lightlover
Flashlight Enthusiast
"Glow Bug" and "kogatana ......formerly Lumenaddict" were discussing beadblasting a 9AN to improve the finish in the Topic: New User! @ http://www.candlepowerforums.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=000518&p=3
Just thought I'd put on record that if you want "sandblasting" done, there is another possibility besides machine shops, which are often reluctant to take on small jobs, especially as minimum charges usually apply.
An engineer friend who used to do such stuff for me no longer has access to a beadblasting machine.
Looking for another source, I asked a local glazier who also does decorative "etched" work, using a sandblaster.
I wanted to clean up a rusty and marked rod of hardened steel, 600mm long by 15mm diameter, with deep figuring, and some fine detail.
To my amazement (I'd never actually seen the process before) he did the work in about 90 seconds. The finish came out a crystalline, even, kind of sugar-frosted light-greyish silver. It is smooth to touch. None of the fine detail was lost, and all the marks were removed or left invisible. It would hardly interfere with knurling or serial numbers, for example.
The parts that I wanted to make mirror shiny again, I polished up quite easily, using 1,000 and then 1,600 wet-and-dry paper.
All he charged me was ~$5.
Tech details - it was done with Aluminium Oxide particles, at 180-220 grade.
lightlover
(PK has made a point about the insulating qualities of anodising, esp on the SF 9AN, so check the link above ...... )
Just thought I'd put on record that if you want "sandblasting" done, there is another possibility besides machine shops, which are often reluctant to take on small jobs, especially as minimum charges usually apply.
An engineer friend who used to do such stuff for me no longer has access to a beadblasting machine.
Looking for another source, I asked a local glazier who also does decorative "etched" work, using a sandblaster.
I wanted to clean up a rusty and marked rod of hardened steel, 600mm long by 15mm diameter, with deep figuring, and some fine detail.
To my amazement (I'd never actually seen the process before) he did the work in about 90 seconds. The finish came out a crystalline, even, kind of sugar-frosted light-greyish silver. It is smooth to touch. None of the fine detail was lost, and all the marks were removed or left invisible. It would hardly interfere with knurling or serial numbers, for example.
The parts that I wanted to make mirror shiny again, I polished up quite easily, using 1,000 and then 1,600 wet-and-dry paper.
All he charged me was ~$5.
Tech details - it was done with Aluminium Oxide particles, at 180-220 grade.
lightlover
(PK has made a point about the insulating qualities of anodising, esp on the SF 9AN, so check the link above ...... )
