressure. The other media, such as crushed glass, aluminum oxide, and silicon carbide pretty much give you the same finish regardless of pressure, but of course it will change cutting speed a lot. Those are about all the medias I use, with crushed glass being my preference. I don't use others like soda, walnut shells, etc. Soda is a good cleaner, but will not enhance or brighten a finish on steel or aluminum. If you get some little screw or parts, get one of those little hopper blaster like I showed, or a siphon feed blaster where you put the suction tube into a bucket or bag of abrasive. The siphon feed ones are inexpensive. The video idea would be good for comparisons between the medias I just mentioned on different materials, which is what I think you were talking about.

[@pareshpargaonkar3579]

Can we use glass bead blasting instead of buffing process on aluminum parts for surface finishing.

[@devinhalaburda7522]

Harbor freight sells 80 grit glass beads. They any good?

[@ArnoldsDesign]

I really don't know. My finishes depend on good beads, so I use Potters or Ballotini. They to hold up well. If you're just cleaning some things up for yourself, HF might be ok.

[@devinhalaburda7522]

Arnold's Design what mesh size gives you the best results finish wise?

[@Wooley689]

We have some parts we bead blasted and then had clear anodized, the surface sometimes comes out blotchy after the clear anodize. Any idea why that is happening?

[@ArnoldsDesign]

Specifically, no I don't. There are discussions addressing that on finishing.com. It might have something to do with the alloy itself. Some are more anodize friendly than others. I know castings, especially older Japanese castings, need desmutted first before you can get a good anodize. It might be something too, like making sure the parts are perfectly clean before anodizing, and passing the water break test.

[@Wooley689]

Thanks for the feedback.

[@ArnoldsDesign]

You bet. I hope you get it squared away.

[@w.ryanemch1351]

Hello, I don't believe you ever said what size glass beads you use as a finish. Can you tell me what size glass beads you used? Thank you

[@ArnoldsDesign]

40-60 mesh

[@micthegreasemonkey2918]

Hi buddy im new to this medium so whats the difference between bead and sand blasting aliminium & cast aliminium car parts.

[@mattiel9156]

with lower mesh size you mean you have to get bigger glass beads or smaller glass beads? I dont understand the mesh size

[@AlphaBobFloridaOverlord]

With genuine glass beads (round spheres, NOT crushed glass which is sharp) lower numbers are bigger beads and leave a shinier finish - all other things being equal.

[@chandratrilaksono9846]

Hello, can you still tell me what kind of sand you're using for sandblasting?

[@ArnoldsDesign]

It's very fine crushed glass.

[@chandratrilaksono9846]

@@ArnoldsDesign I want to know the name of the material in detail Sir, because in my area there are many types of materials crushed glass

[@pittlessanchez7251]

I have a set of Weber 45 dcoe. I would like to get them vapor blasted. How much to get them done?

[@ArnoldsDesign]

$75 each at this time, as long as all parts are removed and are at least reasonably clean when they get here.

[@pittlessanchez7251]

Arnold's Design can you please send me address where to send my carbs and manifold. Thanks.

[@rodo209]

So step 1 use crushed glass abrasive 60 mesh then step two 60 mesh glass beads @ 50 psi ???

[@ArnoldsDesign]

That should work. Even finer crushed glass work better.

[@cubul32]

How do you decontaminate the metal surface if you're using the crushed glass with higher pressure?

[@ArnoldsDesign]

I use wet blasting to clean it afterward. If you're welding afterward, the glass won't hurt.

[@TechnoVault67]

I've heard people mixing aluminum oxide and glass beads with a vapor blasting machine, would this work with dry blasting in theory too ?

[@ArnoldsDesign]

Yes, it works. The finish won't be as bright, though.

[@tekanggarage2345]

Yes it work, i use to mix white aluminium oxide with glass beads, will give fast cutting and leave a brighter finish. 👌🏻

[@benpruskin4252]

Superb video. Thank you:)

[@ArnoldsDesign]

Thanks!

[@samsonimport]

hi , I am new and just saw only few videos. vapour blasting or dry blasting which is best for cleaning automobile parts like new as they came from factory. is crushed glass can use for dry and wet blasting.

[@ArnoldsDesign]

Vapor blasting is best for making parts look like new. You can use crushed glass in either dry or wet blasters.

[@samsonimport]

+Arnold's Design thanks sir . I subscribed your channel. if any question come in my mind I ask you next time. thanks again.

[@ArnoldsDesign]

You're welcome. Thanks for your comments and subscribing.

[@Tmrblaster88]

Glass bead ukuran berapa yang digunakan?

[@taylorblaze7105]

Which grit did you use?

[@dhaniramadhan2755]

Sir, what media do you use and what size you may know

[@ArnoldsDesign]

I'm using glass bead.

[@dhaniramadhan2755]

what size to use?

[@ArnoldsDesign]

@@dhaniramadhan2755 DM me.

[@dingfarquar6603]

I don't think you said anything about the current pressure and size media you were using on this video.

[@TheCenturyPleyades]

0:34

[@wtffy204]

I'm a blaster and that beading wud of took me 1 min.

[@ArnoldsDesign]

"would have taken me"

[@luisthegoat3006]

How do you remove bead blast from titanium??

[@oktayaydn965]

bizim türkiyede plastik bonçuk çok pahalı 25 kilosu 133 euro daha ucuza alabilecegim bir yer varsa yardım edeseniz sevinirim saygılar

[@Kraftika]

Awesome ⏫ ⚡⚡ ⬆