Thoughts: Would light sand blasting clear off charring?

Walnut shells are a common blasting media, not too abrasive.

Microspheres might work well for wood, the round nature would prevent the particles from embedding into the wood

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I have no experience, but I’ve heard this to be true for many years so I have to believe it’s a good choice.

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Hah! I had the same idea today, around the same time you posted this one. I must be reading the forums subliminally :wink:

I haven’t tried to use my crappy harbor freight sand blaster on cut wood. But I frequently use high pressure air to blow parts somewhat cleaner after I finish a job. It does nothing for the char along the edges (I rarely ever engrave, so cannot speak to marking on that).

If high pressure air doesn’t do anything, it is unlikely anything non-damaging as a medium inside the air will augment results notably.

But… in those cases where I wanted a clean edge AND a bevel… the sand blaster would have been the perfect tool to try out.

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I wonder if a coat of latex would lift anything? I would imagine it to be pliable enough not to do too much damage. Whether charring would be absorbed into it, dunno.

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what about blasting with dry ice? i’ve seen it being used as a safer alternative on brick (still a bad idea) but the bonus is no cleanup, aside from removed materials.

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Ok, I’m I the only one that just pictured Mr. Freeze working at his glowforge :stuck_out_tongue:

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literally the worst batman

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True, but I’ve got to love Arnie anyway.

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i certainly enjoy him more these days

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Yea, I’ve felt sorry for him for all the flack on Celebrity Apprentice ratings. I enjoyed him a lot. When the president was hosting I seldom made it through more than one or two episodes. I think if the show wasn’t getting backlash because of Trump it probably would have gone up in ratings this year. - Side note, could they have more obviously stacked Boy George’s team for the win?

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Has anyone tried a creosote remover?
http://www.bing.com/search?q=creosote+removal&src=IE-TopResult&FORM=IETR02&conversationid=

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Never even saw that before! That may actually work (and it’s advertised at walmart). They even have a dry version - or the spray…:thinking:

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I haven’t tried the orange pumice based hand cleaner mentioned, but I added it to my “wish list” of stuff to buy for the :glowforge: to give it a try once it arrives and I do some engraving.

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Here are some pics of my truck card-holder prototypes, one unfinished and one sandblasted with harbor-freight black aluminum oxide (and colored with markers on one side):


I have a harbor freight blasting cabinet, and this was done using the stock gun at about 110 psi. My thought is that the black oxide is great for “weathering” and muting the sharp laser lines, but way too dirty to “clean” light wood.

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Oh wow! Now I want one!

A late-70s chevy, slammed and bagged?
I know a guy…

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No, silly. A blasting cabinet!

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Is that just the 70 grit? I use the 220 or higher for glass… wonder what that does for wood char? (HF doesn’t carry that grit anymore - used to with their air eraser)

Yeah, that was with the HF 70 grit. They still carry the air eraser, but I didn’t see blast media refils for it on the shelf.