Look up something called "silicosis" and you'll quickly decide that your lungs are more important than a nice finish.
Air gap intake restoration
- Thread starter 71duster06
- Start date
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Look up something called "silicosis" and you'll quickly decide that your lungs are more important than a nice finish.
Thanks @CudaChick1968 , I was more worried about the effect on the manifold. Too course of a material? Will it damage the aluminum?
I'm assuming safety wise I'll be alright, it's a sealed cabinet and we have respirators.
I'm assuming safety wise I'll be alright, it's a sealed cabinet and we have respirators.
Id use 50 psi. Ive used both media
72Valiant4Door
Trouble Maker
Degreaser, pressure washer aluminum brightener.
Sand makes them look dull. Kim
The effects on the aluminum will vary depending on what grit the media is. Sand is basically a bad choice all around in my opinion not only for the adverse health issues it will cause but because it doesn't cut very well to start with unless you use a LOT of air pressure (which can then cause metal damage) and it turns to dust quickly so it's not very cost effective in the long run. The state of Tennessee doesn't even SELL blasting sand anymore presumably because of the health issues. A 100-pound bag of extra fine grit Black Beauty slag costs about $16 here in my area versus $3 for playground sand (which is useless in a blast cabinet because it's too soft); that same 100 pounds will last for several months versus the few minutes of cut you'll get with the sand.
On your intake manifold, I'd recommend the Black Beauty, glass bead, aluminum oxide or even walnut shells. The "tooth" you get on the metal from each will vary (read up on blasting medias to learn) but all will be a better surface for paint or powder than the sand. What you save on buying sand versus media will be spent on metal filler when the sand tears it up.
Lastly, if YOU're wearing the respirator while you're at the cabinet you'll probably be all right (but most people won't wear them, instead relying on the perceived safety of the cabinet).
Thanks again @CudaChick1968, I sincerely appreciate it. The cabinet is my works and it's rarely used, only when the mechanic shop is rebuilding pumps. I'll double check what material they use in the blaster, hopefully they've switched from sand since the last time I used it about 7 years ago. Perhaps if they've not changed, I could do a little convincing to the shop supervisor to switch to something more health friendly.
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