# Sandblasting Media Q!
**URL:** https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sandblasting-media-q/2748
**Category:** NYSpeed Automotive
**Created:** [September 26, 2005, 6:35pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sandblasting-media-q/2748 "2005-09-26T18:35:32Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@halas](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/halas)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2005, 6:35pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sandblasting-media-q/2748/1 "2005-09-26T18:35:32Z")
For anyone one with sandblasting experience, what media would be the best in terms of effort to remove paint and minimal surface rust from cast iron surfaces without pitting it?
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### Author:  [@Viper966](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Viper966)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2005, 6:39pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sandblasting-media-q/2748/2 "2005-09-26T18:39:17Z")
glass bead or walnut shells… both wont really mar the surface… although baking soda works OK and is basically free (ive used soda, and it took off most of the paint, dunnno about rust
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### Author:  [@Violator](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Violator)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2005, 6:58pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sandblasting-media-q/2748/3 "2005-09-26T18:58:47Z")
> [@halas](#):
>
> For anyone one with sandblasting experience, what media would be the best in terms of effort to remove paint and minimal surface rust from cast iron surfaces without pitting it?
what are you blasting? Why the surface finish concern?
Cast Iron is very hard… not easy to mar.
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### Author:  [@halas](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/halas)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2005, 9:51pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sandblasting-media-q/2748/4 "2005-09-26T21:51:07Z")
> [@Violator](#):
>
> what are you blasting? Why the surface finish concern?
> Cast Iron is very hard… not easy to mar.
I know cast iron is very hard but I wanna make sure the surfaces stay smooth. I gonna be blasting old 1908 registers (radiators) from my house. The surfaces are smooth and they have some cool designs on the tops of each segment that I wanna keep intact.
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### Author:  [@Viper966](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Viper966)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2005, 11:29pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sandblasting-media-q/2748/5 "2005-09-26T23:29:33Z")
start with baking soda… if thats too slow or wont do the job move up to walnut shells… and just keep goign up if u dont wanna guess…
id say baking soda though… its hella easy to clean up… just wash it down
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### Author:  [@Violator](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Violator)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2005, 12:02am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sandblasting-media-q/2748/6 "2005-09-27T00:02:47Z")
you can use fine sand with no adverse effects. Ive blasted all kinds of materials and cast iron will not pit like you imagine. If you have fine designs then the only metal I would be concerned with is aluminum.
There is also a good deal of control you have over the blaster. You can adjust sand volume and velocity as well as the distance of the nozzle from the piece.
There is a building supply on walden… across from 84 Lumber. They have fine sand that people use for blasting. 80lb bag is $7 I use it on steel… works nice
If you still have concerns blast a inconspicuous area like the bottom of a leg and see what you think.
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### Author:  [@system](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/system)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2005, 6:04am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sandblasting-media-q/2748/7 "2005-09-27T06:04:56Z")
How about chemical stripping?
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### Author:  [@Tkklemann](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Tkklemann)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2005, 7:46am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sandblasting-media-q/2748/8 "2005-09-27T07:46:08Z")
We use aluminum oxide here at SSBC, although very fine, to blast spindles and shit with a 32 finish or better.
Basically, for the inside of master cylinders and spindle bearing surfaces…
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### Author:  [@halas](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/halas)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2005, 1:45pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sandblasting-media-q/2748/9 "2005-09-27T13:45:22Z")
> [@JnJSpdShop](#):
>
> How about chemical stripping?
too hard to get to the insides plus I wanna play with the new blaster I just bought. Thanks for the input guys :tup:
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### Author:  [@TrueBlue](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/TrueBlue)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2005, 1:53pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/sandblasting-media-q/2748/10 "2005-09-27T13:53:42Z")
> [@Tkklemann](#):
>
> We use aluminum oxide
:tup: fast acting too, depending on the grain size.