The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Guns, Politics, Gunsmithing & Reloading Gunsmithing Cheap alternative to blasting abrasives.Go | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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Just tried water blasting paint from concrete pavers usng some medium coal slag from Tractor Supply. Never heard of that. Ennyhoo, it worked as well as the much more expensive blasting media I used the last time. At under $20.00 a 50 pound bag, might be a cheap alternative for firearms, farm equipment, auto frames, graffiti, etc. CB Life itself is a gift. Live it up if you can. | ||
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Black Beauty, is what I use and I get from a commercial blaster who does my WW2 Jeep frames and bodies. It comes in several grades, and since he gets it in 4x4x4 pallet boxes that weigh tons, I get it for free. He spills more every day than I use on guns. It's coal slag. OSHA inspects him every year to make sure he is not using sand. | |||
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I haven't touched this since the 80s, when the xrays showed some pulmonary fibrosis. i'd only been blasting with it since i was a teenager - 3. Composition / Information on Ingredients The manufacturer lists no ingredients as hazardous according to OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1200. Constituents CAS # Percent Silicon dioxide 7631-86-9 41-53 Iron oxide 1309-37-1 7-31 Aluminum oxide 1344-28-1 17-25 Calcium oxide 1305-78-8 3-15 Magnesium oxide 1309-48-4 0-4 Potassium Oxide 12136-45-7 0-3 Titanium dioxide 13463-67-7 0-2 Silicon dioxide, crystalline 14808-60-7 <0.1 BLACK BEAUTY® CPH MSDS NA 911790 Version #: 01 Revision date: - Issue date: 23-April-2014 1 / 10 Constituents CAS # Percent Manganese 7439-96-5 0-0.05 Beryllium 7440-41-7 0-0.001 Cadmium 7440-43-9 0-0.001 Composition comments All concentrations ar opinions vary band of bubbas and STC hunting Club Information on Ammoguide about the416AR, 458AR, 470AR, 500AR What is an AR round? Case Drawings 416-458-470AR and 500AR. 476AR, http://www.weaponsmith.com | |||
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Forgive me for being disagreeable. A coal bi-product may be hunky dory for pressure washing a driveway or a jeep frame. But we're talking about firearms here. A bag of either silicone carbide or aluminum oxide is about $100. Seriously now, would you entrust your firearm, presumably something of value that you care about, to a gunsmith who won't spend $100 for proper abrasives. Concrete driveways are one thing, quality firearms are another. A common thread on AR is how to get gunsmithing work done as cheaply as possible. These days, gun owners piss and moan about the paucity of skilled gunsmiths, yet they refuse to pay a good gunsmith a livable wage. I suggest you check out the hourly rates for plumbers and auto mechanics before completely avoiding a gunsmith. Patronizing a skilled craftsman is not a sin. Roger Curmudgeon gunsmith | |||
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Sure, Roger, i agree - i wouldn't use BB on a firearm - it pits pretty deep https://www.harborfreight.com/...ive-media-56706.html glass beads are a better choice. but yes, no one is willing to properly pay for actual work -I call that cnc specs and sand cast budget opinions vary band of bubbas and STC hunting Club Information on Ammoguide about the416AR, 458AR, 470AR, 500AR What is an AR round? Case Drawings 416-458-470AR and 500AR. 476AR, http://www.weaponsmith.com | |||
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Someone here said they use it. | |||
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Roger, Input appreciated. Yes. I would trust my firearm as you have asked - If any of my "trusted (none being cheap by the way) gunsmith's results are the same using coal slag vs aluminum oxide then I would be fine with that along with any other "less costly" he may have found to be worthy of a quality custom. Cheaper doesn't neccessarily mean inferior or improper. The Mohs harness of coal slag is 7. The Mohs hardness of aluminum oxide is 9. A diamond is 10. So, would you trust your customers' fine steel to something as hard as aluminum oxide to remove scale etc. Sorry for the sarcasm. But, based on hardness the CS "could" be a better choice for fine firearm steel cleaning or etching. I say could because I have not tested it dry. Thank you for your expert opinion. CB
Life itself is a gift. Live it up if you can. | |||
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Ok, this has zero to do with cost; however, the fact is that coal slag (black beauty), works fully as well as al oxide, and comes in like 5 grades. This is all I use for a decade now, dry, in my blast cabinet. It it NOT coal; it is coal slag, it is very clean, and graded for size. If it didn't work, I wouldn't use it. Other abrasives are the same. Glass beads, is another thing entirely. Although the finest grade of black beauty is pretty fine. It is not coal; it is sharp grains. This topic has nothing to do with guys who want work done cheap. | |||
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The blast cabinet is not used for 'cleaning'. Anything 'cleaned off' by blasting in the cabinet will be re-blasted and possibly imbedded into the surface you are trying to prepare,,, for hot bluing a matte finish, for "tooth" before applying one of the high-tech paints many want these days, or even just to knock the shine off of a SS barrel. | |||
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Hmmm; have not had that happen in a few decades now. I put matte finishes on receivers all the time, hot blue them; no deficiencies noted. And I texture SS barrels in the same cabinet. Not sure what you mean here.... | |||
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Hmmmm. Not for cleaning. [ex.] Cleaning rust freckles or pitting prior to repair certainly would benefit 'cleaning'. No?
Life itself is a gift. Live it up if you can. | |||
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Ive seen some beautiful finishing with a wire wheel on both rust blue and hot blue, its soft as rust or bead blast and smoother..those great smiths of yesteryear did some wonderful blue that shows up at Safari club and Oklahoma gun show and is 100 or so years old. and the old Remington 721 and 722 some refer as cheap?? and never over look the Python and SA colts. Mod 21 and 22 Brno's.. High gloss wood and hi gloss metal is more water proof, just not pretty Imo. but functional as can be..I opt for a fine Sheen and lots of care.. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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