Sandblasting glass

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

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

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:

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 news:7r1%b.19529$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread1.news.atl.earthlink.net...

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.

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

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.

in

contaminated

photoresists

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

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

I used one for about 10 minutes showing the owner how to put accents in fused pieces, she had just bought the thing. I do remember the material as being quite fine. Isn't that what the original poster was asking about, doing hollowware? I better go back and read that.

describing,

You didn't say "Wear a mask." when you first promoted sand. If you wear a mask then you recognise the danger. Just because you aren't coughing painfully doesn't make it good or easy nor set aside the people who aren't here because they are already dead. Like the guys who say, "I grew up with lead paint and lead gasoline and I'm okay" someone has to speak for the people who are not survivors. Wear a mask, use ventilation to carry off the small stuff, wash your hands and clothes if dusty, don't track the stuff around.

Yup..... and I grew up hitching freight trains and playing with fire for sport too, so it's very true....I am NOT a good example for anyones' pampered, crash-helmeted, seat-belted little cookie-cutter bundles of joy to emulate. I have, however, a book full of tips and tricks for explorers, culled from a lifetime devoted to personal experimentation. I am known for seeking out situations of "you CAN"T do that" just so I can enter the realm, ignorant as a babe, and proceed to do anything I can imagine, un-encumbered by the preconcieved limitations of my predessessors. That is the absolute BEST teaching method I know of....... "if you can think of something, why not give it a go?" You try something, observe the results, and proceed from there. Best to let others "try nothing" because they were first told it wouldn't work.

I absolutley do not condone stupidity ... just calculated risk. If I were using 'only' exotic abrasives I would STILL have to wear a mask to avoid silicosis. I did grow up with lead paint and leaded gas, airbrushing lead-based sign-enamels for a long time, and 25+ years of lead came and solder fumes, etc....... and my lead count is BELOW the normal levels. Go figure..... I haven't had the hair test done, as there seems no indicator that I should worry at all. And, I'm not just lucky...I'm reasonably careful is all (not obsessively). That includes Hydroflouric use, building my own kilns, etc. Yes, people do die from silicosis .... but the lesson to be learned is to WEAR a good mask, no matter what media you blast with. Eh?

Good to see ya Mike ... I know you know yer stuff....;-)

Regards, Jacques Bordeleau

Hehehehehehehe.... thanks Moonnraker....;-) Kind of you to mention it. I finally finished my huge fused-painted wall project in 2002 and basically quite coffee for a year to enhance my recovery. All is well now.... even having a latte once a week, or so, hahahahah. And I've come back up for air ... i.e., rediscovered this news group and the Warmglass BBS I also forgot about for a while. That wall job really put me over the edge! Now I'm remembering to ski a lot, go hiking and hunting, whatever I need to stay human..... allowing glasswork to have it's proper place, and not be the ONLY thing I'm about....LOL.

Cheers, Jacques Bordeleau

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misinformation

The Paashe is a cool tool ... but it just seemed to be for 'tiny' scale use. I admit I never fitzed with it enough to get satisfactory results, but that should not deter someone if they think this IS the right tool for their purpose. They may have a challenge though.....;-)

Regards, Jacques Bordeleau

hey Doggy! how about some pics of that project?? m

un-encumbered

parameters....work

Hey Jacques, ever go on any adventures to the canyonlands area? I know some real special places down there. Not the ones in the tourist books. Stop by and pick me up, we can split the gas.

Love to hear how it works for you.

Well, I have the opportunity to borrow one of the Paasche AEC-K Air Eraser Kits next week...it might be too detailed for what I need, but I will try it out and report back : )

Thanks so much for all the comments and suggestions.

Hey Michele.... don't rush me. It's only been a little over a year since I finished it....;-) What, me procrastinate?

OK, just kidding. I really must get some pics up on the web ... but first, there's 10" new snow on Baldy and I'll just HAVE to do something about that, immediately!

Cheers, Jacques