blasted blades

[shakie]

Tell me what you think of sand blasted blades, this is my first and I don't know.

 

[Justin King]

I prefer a bead blasted finish over sand blasted, personally. A sand-blasted finish is good as a surface prep for coatings, as it aids adhesion. Left naked they are difficult to keep clean and will rust much faster than a polished finish. Glass bead blasting leaves a finish that is non-reflective but much smoother than sand or other abrasive media.

 

[shakie]

I prefer a bead blasted finish over sand blasted, personally. A sand-blasted finish is good as a surface prep for coatings, as it aids adhesion. Left naked they are difficult to keep clean and will rust much faster than a polished finish. Glass bead blasting leaves a finish that is no-reflective but much smoother than sand or other abrasive media.

I hear ya Justin my only prob is I used glass bead first and it would'nt touch the 440C so I tried play sand which is alot softer than blast sand. I'm thinking of sanding the flats and leaving the hollow blasted to see what that looks like. Thanks for you input... Roy

 

[Justin King]

I hear ya Justin my only prob is I used glass bead first and it would'nt touch the 440C so I tried play sand which is alot softer than blast sand. I'm thinking of sanding the flats and leaving the hollow blasted to see what that looks like. Thanks for you input... Roy

You might be able to use the glass beads to cut back the finish a little after sandblasting it. I have also tried cutting the finish back with Scotch Brite. I think either of these treatments followed by a forced patina or etch in vinegar or ferric would help a great deal with the rust.
The first time I tried glass beads I had the same experience you describe, they barely seemed to have any effect on a hardened blade. I found this was partly due to the fact that my blades were not sanded to a high enough grit before blasting. A 400 or 600 grit finish before blasting seems to help. After discovering this and playing with the pressure a little I found that they will work but they take several times longer than sand or other abrasive media, and need the right amount of pressure to work their best. The finish is much more subtle than abrasive media, closer to a satin finish than matte.

 

[Scott Davidson]

For what its worth , here is my process. I like to use aluminum oxide in about a 180/240 grit. It leaves a smooth but textured finish . That hides fingure prints, after the blasting i like to wipe the blade down with boiled linseed oil, on then wipe it off. This gives it a grey finish. Scott

 

[harm]

i tried a glass bead finish once.took forever and i could hardly see it [and i never thought to use coarser beads].
i have since been using a mix of alox and glass beads.smooth dull finish,that i wipe down with an aerosol stainless polish.