Sandblasting for your Metal Projects
Sandblasting Makes Cents!
As you contemplate the changes and improvements you want to make to your home this spring, don’t forget the role a process called sandblasting can play in saving you money and giving you a unique accessory for your home or garden. Sandblasting is a general term used to describe the act of propelling very fine bits of material at high-velocity to clean or etch a surface. The primary use is to clean a surface of anything that may be clinging to it prior to painting or finishing, especially when normal sanding processes either are too time and labor intensive or cannot reach into every crevice and crease
David Connell owner of Furniture Barn outside Franklin, NC, notes that the uses for this process are
numerous. Anything made of steel is prime material for sandblasting, be it patio furniture, antique iron beds or even a 1957 Chevy for example. Soft metals aren’t suitable candidates. And while the name “sandblasting” derives from the sand used when this process was developed in the late 1800s, corn husks, dry ice, glass beads even walnut shells can be used as the abrasive. The material being cleaned helps dictate which media is employed.
If that set of wrought iron patio furniture you have is too valuable to toss and too rusted and ugly to use, consider having the pieces sandblasted, then professionally painted. While manual sanding and cleaning of the patio table with four chairs would take many long, back-breaking hours to adequately clean, sandblasting requires much less time and leaves the object clean and ready for the finishing process. David estimates that a wrought iron table and four chairs could be sandblasted for as little as $275.00 to $300.00, depending on the condition and the intricacy of the design. He also offers painting of the finished pieces for an additional charge.
by John Shivers
For more information, David Connell can be reached at the Furniture Barn, 4488 Georgia Road, Franklin, NC. Call him at 828.524.5293.