New Career

[GR8WYT]

Hey guys. Long time, no post. I've spent the summer and fall re-inventing myself after retiring from developing industrial software.

To make a long story short, my wife and I bought a D.I.Y. Sandblasting shop called Langley U-Blast. The web address is langleyublast.com. Check it out, and if you are in the area, drop in for a visit. Or better yet, bring something in to prep for paint for powder coat. I'm amassing a pile of stuff for my car that I'm going to clean, so you'll be able to see the results of my efforts.

Stay tuned for a group get-together at the shop after the holidays.

 

[shopartsnw]

Congratulations and good luck on the new venture. My curiosity is getting to me now.

Do you keep the people blasting aluminum and steel separate?
Do you have a "cleanliness" standard so you don't get grease and dirt contamination?
Do you pre-check painted parts so you don't get lead contamination?

I like the self service idea. My main concern is how well people will take care of your equipment.

Mike

 

[GR8WYT]

Hi Mike, thanks for the wishes.

We have 5 blasting cabinets each with individual cyclone reclaimers and gravity filters. There is no separation of steel and aluminum other than most aluminum cleaners want glass bead and the steel guys are OK with garnet. The glass bead has its own dedicated cabinet, ergo filtration. Aside from the obvious health risks of breathing aluminum dust and the potentially explosive combination of aluminum and iron oxide ( thermite ), what else have you heard/know about?

We screen all of the stuff that comes through the door and we only allow "clean and dry" parts into the cabinets. Media blasting is all about preparing the surface for a new coating, not washing parts!

The previous owners were very "hands on" with their clientele, always checking and working with them for a positive experience and to protect their equipment. I have taken on the same method. Besides, you get to meet a ton of interesting folks who bring in a ton of interesting stuff!

 

[Off Road SHO]

Do you think you could take the paint off of a used speed camera? :laugh_ti:

 

[GR8WYT]

:laugh_ti: Never did get cited for that! Maybe the next poor schlep who rented the car got the ticket...

 

[SHOGUN88]

Now I know who to come to for blasting!

 

[shopartsnw]

Aside from the obvious health risks of breathing aluminum dust and the potentially explosive combination of aluminum and iron oxide ( thermite ), what else have you heard/know about?

Thermite would be bad, but I was thinking more about contaminating the next guy's aluminum parts with iron particles. I hate it when my aluminum parts "rust", and if someone planned to annodize the part, the iron and iron oxide will really mess up the process.

Sounds like you have a good process, so best wishes for success.

Mike

 

[GR8WYT]

Now I know who to come to for blasting!

Any time! Any time...

 

[GR8WYT]

Thermite would be bad, but I was thinking more about contaminating the next guy's aluminum parts with iron particles. I hate it when my aluminum parts "rust", and if someone planned to annodize the part, the iron and iron oxide will really mess up the process.

Sounds like you have a good process, so best wishes for success.

Mike

I'll take a straw poll with the regular customers to see if they've had any issues with iron particles contaminating their aluminum projects. Since I only have my "associates" degree in media blasting there is still a lot I don't know!

Thanks again.