Paint removal with Garnet blast abrasive

Abrasive blasting with a blast abrasive such as garnet, is an effective way to remove paint from a variety of surfaces though it can be messy and potentially hazardous if done improperly. 

Garnet Abrasive Blasting for Paint Removal

Sandblasting makes use of an air compressor to propel blast abrasive grains through a nozzle at high velocity onto your chosen project surface. It has various applications, with the removal of paint being one of the most common.

It’s a feasible DIY project and sandblasting equipment can be purchased or rented at home improvement centers or equipment rental companies in most cities. However, it is also messy and potentially dangerous to do yourself, so you may want to consider hiring a professional sandblasting service rather than attempting to do it yourself if you have little to no experience. If you are undertaking the project either as a DIY task or as part of your professional work, in addition to using the proper protective equipment, you should consider more advanced abrasives, such as the EpiX and KinetiX lines of superoxalloy abrasives from 10X Engineered Materials. These newer abrasives can complete jobs more efficiently, using less material, and can be safer than garnet and other, less sophisticated, blast abrasives.

When to Use Abrasive Blasting

Compared to sanding by hand, abrasive blasting with garnet is much less laborious when you need to remove paint from a large area. It is also the method of choice to remove paint from objects with many nooks and crannies that would be impossible or very difficult to remove by hand sanding.

What Blast Media To Use ( Is Garnet the most effective?)

Garnet can be used to remove paint from any object that will hold up to the  intense abrading that is caused by abrasive blasting. Brick, metal and concrete surfaces generally fall into this category. However, there are some important considerations when choosing an abrasive blast media. We’ll discuss some major downsides of garnet later in this article. Garnet can be used to remove paint from wood though it can very well cause pitting and scarring on the surface of the wood.

Where to conduct abrasive blasting and safety considerations.

Abrasive blasting with garnet or other blast abrasives is a process that can be extremely messy. A plume of dust can emanate from the work area and coat everything around. It can be done indoors as part of renovation work, but it will create a big clean up job, so it’s usually restricted to work that is on the exterior where everything can be washed down with a hose or a pressure washer. The fine dust comprised of used abrasive and little bits of paint created by garnet blasting is very hazardous to breathe, making a respirator a safety device that is essential. Tight goggles that are fitting to the face are also important.

Better blast abrasives to remove paint

If you are looking for a clean low dust abrasive that will leave your project surface free of embedded particles, leaving it ready for another coat of paint, then the EpiX and KinetiX line of superoxalloy blast abrasive from 10X Engineered Materials is a solid choice for you.The superoxalloy abrasive is engineered with amorphous, non-crystalline particles that resist breakage and can be reused many times.

In a recent project for removing paint, the user found that the KinetiX 20/40 superoxalloy abrasive immediately cut through about 250 mil of cured coating and reported that no other blasting abrasive had been able to remove that many layers. 

On top of it’s high strength, superoxalloy abrasives are safer than other abrasives because they have no free silica, no heavy metals, no crystalline structures, and no beryllium making them perfect for professionals and DIY’ers alike.

Currently, KinetiX and EpiX are available from abrasive distributors around the US. If you don’t see a distributor near you, contact 10X and we will work with you to get you what you need. EpiX abrasive, which is best for precision applications such as powder coating and medical applications, is also available to purchase directly from the 10X Engineered Materials website.