Bead Blasting......

dslteck · Nov 11, 2009

I dont know if anyone would need or desire this service but I am going to offer it anyway. To all of our fellow Blade Forums members, free of charge

In our shop we have 2 bead-blasting cabinets. One uses glass beads and the other uses plastic beads.

The glass beads are excellent for removing rust/corrosion from all different types of metals from steel to bronze. They also excel at removing paint and other foreign substances like various types of blade coatings. The glass beads remove everything and take the surface to the raw material.

The plastic beads excel at removing paint from materials. Plastic beads are a good choice when scratching the surface and getting down to the raw material isnt desired. Plastic beads save all coatings, such as anodized metals. Plastic bead do not do a good job at removing rust.

Any type of material can be bead-blasted from plastic to wood.

Im solely offering this service for Blade forums members because I love this site and I wish to help people out anyway I can. So if you would like to talk feel free to shoot me a PM or E-mail or just respond in the thread!

sircantaloupe · Nov 12, 2009

I have no need for this service (yet) but I do want to say you are a pretty awesome dude.

beluga · Nov 12, 2009

Me either, but thanks for the generous offer. My hat's off to you. :thumbup: :thumbup:

ChapmanPreferred · Nov 12, 2009

Very kind offer. I think I will subscribe to this thread so I can keep track of it.

dslteck · Nov 12, 2009

Thanks for the kind comments!!!

sircantaloupe said:
I have no need for this service (yet) but I do want to say you are a pretty awesome dude.

If and when you need the service....please do not hesitate to contact me:thumbup:

dslteck · Nov 12, 2009

Here is an example of a piece of bronze being cleaned up and put through the processes:
(sorry for the low resolution crummy pictures but its my phone. If people would like to see better quality pictures I certainly can do that. These are just to get an idea of how various stages during the process look.)

A piece of bronze pilot tube untouched, and as you can see dirty..

The same piece right after glass bead blasting

Once againthis time after polishing

Gator97 · Nov 12, 2009

Thanks a bunch! I might need your help soon, but regardless, it's cool.

scoobyaz · Nov 12, 2009

Wow, it seems this forum is showing me how impressive it really it each time I log on :thumbup:

I'll restrain myself & perhaps only take up your offer in the future for sandblasting only one or two of my older sebbies (I'm tempted to send you a lot more items but, that wouldn't be right.)

Regardless, karma points for you my friend

Scooby

dslteck · Nov 12, 2009

scoobyaz said:
Wow, it seems this forum is showing me how impressive it really it each time I log on :thumbup:

I'll restrain myself & perhaps only take up your offer in the future for sandblasting only one or two of my older sebbies(I'm tempted to send you a lot more items but, that wouldn't be right.)

Regardless, karma points for you my friend
Scooby

It really isn't all that labor intensive...so please if you desire the work don't hesitate. That is way I have offered the service....I want to help out our fellow "knife knuts", besides I enjoy it

dslteck · Nov 12, 2009

Here are some more example pictures, this time a piece of steel that has been anodized black.

Steel untouched..

Piece after bead blasting..

Same piece once again after polishing

dslteck · Nov 13, 2009

I disassembled my Tenacious and removed the blade to put it through the process. This time instead of polishing the blade I put it in our tumbler machine. Our "tumbler" machine is very similar to what the manufactures use after they stamp out the rough blade shapes to de-burr the edges. However we do not use ceramic tumbler beads we use aluminum. Works exactly the same and it puts a subtle "stonewashed" look on the steel. Its hard to discern from the pictures but I think it turned out well and I am pleased with the outcome.

Here is the blade untouched:

Here it is after bead blasting:

Then after 2 hours in the tumbler machine:

ericb445 · Nov 13, 2009

Thanks for the very kind offer...

dslteck · Nov 14, 2009

Ok so I just couldn't take it and had to finally get some good quality pictures posted.here you go:

A_Blade_Afficionado · Nov 14, 2009

Very kind offer, it looks great.

scoobyaz · Nov 14, 2009

dslteck said:
It really isn't all that labor intensive...so please if you desire the work don't hesitate. That is way I have offered the service....I want to help out our fellow "knife knuts", besides I enjoy it

Hi there,
As per our emails, here's a shot of the parts that I will be sending your way this week :thumbup:

THE BEFORE SHOT (yep, I'll be relying on your skills for masking the sebbie scales.)

THE AFTER SHOT

*PLEASE SEE POST#30*

BTW - In case I haven't said it enough... You're the man

Thanks again for offering your time & resources,
Scooby

*EDIT* - that particular sebbie is now in trade discussions so it might not be sent now.

Lucky Bob · Nov 14, 2009

I would suggest masking off all the lock-mating surfaces on the two blades, unless I'm mistaken and you already have.

scoobyaz · Nov 14, 2009

Lucky Bob said:
I would suggest masking off all the lock-mating surfaces on the two blades, unless I'm mistaken and you already have.

Yep, that's the first thing I did

dslteck · Nov 15, 2009

E-mail sent scoob

_habit_ · Nov 15, 2009

Very cool of you man :thumbup:

Would love to see the after-shots scooby!

flying hippo · Nov 15, 2009

dslteck said:
I don’t know if anyone would need or desire this service but I am going to offer it anyway. To all of our fellow Blade Forums members, free of charge

Some of the best things in life are free. Thank you for the kind offer.