Sandblasting Basics

The modern day term of sandblasting refers to the process of smoothing and shaping hard surfaces when a solid particle is forced across the surface of the area. Sandblasting is a lot like using sandpaper on a surface, although there are fewer problems with the finish, corners or hard to get to places with sandblasting. A man first patented sandblasting as early as the 1870s. His name was Benjamin Chew Tilghman. But sand blasting was occurring naturally long before this. Natural sandblasting occurs when the wind blows particles of sand across a surface causing an erosive effect, smoothing and shaping the surface. Originally, sand was the main type of ingredient used in sandblasting. Each sand particle was sieved to make it exactly the same size. Other materials have also been developed for sandblasting to produce different effects and finishes. Materials include steel grit or shots, copper slag and glass beads, which is better known as bead blasting. Although bead blasting is technically a different process, many industrialists use the two terms to refer to both sand blasting and glass beading. Dry ice, metal pellets and even substances such as ground coconut shells are even used for some special finishes. There are two main pieces of equipment that are used in the sandblasting process. One is the sieve, which is the device that is used to add the sand to compressed air. The other piece of equipment is a large compressor, used as the air supply for sandblasting. The large compressors are usually diesel powered and resemble a small trailer. Other equipment includes the air and sand pipes that push up the sand and air to the area being sandblasted. It was later discovered that the dust produced from sandblasting with sand particles caused an illness known as silicosis. People who suffered from silicosis were diagnosed after breathing in the particles for long periods of time. Because of this illness, there have been many changes made to the way the process is now performed. Sandblasting must now be performed in a well-ventilated area. It is also mandatory that those performing sandblasting use special safety gear, such as protective clothing and an artificial air supply with a mask.