See full version: Walnut Shell Blasting
One of our most common industrial blasting mediums, Walnut Shell is a soft organic abrasive created, as the name implies, from walnut shells. Crushed or ground in a wide variety of grits or weights, Walnut Shell will not damage metal, fiberglass or stone, making it a versatile medium for a variety of cleaning, stripping and restoration projects.
Due to its non-toxic and biodegradable nature, walnut shell media is often used in many of our mobile applications such as stripping of paint or growth from boat bottoms, removing stains from log cabins, removal of graffiti and cleaning/restoration of stone. [links]
Walnut shell is biodegradable, non-toxic, inert, environmentally safe and cost effective for blasting. Walnut shells are also a preferred media as a replacement for baking soda, especially in areas of high vegetation or where high dust levels are not acceptable. These factors, combined with its versatility, make it our preferred medium for marine bottom paint removal, graffiti removal, general cleaning and restoration applications. more
Next, we create the sides of the blasting tent using 4 mil plastic. We tape the plastic above the boot stripe with shrink patch tape, which protects most gel coats and most painted boats. Once taped to the boat, the plastic sides are joined to the plastic floor, creating an airtight space to contain blasting media and removed bottom paint during the blasting procedure. Our tenting system has proven successful even when we work indoors amidst dozens of surrounding boats as they never show any evidence of any residual dust. here
Our Process
We begin by creating a tent to collect blasting material and the paint we blast from bottom of the boat. The first step is to create a floor underneath the boat; for this we use 4 mil plastic and our proprietary adhesive. more
Once blasting begins, the tent inflates like a balloon due to the air entering the tent through the blasting hose. We use suction to collect dust while blasting to control tent inflation; this prevents over inflation which could cause leaks or a blowout causing dust to exit the tent into the yard. Please note: all thru hulls must be closed prior to our process due to the pressure build-up in the tent. here
We have become experts in boat bottom blasting. Our efficient, cost effective and environmentally sound process allows us to quickly strip bottom paint without damaging the gel and/or barrier coat and, most importantly, without leaving a mess. Our work is done with the marina environment in mind; we work quickly, efficiently and make certain none of the stripping by products (media, stripped paint, plastic, etc.) escape to the yard or nearby water.
Please note: media blasting is just the first step in preparing a boat bottom for paint. Our process removes bottom paint but does not leave the bottom ready for paint re-application. Please carefully read surface preparation procedures listed on the products being used in order to achieve proper results. more
Prior to the introduction of walnut shell media blasting, metal finishers typically had to resort to stripping coatings down to the bare metal and completely replacing the under-coatings and topcoat. Walnut shell blasting eliminates the need for these costly, time-consuming processes. more
We complement our walnut shell media offerings with a wide selection of walnut shell blasters and other essential walnut shell blasting equipment. And if you prefer to outsource your metal finishing processes, our state-of-the-art 24,000-square-foot York, PA facility contains the latest blasting and tumbling equipment. We can perform the entire process from start to finish. [links]
The term “abrasive media” is most often associated with harder, manmade materials such as steel shot or grit, silicon carbide or aluminum oxide. However, certain metal finishing applications require a softer, less abrasive material that can deliver the desired result without the risk of damage to the substrate surface.
The combination of light weight, angular design and relative softness makes walnut shell blast media an excellent choice for the deburring, cleaning, deflashing or stripping of softer substrates such as plastics, wood, fiberglass, aluminum and various composite materials. The walnut blasting process is compatible with air and wheel blasting as well as tumbling. more
There are many types of abrasive blasting applications, each of which requires the use of different types of blasting materials, referred to as blasting “media.” Finishing Systems has assembled this abrasive blasting media guide to help you select the most appropriate material for your specific finishing processes. more
Sand also contains significant levels of silica, which when broken down and inhaled by operators can result in serious respiratory disorders. Consequently, the process of ‘sandblasting’ is typically conducted utilizing alternative types of abrasive material: [links]
Abrasive blasting is the general term applied to finishing processes that entail the high-pressure propulsion of a stream of abrasive material onto the surface of a workpiece. Abrasive blasting can serve many surface finishing purposes, such as removing contaminants or previous coatings, altering the shape and smoothing or roughening the surface.
One note: the terms “sandblasting” and “abrasive blasting” are often used interchangeably. A conventional “dry” sandblasting process that uses traditional sand is not recommended for most applications. Blasting with sand generally requires twice the amount of material, making it cost-prohibitive for many companies. more