[1ctoolfool]

does it take anything more than a regular sandblasting cabinet to blast granit/marble?
I assume you just use a heavy grit media?


do you just use rubber as the mask? How to you stick the rubber to the stone, is there a specific masking material made for this?

thanks

[LaserImage]

Blasting glass, metal, rock, etc., is all pretty much the same but you use different grit media and different pressures. For granite I use 70/80 grit and about 90 psi on a pressure pot, if you use a siphon you'll need way more than that.

If you want a great resource on sandblasting/sandcarving I would recommend cuttingedgesandcarving.com - I'm a member there and I truly couldn't have learned all I did there just by trying it out - check it out!

Good luck!

Gary

[1ctoolfool]

thanks gary,
I got a quote from ikonics for their sandblasting cabinet
CrystalBlast 3024 DP Sandcarver: $ 3,115.00 plus shipping

what's special about a pressure pot and the type of system they quoted me vs. just a regular sanblasting cabinet?

Also will I be able to do really precision sandcarving with such a big cabinet?

Can you comment on Ikonics stuff or any recommendations? They also sell the laser tape mask, and some other neat products as well.

thanks

[LaserImage]

Ikonics has very nice equipment. Buying from them would be like buying a CNC machine from a well-known manufacturer. There are certain benefits to that but if you are a DIY'er then you can save a ton of money and end up with something that functions virtually the same. Either way, DIY or commercially built, you need to add about $1,000 for a compressor. You can buy one for a lot less, but trust me, you'll need it! Mine is 10.2CFM at 90 PSI and it's just barely adequate for my needs. It was only $400 and the next step up was about $800 at that time, but I wish now I would have paid the extra money...

As for the blasting equipment - I bought a pressure pot and cabinet at Harbor Freight. I already had a dust collector but I bought a cyclone separator just for the sandblasting. I made the hose and nozzle holder and I bought a heavy duty nozzle. If you wait for them to go on sale, you can get the 40lb pressure pot for $90 and their larger cabinet for $199, the dust collector was about $60 and the cyclone was about $90. The parts for the hose and nozzle holder were about $40 and the nozzle was about $40 as well. Add in $400 for a compressor and I have less than $1,000 invested and I saved about $2,000 over the crystalblast system. Add in another $400 for a better compressor and you still have a pretty nice savings.

Ikonics has laser tape and although I have a 25' sample roll, I haven't used it yet. I have a lot that I bought elsewhere that I'm trying use up first. You can also use Anchor 116, it's polyester and is laserable. It's pretty thick, perfect for marble and granite - the tape is too thin for either of them if you want any depth at all. Ikonics also has photo resist that works great for really fine details. I use it for glass and light etching on polished granite and marble. I built the exposure unit, saved about $200 that way.

I am happy to help any way I can. You should also check out the forum I mentioned, I learned a lot of what I know from the very helpful folks there.

Gary