bead/sand blasting finish

Oze

Oze

Well-Known Member
Hello KD's, Has anyone used the sandblaster type cabinets to finish blades? You can use garnet or glass bead or similar in the cabinet. Just wondered if anyone has found this type of thing useful in finishing or assisting to finish blades.
 
I've had a blast cabinet in the shop for years. I use it often. A blast cabinet doesn't decrease, or change the need to finely finish a blade, it just allows you to apply a "different" looking finish. Personally, I use a mixture of about 50/50 medium glass beads, and 70 grit aluminum oxide grit.
 
Thankyou Ed. Interesting. At what stage in the process would you use the cabinet? At the end of finishing the knife? And what grit would you get to before using the cabinet?
 
If it's just the bead blasted finish you're after, then you want to take the finish to whatever you would for a "hand rubbed" or "satin" finish. The blasted finish will not take out/cover scratches. The only instance I've found where I can get away with "less" of a finish is when I apply a "stone washed" finish with a vibratory tumbler. In that case I can stop at 400 grit on the grinder, then blast the blade, etch it, then go into the tumbler (leaving the "sludge" from the etch on the blade).

For most others, I go to a hand rubbed finish of 600 or more before blasting. Much depends on the blast media a person chooses to use. Straight, heavy grit aluminum oxide, or Silicon carbide grits can "cover" 320-400 grit scratches, but it takes a "good" blast gun and some time. Glass bead media is the least expensive, but it requires a finer finish. If you miss scratches then blast with glass beads, it will normally cause the scratches to stand out.
 
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