Media Blasting

[redsoxfan1]

I have been thinking about doing some customwork to my M&P I have seen different finishes and have tried to look into what methods are used to achieve these. Recentley I have been remodeling part of a local precious metals refinery and I have been offered to have them blast my slide for free to achieve a two-tone look, but what media do gunsmiths use for this and does any part(not removable) have to be masked off prior? Still not sure what finish I will go with but I like knowing how to achieve my options. Thanks for any help, Anthony

 

[LoginName]

Don't use glass beads if you plan on refinishing a with a product like GunKote, DuraCoat, Alumahyde, etc.

Glass beads result in a more slick surface and doesn't provide good adhesion.

Aluminum Oxide is preferred (as an alternative... "Black Magic").

The method I used using Gun Kote...

Alloy Steel: Stainless Steel: Sandblast (all sandblasting should be done using aluminum oxide 120 mesh at 50 to 70 pounds of pressure.) Sandblast and phosphate or sandblast only. Aluminum: Alodine or anodize if possible, if not possible use lighter pressure sandblast. Nickel Or Chrome Plating: Sandblast (If plating peels it is bad plating.) Parts are first stripped and cleaned of any oil or grease (use KG-3 Solvent Degreaser). After grit blasting repeat cleaning to remove all blasting residue that may have been trapped. Next apply K-Phos pretreatment following instructions on the product.

http://www.kgcoatings.com/application.html

 

[redsoxfan1]

Thanks for the info. It will come in handy. As far as having it done...If well lubricated regularly, could I keep with just a bare blasted slide? I know that there are different kind of finishes available but I have heard of holster wear on slides and with that in mind would an applied finish need to be recoated time and time again or would bare stainless frequently lubed be enough for corrosion protection? Thanks, Anthony

 

[ARowley]

i have used and now may have access to a blaster also. i was having the same thoughts, anyone? help me make my M&P sexy!! HAHA

 

[Vintovka]

At the risk of threadjacking, mind if I chime in with a blasting question?

Has anyone had any experience working with the cheapo mini blasters with the gravity-fed hoppers (you know, the kind they sell on Harbor Freight for like $15)? I have a decent compressor and a couple of refinishing projects in the queue. No blasting cabinet (and no room or budget for a real one), but am considering jury-rigging something temporary out of cardboard and plexiglass.

(I know I should know better... "if you buy cheap tools, you're throwing your money away". Sometimes I never learn...)

 

[Furious]

At the risk of threadjacking, mind if I chime in with a blasting question?

Has anyone had any experience working with the cheapo mini blasters with the gravity-fed hoppers (you know, the kind they sell on Harbor Freight for like $15)? I have a decent compressor and a couple of refinishing projects in the queue. No blasting cabinet (and no room or budget for a real one), but am considering jury-rigging something temporary out of cardboard and plexiglass.

(I know I should know better... "if you buy cheap tools, you're throwing your money away". Sometimes I never learn...)

I would also like to know the answer to this.

 

[KMM696]

I've used one of the cheap siphon blasters (drop the feed tube in the bucket of sand type) stripping rust off a wood stove. The one I had wasn't Harbor Freight, but looked like it came out of the same factory in China that HF gets theirs from. It was not very efficient or fast, compared to the multi-thousand dollar blast cabinets I've used at work, but it did actually work.

I'm not sure how long mine will last, but at the price they charge I'm not sure I care. I don't use it often enough to worry about it's lack of speed - it's faster than wire brushes and sandpaper. If I were doing this regularly, or for a living, I'd get something better.

 

[Furious]

kmm,

Do you have a pic of it so i can pick up a similar one at HF?

 

[Vintovka]

I've used one of the cheap siphon blasters (drop the feed tube in the bucket of sand type) stripping rust off a wood stove.

Thanks for the note - at that price, I think I'll give it a try!

 

[KMM696]

Tractor Supply sandblaster

Closest I could find - I think the handle is slightly different on mine, but otherwise identical. Stick the hose in a bucket of abrasive, add air, blast.

 

[Furious]

thanks, i might have to go pick that up.

 

[LoginName]

At the risk of threadjacking, mind if I chime in with a blasting question?

Has anyone had any experience working with the cheapo mini blasters with the gravity-fed hoppers (you know, the kind they sell on Harbor Freight for like $15)? I have a decent compressor and a couple of refinishing projects in the queue. No blasting cabinet (and no room or budget for a real one), but am considering jury-rigging something temporary out of cardboard and plexiglass.

(I know I should know better... "if you buy cheap tools, you're throwing your money away". Sometimes I never learn...)

I used a cheapo sand blaster similar to the one KMM696 posted.

It was adequate for a few projects I was working on.

I also built a makeshift blast cabinet ot of 3/8" plywood, plexiglass, mesh screen and old Tupperware storage box.

I left the bottom of the blasting box open and attached the screen mesh underneath. I set that on top of the Tupperware box and ran the suction hose from that. That way the blasting media would filter into the Tupperware box and be continually recycled with little or no waste.

One concern with any sandblasting unit is that the compressor being used needs to have a high enough CFM/SCFM (the SCFM rating is pretty much a useless number to go by), rating to do the job (something like a nail gun compressor won't cut it).

 

[Vintovka]

I also built a makeshift blast cabinet ot of 3/8" plywood, plexiglass, mesh screen and old Tupperware storage box.

I left the bottom of the blasting box open and attached the screen mesh underneath. I set that on top of the Tupperware box and ran the suction hose from that. That way the blasting media would filter into the Tupperware box and be continually recycled with little or no waste.

That's a darn good idea! I've been eyeing one of the Harbor Freight portable cabinets (about $70) to save myself the hassle of building my own cabinet, but now that I've seen your idea, I think I'll have to reconsider!