Bead Blasting Advise

B

Bada1m

Inactive
Hello All, I need some input. I'm getting ready to blast the blueing off my 1911 slide. Question at hand is what's a good media to use and air pressure settings.:confused: Thanks for the help.
 
Unless you plan on putting a matte finish on the slide, do not blast it. Most quality reblue work is preceded by hand polishing with wet/dry silicon carbide paper, starting at 150 grit and working up to 400 grit.
 
removing bluing

easy way is Evpo-Rust found locally. You'd still need to either polish or bead blast for a matte finish prior to re-bluing.
 
As others have posted, if you intent is just to remove the blueng in order to reblue, then bead blasting is to extreme. now, given that, the last time I did a shotgun reciever, I used glass beads and that's only because what I had to remove was scaling rust or what I call, deep rooted rust. Most other times I just use a chemical process. Just as effective and more controlable.



Be Safe !!!
 
Thank you for all the info, I guess I should have added more info. I plan to Duracoat the slide so I'm looking for that matte finish.
 
If you are going to blast the blueing, I'd stay away from sand or glass beads and go to something softer and morre conservative perhaps Cobs or Walnut. I too did a Ceramacoat on that shotgun I mentioned that had a pretty bad surface and I had to use black in order to do a good cover job. You still have other options besides blasting.



Be Safe !!!
 
Beadblasting

I used 90 grit Aluminum Oxide for years at around 125psi for years but have since started buying Black Beauty to do my Duracoat process with.

I don't have to get as close to the frames with the higher pressure and it takes less time at the cabinet with the higher pressures.

Duracoat takes a better tooth when you Parkerize the gun and bead blasting with glass beads does not roughen the gun enough for a good Park surface to adhere to. It requires a rougher surface.

You can paint them without Parking the guns, and the black beauty works very well for this. I buy it at around $7/ 40 lb bag at Tractor Supply, beats $25/50lb bucket of the ALox for sure. With the black beauty, the finish doesn't take as much of the Duracoat to smooth out.
 
cntryboy1289, I use Black Beauty myself for certain projects, but I would never recommend it for a beginner. It's just too aggressive for someone with no experience. OTOH, someone like you knows what to look for and can quickly adjust technique without ruining a part. BB was originally developed to remove heavy scale from larger surfaces.

I have been parkerizing for about 10 years now, and I find aluminum oxide at 90-100 lbs fits most of my needs. I tend to run my park solutions a little on the hot side, too, as I feel I get a better coat when I do.
 
I like the results I get just short of a rolling boil, so that puts me between 190F and 195F. But this is manganese park, not zinc.
 
I have JUST started to park my own stuff. I use Aluminum Oxide 90 grit and it works great however, I would not use it if I was going to do a blued finish.. its a bit rough for blueing.. but it works GREAT when I used it with the manganese park solution I picked up.

Its so simple, I wish I had tried it sooner.

If I was going to blue, I would probably go with glass or corn cob media at a lower pressure.
 
I use fine Black Beauty to prep for all bake on finishes . Glass beads only peen they don't cut , they will not give the tooth you need to hold the finish . I should think fine Black Beauty would work fine for Duracoat . If its not smooth enough for you just sand with 400g and put on a second coat .
 
Thanks again for all the helpful info, I have 120 grit Alumina Oxide to remove the bluing and I'll be using Duracoat to finish it off. Again Thanks for all the help.
 
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