Anyone ever used a micro bead blaster?

[bry1975]

Lads,


So have any of you used a micro bead blaster?

That's why I'm after next as it's gotta to be better than my machinemart blast cabinet.


Thanks

Bry

[Bluechip]

I had a Guyson DBH-6 donkeys years ago, when I played with mo-bike stuff .. ... like this ..

http://www.globalmachinebrokers.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=2305

Strewth ...    $2000 used ....        .... no reclamator either ?? Or maybe not listed.

Should have kept it ..

What do you mean by micro bead blaster ?? Small cabinet, or do you refer to beads as 'micro beads'.

Dunno if they're still in business, Guyson were at Otley Yorks .. not cheap I would think ... wern't in the  '70's anyway ..

Dave BC

EDIT .. Still operating  .. they seem to have legged it to Skipton  ...

http://www.guyson.co.uk/company/index.html

[bry1975]

Hi Dave,


I've just ordered an air eraser should work a treat and only £39 will use her in the old machine mart cabinet

Am fed up with the old beadblaster set up as the blast media doesn't want to drew upto the nozzle.

Bry

[John Rudd]

Am fed up with the old beadblaster set up as the blast media doesn't want to drew upto the nozzle.

Bry

Bry why is that? Is  itthat the media is too heavy?
Have you tried kiln dried sand as a blasting media? Much finer and probably lighter than chillled cast iron(if thats what you use?  )

We uses a different material at work, I'll try and find out what it is...Apparently it doesnt spark which is why we use it..( cant afford to have gas catching fire every time we want to do some blasting on the plant pipework/vessels...)

[foozer]

Am fed up with the old beadblaster set up as the blast media doesn't want to drew upto the nozzle.

Bry

A siphon unit?
 Used the daylights out of one and found that the media draw drops off as the nozzle gets worn out.

Robert

[bry1975]

I'm only blasting with ally oxide and soda lime glass beads the darn suction hose doesn't want to drew the media, it get's very labourious lots of air but no grit being blasted.  

Note: I'm buying the micro blaster/air eraser for small jewellery work hopefully it will be quicker using a smaller 0.5-1mm nozzle, should be lots of bite using a gravity fed jobbie.


That's the crappy gun(now on gun no2) I'm using with the media suction hose on the left side.  

[foozer]

, it get's very labourious lots of air but no grit being blasted.  

Yup I 'member that issue, ended up enlarging the air bleed hole at in the draw hose at the base of the hopper. Really helped in the draw. Leaves a little "puddle" of sand when not in use, tis liveable.

Luck on your new toy, I really like how blasting cleans up things.

Robert

[bry1975]

Thanks for the suggestion Robert,

Yep blasting can be great fun and rewarding when you've got a nice cleaned up part.

Some nice satinised Omega Seamaster parts using the crap beadblaster. unit.

[Bluechip]

How much air have you got available. ??

Mine was driven by a 10HP motor, a Broomwade AC41/summat compressor. I could swallow that lot and drop pressure .. quite easily.

Foozer may have the answer. Mine would not draw if the intake tube was submerged in a lot of bead. There were IIRC some air holes at the bottom, so the nozzle drew air and media.

Likewise not too keen if it was damp ..

Also check the nozzle. The injector cone and the ceramic nose used to wear quite rapidly. This degrades the performance too..  a lot.

Dave BC

[bry1975]

Thanks for the suggestions Dave,

One other problem is the workshop is very cold and damp so that wont help matters.

I'll wait for the micro blaster to arrive it should make 40micron gold plate removal easy hopefully.

[Bogstandard]

Is this what you are on about Bry?

5th one down.

http://rdgtools.co.uk/acatalog/AIR_BRUSHES_.html

If so, having used mine a little, it does do a nice job on small parts. For larger bits, I use a spray gun type with a 1 litre container.

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/sb3-gritblast-gun

When the temp gets up a bit, and there is less moisture in the air, I have some different glass beads and grit to try thru it, rather than the very fine ali oxide stuff supplied.


John

[bry1975]

Yep that's the one I'm after John it should hopefully work a treat at gold removal and much smaller parts less worry about areas being missed.

[Bogstandard]

Bry,

If you have a closer look at it on the RDG website (there is a button to press to see more) that shows a larger picture. The finish I obtained was almost identical to the finish on the hopper.

No use for large castings, for that I will use the big gun with very coarse grit, but for fine stuff as you are doing, it will be ideal.

You might find glass bead or even bicarbonate of soda a finer remover, it should leave a more polished surface.

If I remember, I will send you a small bag of superfine glass beads in the package I send back to you, just for you to try.


John

[bry1975]

Thanks John,

I've actually got some glass bead media that's like talcum powder fine and sometimes mix that with ally oxide if I want a coarser finish or to remove PVD coatings and gold plate.