Sandblasting for beginners

Perfect for restoring a range of surfaces, sandblasting is widely used on tired brickwork and rusted metals. The technique cannot just be picked up by anyone however, there first needs to be a great deal of training involved to ensure that no person is injured and that nothing is damaged. Below we have put together a beginner’s guide of hints and tips for when it comes to sandblasting.

What is it?
The process is exactly as its name would suggest, utilising tiny beaded particles and pressurised jet streams of air. The air and the abrasive material combines and is blasted out with a gun under the command of your direction. It can be used to remove rust or a stubborn build-up of decay to leave a smooth finish.

Protective clothing

The first thing you should do when sandblasting is ensure that you have correct clothing to give you adequate protection from the powerful blasting you will be doing. Although you will be pointing the stream of the blast away from your body it is still important to guard yourself against the particles which can be blasted back at you. Not only should you wear heavy duty clothing, but you also need to protect your eyes and face whilst ensuring you have oxygen to breathe at the same time. You don’t want to inhale any broken particles as this is bad for your lungs. Ensure you have:

• Heavy duty gloves
• Heavy duty footwear
• Face protection
• Fresh oxygen fed into any mask

Consider the pressure

The toughest jobs will require maximum pressure when jetting, but you need to regulate the amount of pressure running through the unit. This will help to keep the pressure under control and at safe levels. The abrasive material which you choose to use on your project – be it sand or non-silica based – will also have a say in how well the job gets done and how quickly it can be done. Some areas may need more than one session of sandblasting to make it smooth and to remove decay, depending on the task.

Protect the surrounding area

Depending on how large or small the area you are blasting is, you will need to protect the surrounding areas. You won’t want to hit areas around the surface you’re blasting as this can cause damage to areas not meant for blasting. This includes the pressure unit itself – the blasting could do long term damage to the unit.

Some people, when conducting sandblasting at home, use a small enclosed unit, giving better access and handling of items when careful and precise work is needed. This means that nothing is damaged as only the item and the insides of the unit gets hit with the jet pressure abrasive material.

Hire a professional

Though it is possible to conduct sandblasting yourself, it is not recommended. There are many risks involved in the process and only a trained expert should be trusted to perform blasting. When hiring a professional, you get the benefit of their expertise both in terms of the standard of work carried out as well as with safety.

Here at J Radford Group we are experts when it comes to sandblasting and shot blasting for restoration and cleaning. Simply contact us today to learn more about how you can benefit from our services.