FAQ

Abrasive blasting is the operation of a blasting machine to forcibly propel a stream of abrasive media from the machine to a surface under high pressure to smoothen or roughen a surface, shape a surface or remove surface contaminants.

Our blasting machines use air to propel the blasting media to easily remove paint, grease, corrosion, coatings, oils, etc. without damaging the surface.

Using a propelled stream of abrasive media, abrasive blasting can be used for a number of applications. A few applications are stated below:

• Rejuvenating concrete, brick or stone walls
• Stripping paints from walls, cars, tractors or machinery
• Graffiti removal
• Stain elimination
• Mould remediation
• Etching

In order to start blasting, there is a list of apparatus required:

• Blasting machine
• Suitably Sized Air
• Compressor
• Safety Clothing
• Air supply Hosing for helmet filter and for blast pot
• Mould remediation
• Suitable Nozzle
• Blast Hose
• Breathing Air Filter

When you purchase an Applied Blast Pot, we supply everything you will need to start blasting. All you need is an air compressor and you’re ready to go.

Yes, depending on the abrasive being used. An Applied screen and cover is recommended if abrasive will be reused. It is good practice to replenish used abrasive with fresh abrasive to maximise efficiency and increase production rates.

For example Applied Garnet can be recycled up to 4 times or more before losing its superior cutting ability.

Abrasive blasting times depends on a variety of factors, but for example, a typical medium sized car would take approximately 5 to 8 hours.

It takes approximately 5 minutes and half a 25kg bag of Applied 0.2mm-0.5mm crushed glass to blast the bonnet of a Massey Ferguson 275 tractor.

Supplying fresh abrasive and using our top quality equipment, your production rate will be maximised. To get an idea of the speed of blasting, refer to our YouTube channel.

Yes and yes. We supply a large variety of blasting media with different grades for your suited application. Blasting abrasive from one bag to a full load of 24 tonnes can be delivered to your property.

For maximum value on delivery costs, 60 x 25kg bags can be fitted onto one pallet, delivered next day by the pallet network.

Yes, the less moisture in the air, the better. Moisture promotes rust so it is important that the weather is good. Also, if there is high moisture content in the air there is a higher risk of it overwhelming the moisture separator and entering the blast pot causing blockages of the valves.

Otherwise, blasting indoors or in good weather will help reduce moisture levels. Over compression will result in excess moisture.

To blast in a safe manner, you will need:

• Air Fed Blast Helmet
• Air Breathing Filter
• Abrasive Blasting Suit/ Good Quality Boiler Suit
• Abrasive Blasting Gloves/Good Quality Welding Gloves
• Steel Toe Cap Safety Boots

This equipment will minimise your risk of injury and prevent air borne dust particles entering your lungs.

It is illegal to use sea sand or paving sand as an abrasive for blasting due to the fact that they contain silica. Silica is a principal component of sand, so any blasters using sand as an abrasive will receive heavy exposure to silica.

Inhaled crystalline silica (in the form of quartz or crystobalite) from occupational sources is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a Group 1 human lung carcinogen.

Particles of silica dust get trapped in the tiny sacs (alveoli) in the lungs where air exchange takes place. White blood cells called macrophages in the alveoli ingest the silica and die. The resulting inflammation attracts other macrophages to the region. The nodule forms when the immune system forms fibrous tissue to seal off the reactive area.

Respirable silica dust may be invisible to the naked eye and is so light that it can remain airborne for a long time. It can thus travel long distances in the air and so affect populations not otherwise considered to be at risk.

When inhaled, silica dust passes into the lungs, and scavenger cells such as macrophages engulf it. Enzymes released by the scavenger cells cause the lung tissue to scar.

At first, the scarred areas are tiny round lumps (simple nodular silicosis), but eventually they may combine into larger masses (complicated silicosis). These scarred areas cannot transfer oxygen into the blood normally. The lungs become less flexible, and breathing takes more effort. Sea sand and paving sand will not only cause your health problems but will also clog up your blasting apparatus.

Blasting a fiberglass panel is possible but requires the use of a soda blasting machine such as the Applied XTREME 40 which uses a tough grade baking soda to blast the fiberglass panel leaving a very smooth finish with zero damage to the panel.

Using a blast machine other than a soda blaster will cause excess heat of the fiberglass panel causing severe damage, ruining the panel.

Blasting panels with glass still in place is certainly possible.

We would recommend the use of the Appled Xtreme 40 soda blaster to ensure a very smooth finish on the panel without damaging the rubber seal around the glass, chromed metal or polished stainless steel trim.

No, but the correct blasting media and pressure must be used.

Using a coarser media then what’s required with the wrong pressure will generate excess heat, causing panels to warp. The use of our Applied XTREME 40 Soda Blaster will ensure even the thinnest plates of metal will not warp due to the baking soda exploding on impact without generating excess heat to warp the panels.

Our range of blasting abrasives will completely strip metal panels without damaging the surface.

Yes, here at Applied we operate with a next day delivery in Ireland or the U.K.

Please contact us to advise shipping to your country. We can deliver our blast machines and products all over the world – from Cairo in Egypt to Ottawa in Canada!

Yes, but it requires a skilled blaster with a more artistic skill as blasting wooden surfaces is a very delicate operation.

The wood should be treated before and after blasting to prevent moisture damage. The use of a soda blaster would be more suitable for blasting wooden surfaces.

Our office opening hours are from 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday (Excluding Public Holidays).

Please phone 1 hour before arriving at our headquarters.

Here at Applied we like to keep it as easy as possible for a customer to make a purchase so we accept Direct Debit, Credit Card, Cheque, Bank Giro Credit Transfer slip or you can contact us for our bank details so you can electronically transfer funds. Call any time for a quote.

Yes, our applied blast machines will safely remove smoke damage from brick, stone, glass, ceramic and mortar, concrete and wood without damage.

To achieve optimum results, choosing the Applied XTREME 40 soda blaster machine will ensure a top quality finish. The crystalline soda used as an abrasive will absorb the smells associated with smoke damage from brick and wood while blasting.

Yes it can be. However, our blasting media minimises the impact of the dust on your life and surroundings compared to any other blasting media.

We also stock attachments that simply fit on your blast hose to introduce water and can reduce dust levels by up to 95%.

Purchasing a full applied blast machine comes with the following:

• Assembled Blast pot
• Moisture/Water Separator
• Compact Remote Control System and Silencer
• Quick Claw Couplings
• 6mm Tungsten Carbide Nozzle
• 10 meters of heavy duty blast hose
• 10 meters of air supply hose
• Canvas head protector
• 12 month warranty

All you need is an air compressor and you’re ready to blast!

Our Applied soda blaster machine is specialized to remove paint coatings with minimal surface damage and is the perfect machine to completely blast a car without any damage.

Once blasted, the soda will leave a coating on the metal that will inhibit rust for a long period of time.

Our soda blaster is also completely safe to use on fiberglass panels also and can be used on strip rubberized bumpers without warping the rubber.

Soda blasting uses a different technique than traditional abrasive blast pots because it uses environmentally friendly, soft, water soluble abrasive that doesn’t generate heat.

The soda abrasive explodes on impact generating no heat allowing it significant cutting power for surface preparation without altering the substrate.

Soda is ideal for blasting internal engine parts as there is no particle embedment, absorbs odours and completely clears grease with ease. Soda is the only abrasive that will not etch or ruin glass, embed or pit into nooks and crannies. Water will dissolve the soda and completely wash it away from the blasted component.

If you cannot find the part you require on our website or simply do not know what part you require, why not call our customer care team on +353 (0)57 91 37929. Our team of experts will endeavour to make sure you walk away satisfied with our products and service.

We retain records of all machines we manufacture for 25 years which will help us identify what part you will need no matter how old your equipment is.

The Applied blast pots are rated for a maximum pressure of 150 psi. Pressure over this rating will result in serious injury to the operator.

There is a section on our website explain what kind of CFM compressor you will need to achieve optimum results.

Firstly you need to know what size and type of nozzle you are using and what PSI you need to use. Then using the chart in our section that explains the CFM requirements will let you know the minimum CFM your compressor must be.

We recommend a 120-140 CFM compressor for comfort to maximise your production rates.

Depending on the size of your blast pot purchase, is as follows:

Applied 40 Litre Blast Machine – 1 ½ -2 Bags of Applied Abrasive (25kg)
Applied 100 Litre Blast Machine – 4 ½ -5 Bags of Applied Abrasive (25kg)
Applied 140 Litre Blast Machine – 9 Bags of Applied Abrasive (25kg)
Applied 200 Litre Blast Machine – 12 Bags of Applied Abrasive (25kg)

It is best practice to start blasting at 30⁰, especially for inexperienced users. The greater the angle (towards 90⁰) results in increased stripping rate and a rougher surface.

While blasting, the pressure inside the pot should be anywhere between 95-125 psi depending on the compressor. Any lower would indicate a pressure leak in either the compressor or blast pot. Very rare occurrence.

When blasting, the sparks are referred to cold sparks, which are caused by friction, meaning you more than likely have a problem with static electricity. The cold sparks produced from abrasive blasting are incapable of igniting hazardous combustible atmosphere.

Even with metal grit such as copper slag or steel grit, cold sparks will not result in an explosion.

Abrasive blasting is a loud process and exposure to this high noise level will result in permanent hearing loss. The impulsive noise from blasting is potentially more hazardous.

The main sources of noise for the operator are:

Air compressor: 85-90 dB
Blast machine: 90-110 dB
Air feed inside helmet: 70-80 dB
Blast nozzle: 110-125 dB

Maximum noise levels were measured at 128 dB during blasting which occurs when the abrasive runs out. The Applied range of air fed helmets use cutting edge technology to minimize this noise level by absorbing sound waves.

Using our air fed helmets will ensure you are protected from excessive noise levels. Our engineered exhaust muffle and control valves allow the operator to greatly reduce this level of noise generation.

There are many other methods of reducing the noise level further such as silencers on the air intake, sound barriers around compressors, using the correct blasting pressure, etc.

When an operator is blasting for excessive periods of time it will result in the vibrations to the hands and arms from the blast hose to cause a condition known as occupational Raynaud’s Disease (White Finger/Dead finger). This persistent use will cause microscopic damage to nerves and blood capillaries which can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.

When blasting in a confined space thermal extremes must be closely monitored. We supply air cooling controllers that retrofit on the air fed blasting helmet to supply cooled fresh air to the operator. Other dangers you should be wary about are potential explosive dusts, excessive noise or flooding.

Normal sand has been ruled out of use for years due to it containing silica. Silica will cause fatal lung disease so we recommend not using sand whatsoever.

Our range of blasting media is completely silica free and will ensure outstanding efficiency when blasting compared to using normal sand.

If using crushed glass, copper slag, steel grit or garnet, blasting glass, wood and plastics should be avoided. The Applied Xtreme 40 soda blaster is recommended for blasting such delicate materials.