Sandblast Media

Sandblast Media

Sandblasting supplies aid in the process of smoothing or removing coatings from metal, wood, fiberglass, and other substrates. Sandblasting supplies include abrasive grain material, sometimes referred to as blast media; the respirators that workers wear to protect their lungs; and three types of sandblasters: blast cabinets, portable blasters, and blast rooms.

Blast media is either in loose form or formed together into specific shapes. Natural abrasives include sand, baking soda, garnet, emery, flint, and corundrum. Other, non-natural blast media grains may be made of plastic grit, metal alloys, and glass beads. In order to protect against hazardous silica dust, workers performing sandblasting operations wear an abrasive blasting respirator, a head covering with a built-in respirator.

Blast cabinets and blast rooms were created in order to contain silica dust, as exposure can lead to a particular kind of lung cancer. Sandblast cabinets are enclosures in which items to be abraded are placed. Blast rooms are similar to blast cabinets, but they are larger and allow for the abrasion of bigger items. Portable blasters are usually equipped with wheels and are popular with freelance workers, who require mobility from one project to another.