Well, if you have heard about powder coating, then the first step begins with preparing the surface for coating. This step involves cleaning the surface, getting rid of any kind of paint, unevenness, debris or waste. Removing this manually is not a feasible idea. Here sandblasters are used. This advanced tool helps in preparing the surface by cleaning it. Let us unfold the details about them.
What are sandblasters?
It is an air tool which oozes pressurized sand. These sand particles act as abrasive and work on the debris of the substrates. It is also used to grind the surfaces to make it look clean and even. This air tool can be used to get rid of paint, dirt, corrosion, etc. To sum in simple words, it is used for smoothening and cleaning of surfaces and make them ready for painting. These are also used for etching delicate glasses.
Types of Sandblasters
If you are planning to buy one of these, then you must know that there are different types of sandblasters available in the market. You can also buy them online. To buy them, you must know what the different types are. Here is an illustration of the same:
Gravity-fed Sandblaster - It works on the principle of gravity. It consists of the hopper which has sand. It is placed at the top of the gun. The gun is then attached to an air compressor. As the trigger is pressed, the air shoots out of the nozzle, and the sand moves out at high speed.
Siphon Sandblaster - Its functioning is similar to the gravity-fed, but the hopper which contains sand is present below the nozzle, unlike the gravity-fed one, where the hopper is above it. When the machine starts, the air moves out along with the sand particles in a suction-like process.
Pressure Sandblaster - These require high-pressure canisters of sand. The sandblasting guns are attached to these canisters. When the trigger is pulled, the sand shoots out at a high pressure. An important point that you should know here is that the sand cannot be reused. You need to buy a new canister.
What are the different applications of sandblasting?
This technique is majorly used for cleaning and smoothening the surface to make it ready for painting. There are various applications of this process. Some of them include:
Removing paint - One of the keys uses of sandblasting is the removal of paint. Chemically removing the paint may make the substrate lose its original texture and it may also get damaged. With the help of sandblasting you can easily remove the paint without damaging the surface.
Shaping small parts - Yes, this is another area of application of this technique. Manufacturing smaller particles requires a high level of precision, and sandblasting can be used to smoothen out the surfaces meticulously. Focusing the nozzle of the sandblaster on the target area will do the needful.
Cleaning - Cleaning of surfaces and making them ready for painting is an important step. With the help of sandblasting, we can clean the surface evenly and at the same time smoothen it out.
Etching the glasses - Yes, intricate work like this is made easy by sandblasting. This feature of sandblasters makes it easy to create beautiful artworks on glasses or other delicate material.
Removing rust - Removing rust from machine parts is one of the major steps when it comes to repairing work. With the help of sandblasting you can easily clean the surfaces and get rid of rust. It consists of abrasive material like silica, sand, crushed glasses, etc.
Conclusion - Now that you know the use of this machine, you can either buy it or rent it from the local shop. Make sure you do a thorough study of the type of sandblasting machines available and then buy the one that fits your requirement.
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