You may already be somewhat familiar with the term “sand blasting,” especially if you’ve worked with metal in any capacity. However, you may not know all that it can do, and what its predominant usage is. Sand blasting has several uses, especially in the metalworking industry, but its main function is as a polishing and cleaning agent. Read on to learn just how sand blasting achieves this purpose, and how it benefits the metalwork created by local businesses in Parker, CO.
The Mechanics of Sand Blasting
At its core, sand blasting is a simple mechanism. Very fine sand is loaded into the blaster to be sprayed at a metal object. Most sand blasters use air to spread the sand out, and its user controls the direction of the sand by maneuvering a nozzle attached to the blaster. Using a sand blaster on a metal object ultimately removes any rust, dirt or other foreign materials on the metal’s surface. This cleans the metal and restores its shine.
Different Types of Sand Blasters
There are three distinct varieties of sand blasters, all of which feature their own unique mechanisms and purposes.
The first is a siphon, a lightweight and portable variety of sand blaster designed specifically for do-it-yourselfers. Its ideal use is for sand blasting big slabs of metal and similar objects. Its sand is housed in a large chamber, which is attached to two hoses. A siphon blaster also comes with a gun nozzle, which can be attached to either hose.
The second, a pressure blaster, is more frequently utilized by large companies. They are much larger and easier to manage in terms of upkeep, as they don’t require much cleaning. However, their chambers cannot be cleaned out or filled with new sand whatsoever. Once they run out, you must get a new one. This is because the chamber of a pressure blaster has no openings.
A gravity-fed blaster is the largest of its kind, and is basically one large chamber with a hose attached. During the sand blasting process, the hose uses a combination of gravity and air pressure to maneuver the sand into the hose and out.
To learn more about Cassteen Ironworks and their services, call (303) 841-7317 or visit their official website.
