When using old wood, one of the first steps is to ensure that all the paint is stripped off. A common way of doing this is through sandblasting. Sandblasting is the process of firing abrasives at an object to roughen, smooth, clean or shape its surface. When directed at removing paint, sandblasting has the same effect as using a piece of sandpaper would. It usually creates a faster and more even finish than manual sanding with sandpaper does. Best of all, the dust from sandblasting can be minimized.
Health Impact of Dust
If using the traditional abrasive of sand while sandblasting paint off an object, you will generate a lot of dust. This dust is produced when the sand particles break down in the air. This dust is a very serious health hazard and is what creates the most negative impact of sandblasting. The dust is also why many abrasives have now been developed that don't disintegrate in the air, creating large clouds of dust.
If the dust resulting from the breaking up of sand is inhaled, there is a possibility of developing silicosis. This is a lung disease that, if serious enough, can lead to death. Often, silica sand abrasives used in sandblasting are coated with resin to control the amount of dust produced, but there's always the risk of inhaling the dust and falling ill.
Alternate Abrasives
Many abrasives have been developed that don't generate as much dust in the sandblasting process as standard silica sand abrasive does. Also, if dust is generated, it isn't as hazardous as silica dust which causes silicosis.
Metallic, synthetic and mineral abrasives are slowly growing in popularity. Although they are slightly more difficult to make, they create much less dust in the sandblasting process and also reduce the waste generated by sandblasting. However, it should be noted that using these abrasives doesn't eliminate the dust factor entirely, only reduces it.
Organic abrasives are also being used nowadays, typically made from ground nut shells, fruit kernels or baking soda. They are soft abrasives and therefore may not be as effective at removing paint, but the dust that they generate in sandblasting is much less hazardous to human health.
Vacuum
Sometimes you can get sanding and sandblasting equipment with vacuums attached, or vice versa. This type of setup tends to minimize dust generation because as the dust is created, the vacuum sucks it up to where it cannot harm anyone from inhalation.
The size of vacuum you use will depend on the size of your sanding job. In general, the larger the job, the larger the vacuum. The most important thing is to ensure that your vacuum possesses a fine dust collection bag. Without this, the dust will clog up your vacuum and you will lose suction, making the vacuum useless.
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