shot/media blasting wood?

[disco_monkey79]

Hi

We want to freshen up the kitchen, but on a very small budget. The kitchen cabinet doors are timber and we'd like to paint them.

However, they're got lots of fiddly edges etc, and I was wondering if blasting them would be the quickest and easist way of prepping them for paint.

Has anyone had any experience/success/dismal failiure in doing this? I don't mind if there's a little light pitting as a result, that can either be addressed afterwards, or left as-is for the "rustic" look ;-)

Also, if someone can recommend a particular media, what sort of mask is required? A super-fandangled air-fed one, or a simple (good-quality) filter mask?

I've read that soda blasting is the least damaging (to the item being blasted), but it looks like this involves more kit than, say, a blasting gun using aluminium oxide grit. I have a compressor, but the less new kit needed the better (remember the budget!).

Thanks

 

[woodpig]

All down to the media I expect. You'll need a large cabinet unless you plan on doing it outside and losing the media? I have blasted wood before but really can't remember how it turned out but bear in mind Alox will easily etch glass.

 

[MartinCox]

I've blasted wood using glass shot within a (home made) cabinet. As wood pig says, if you just do it outside, you are going to lose all the shot way before you have finished. A cabinet type of enclosure allows you to collect and re-use glass shot many times.

I played around with effects but only on hard woods. My experience is that even a fairly light blast gave a texture rougher than you might want for a paint base but rustic. A medium blast certainly would have eroded any fine features such as mouldings.

Sorry, I can't help more

 

[Racers]

I would clean them and a rub down with a scotch brite pad, that should get in to the mouldings.

Pete

 

[rafezetter]

For wood blasting using ground glass is about as harsh as I would go, but depending on the wood unless you are being very gentle with light passes and not stopping on any one area, you could strip out the soft grain pretty quickly. Air pressure will also affect the cutting action of the glass.

You can buy bags of glass media from ebay for reasonable money, and if you rig up some sort of backstop and sheets / tarps it can be collected and reused a few times - but the first use will be the most aggressive.

A word of advice - don't cheap out too much on the blasting equipment - a cheap £20 gun with attached pot just won't do it, plus you'll be forever refilling.

You can buy hobby use all in one units for about £80 like this:http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/38-L-10-G...115?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1e5e1b6b43

however the head "protection" is worse than useless so buy a decent set of safety goggles that seal around the eyes and a P3 dust mask that also fully seals around the nose and mouth, those cheap paper ones do almost nothing.

DO NOT USE SAND UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES FOR HOME USE - as the sand breaks down into smaller particles it can enter the lungs and cause silicosis - a serious bronchial disease.

 

[disco_monkey79]

Thanks all - sounds like this isn't going to be the way to go then.

I'll invest in some scotch brite and elbow grease.

Thanks again

p.s. thanks for the warning re sand, silicosis doesn't sound good

 

[Racers]

Get your Scotch Brite pads from a cleaning supplier they are twice the size and thicker.

Pete