ashcraft Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 I have all but completed my blaster set-up, now I need to get some abrasives. What company would anybody recommend? I've done google searches, and see what I need, but who should I get it from? Emphasis on "inexpensive" of course. Wouldn't mind paying for better at startup so I know how it is supposed to work though. Brent Ashcraft ashcraft, brent allen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaleoRon Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 http://crystalmarkinc.thomasnet.com/viewitems/abrasive-powders-and-accessories/abrasive-powders? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pleecan Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 For bulk industrial quantities needs http://www.washingtonmills.com/ Last of the primary supplier of brown fused alumina blasting grits USA based company. PL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crabfossilsteve Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 I use dolomite for just about all of my prep work on the trilobites,echinoderms and touch up on crabs that I work on. I would also recommend Crystal Mart. They have a variety of abrasives too. Shipping for a 50 lb. quantity ain't cheap from California, but I have not found any other companies that carry dolomite at a grit size I use. Good luck on the prepping Crabfossilsteve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 The stuff the sandbalster companies sell is great. But it does not fit the "inexpensive" category. I think Swam Blaster gets about 50 bucks for a 35 lb bucket of dolomite. I get my dolomite form Mile Hi Ceramics in Denver. If I need to go to Denver I try to do it on a weekday so I can stock up. It costs about 7 or 14 bucks for 50 lbs. It needs to be sifted since its actual use is for some-or-other ceramic glaze. I use a round bronze soil seive (size 40) that sits atop a gallon ice cream tub... perfect fit. Even though in needs sifting there are usually very few big bits that get left behind on the seive. This is good stuff, and good stuff cheap. If I have to ship it it does cost about 25 bucks form Denver to Casper. I have recently befriended a pottery guy who orders regularly from Mile Hi and is OK with me ordering a bag or two of dolomite when he is ordering. This stuff works very well. Here is a photo of a bag of dolomite and the sieve... Bicarb is a little tougher. I have ordered form the local feed store, but that stuff tends to leave too much behind in the sieve. (Same story about sieving). I have also gotten some at the local abrasives shop. Yes, there are advantages to living in an oil town. They actually have an industrial abrasive shop here. Recently I tried some food grade sodium bicarb made by Fleischmann's Yeast. A friend who works on dinosaurs got me a bag. He swears by it. It worked better than the abrasive shop stuff and didn't leave as much behind in the sieve. Even more recently, I ran out. I had to buy the abrasive shop stuff... Armex, made by Arm and Hammer. But I tried to find a supplier of 50 lb bags of the Fleischmann's stuff, and it was nearly impossible, and when I did find one they only sell wholesale. So I called my dino friend and he is going to send me a bag soon. He buys it from his local specialty bakery. I tried the local bakeries here, but no such luck... none of them use 50 lb bags. I tried Sam's Club... they have 2 lb bags for baking. Didn't try it. As for soil sieves, they run about 50 bucks from Forestry Suppliers Inc http://www.forestry-suppliers.com/product_pages/View_Catalog_Page.asp?mi=4494 The 40 size does the job for me. I have Swam Blaster with the small orifice plate at the bottom of the tank and I use a small nozzle size (can't remember the size) and they rarely clog using inexpensive abrasives. If I use it for a long stretch of time, I do empty out the tank occasionally and unplug (with a sewing needle in a pin vice) whatever holes in the orifice plates are plugged. Hope this helps. Happy sandblasting, and may you make many cool fossils. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonebreaker Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 I saw that harbor freight has bicarb at their stores for use in a blaster...I have been kicking around the idea to get one. I think it was 50 lb bags for $35. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 Harbor Freight... hey we got one of them here. Womnder what size the particles are.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanm Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 I would just suggest you go to an abrasive media suppliers. Its what i do over in the UK. I use a glass bead as its more gentle than an aluminium oxide. I use the finest grade available in the Uk which is called "Honite 22" which is between 5 and 40 micron in size. If you are lucky enough to know anybody who workss in a carbody filler factory (I think you call it bondo?) one of the ingredients are micro spheres which are microscopic plastic beads which are great as a polishing medium Sean Rock kickers of the world unite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crinus Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 I use powdered limestone (45 micron). I got it from a chemical supply company. I think they use is as cheap filler for coatings (paint). It works every bit as good as the dolomite and it is CHEAP. Last time I got a half pallet and it will last me more than a lifetime. Too bad you are not local as I could easily sell you a bag. crinus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 I would just suggest you go to an abrasive media suppliers. Its what i do over in the UK. I use a glass bead as its more gentle than an aluminium oxide. I use the finest grade available in the Uk which is called "Honite 22" which is between 5 and 40 micron in size. If you are lucky enough to know anybody who workss in a carbody filler factory (I think you call it bondo?) one of the ingredients are micro spheres which are microscopic plastic beads which are great as a polishing medium Sean Sean- What sport of stuff do you prep that needs glass bead and/or AlO2...that all sound so rough. At least it woulodl be for the fossil I work on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanm Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 Sean- What sport of stuff do you prep that needs glass bead and/or AlO2...that all sound so rough. At least it woulodl be for the fossil I work on. Hi I use the glass bead insted of grits mainly because it is rounded instead of angular to causes far less damage at a low air presure, That way it is hard enough to remove matrix on ammo,s etc from the local clay beds without damaging the fossil itself. The ally oxide only comes out when working on harder matrix materials. Sean Rock kickers of the world unite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pleecan Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 I mainly sandblast with baking soda from bulk food stores that has been pre baked to remove moisture then put into blender to munch up lumps, resifted then used for fossil prep. with crystalmark ecoblaster for delicate fossils in soft clay or limestone matrix. PL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crinus Posted July 1, 2010 Share Posted July 1, 2010 I mainly sandblast with baking soda from bulk food stores that has been pre baked to remove moisture then put into blender to munch up lumps, resifted then used for fossil prep. with crystalmark ecoblaster for delicate fossils in soft clay or limestone matrix. PL I have done this also for the very fine and delicate pinules on the Arkona crinoids Works quite well. Key is the drying. crinus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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