Bead blasting

bobo · September 29, 2000, 09:30 AM

Any body have experiance with bead blasting?
I recenlt had my Sig226 Nickled and they used
a heavy indutrial nickle applied at.004 thick. It came out almost white. I'd like to
get a finer finish out of it.

**4V50 Gary** · September 29, 2000, 02:54 PM

I've done bead blasting, which is just a finer grain of sand. For a desird finish, you're right in that it will be reflected in the preparation work involved. A sloppy polishing job means that the blue won't be as pleasing. With regards to nickeling, that entails a copper undercoat followed by immersion into a nickeling compound. The color of nickel will be "white" and how it appears depends on the prep work. If the metal surface is highly polished, the nickel will appear like a mirror (the classic nickel finish). However, if the metal surface was bead blasted first, the nickel will appear frosted. I suppose if the metal was sandblasted for an even rougher metal surface, the nickel would look like stainless with a dull white.

Badger Arms · September 29, 2000, 07:21 PM

Any work you do will likely not give you the results you'd like. I've had good results with Never Dull myself. ReBeadblasting it might remove the Nickle.

I'm not sure what your question is, though. Do you want to remove the finish or do you want to touch it up? Do you want to completely redo it?

DeBee · October 1, 2000, 09:16 PM

Bead Blasting is done with tiny round glass beads. Sand Blasting is obviously done with sand (aluminum oxide).

The tiny round beads actually peen the metal surface and create a microscopic dimples where sand particles are angular and tend to cut into the surface and remove metal.

Still, even the finest sleeve sized beads might ruin the finish if it's not done exactly even. I think it's back to the finisher with this one...

September 29, 2000, 09:30 AM	#1
bobo Senior Member Join Date: December 30, 1998 Location: Baton Rouge, La. USA Posts: 224	Any body have experiance with bead blasting? I recenlt had my Sig226 Nickled and they used a heavy indutrial nickle applied at.004 thick. It came out almost white. I'd like to get a finer finish out of it.

September 29, 2000, 02:54 PM	#2
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,833	I've done bead blasting, which is just a finer grain of sand. For a desird finish, you're right in that it will be reflected in the preparation work involved. A sloppy polishing job means that the blue won't be as pleasing. With regards to nickeling, that entails a copper undercoat followed by immersion into a nickeling compound. The color of nickel will be "white" and how it appears depends on the prep work. If the metal surface is highly polished, the nickel will appear like a mirror (the classic nickel finish). However, if the metal surface was bead blasted first, the nickel will appear frosted. I suppose if the metal was sandblasted for an even rougher metal surface, the nickel would look like stainless with a dull white.

September 29, 2000, 07:21 PM	#3
Badger Arms Senior Member Join Date: July 2, 2000 Location: Harnett County, NC Posts: 1,700	Any work you do will likely not give you the results you'd like. I've had good results with Never Dull myself. ReBeadblasting it might remove the Nickle. I'm not sure what your question is, though. Do you want to remove the finish or do you want to touch it up? Do you want to completely redo it?

October 1, 2000, 09:16 PM	#4
DeBee Senior Member Join Date: October 5, 1999 Posts: 408	Bead Blasting is done with tiny round glass beads. Sand Blasting is obviously done with sand (aluminum oxide). The tiny round beads actually peen the metal surface and create a microscopic dimples where sand particles are angular and tend to cut into the surface and remove metal. Still, even the finest sleeve sized beads might ruin the finish if it's not done exactly even. I think it's back to the finisher with this one...