Black Blast---NO

big tee · Aug 15, 2019

This Spring I went to my local Farm Fleet to get some sand blast sand and they said they didn't carry silica sand any more and had this stuff called Black Blast. I read the label and said no way to my self and bought two of those tubes of sand some people keep in their trunks in the Winter and went home and did my blasting--I went back yesterday to get some more sand and all they had is that black stuff. No price on it but at the check out it was almost $8.00 for 50 lb. Went home and used it---What a bunch of dusty black CRAP!! I bought two but only used one and am going to take the other one back-I screen all my sand so I went to the beach I have at the pond and got my sand from there-dried it overnight and it worked. I have read stories about silica sand killing miners who dug tunnels through mountains but did not know they banned it. That black coal dust crap can't be any better. Anybody else ever use it? But I got stuff blasted and painted today. I use my wheel turner I use to split the rims and weld them back together to paint them now. Works good--No runs-Getting older--can't weld as good as I used to and can't see to paint as good either. Built a set of 18 in. rims for my Son's 88---Tee

oldtanker · Aug 15, 2019

The problem with the silica sand is breathing it in. Guess there is supposed to be a real cancer threat.

I've used the black blast before and never had any issues with it and it seems to work well.

Rick

NC Wayne · Aug 15, 2019

You can still get "blasting sand" from some places, only it's now packaged and called industrial, or commercial sand. It's been awhile since I did any big blasting projects, but it was still relatively cheap 5 or so years ago.

Now days if you want something coarse, try Black Beauty, which is slag, I or ground cullet, which is glass. If you want finer, try glass beads, walnut shells, or baking soda, depending on how fine you want.

One word of warming, don't make the mistake of using play sand. It has clay in it, and will leave the residue on the part that will really screw up the primer/paint.

I learned that the hard way when I was almost done with a set of fenders for a friend of mine, and used a couple of bags I had lying around to finish them. Twice the work, and cost to fix something like that makes it really memorable...LOL

fixerupper · Aug 15, 2019

I cant tell much difference between black blast and silica. I seem to have less moisture trouble with black blast. Coarse River sand works good if the compressor is big enough to handle the bigger nozzle needed. I sand blasted with coarse river sand one time and it worked well but the compressor was a big rotary screw that could keep up with the large nozzle.

ptfarmer · Aug 15, 2019

Some of your larger material places where you buy rocks, gravel, etc usually carry fine, medium, course sand in bags for blasting use.

john in la · Aug 15, 2019

Any of you guys ever try Garnet.

If you can get past the price it seems like the thing to use.

gene bender · Aug 16, 2019

Used it by the ton and you don't need to be inside to use it Silica sand is banned from outside use. When the black stuff has been used and is fine its great on sheet metal leaves it smooth so less sanding.

r.w.b. · Aug 16, 2019

1 of these days everything is going to be bad for us

Traditional Farmer · Aug 16, 2019

Would Masonry Sand work? Its very fine and can be bought in 1 ton bags very reasonable from any block or brick supply business.

Traditional Farmer · Aug 16, 2019

There is a deposit of Kyanite silica sand that's mined not far from me in Buckingham county VA they sell it by the ton down there its cheaper than regular sand and people use it
for about anything sand can be used for, never heard of it having anything in it to cause health problems.It does have a certain sharpness to it when handled so some people don't use it for beach sand.

Stephen Newell · Aug 16, 2019

I use just plain sand the lumber companies sell for masonry purposes. It has some aggregate big enough to stop up a sandblaster so I sift it through common screen wire. I re-use the sand anyway so sifting is just part of the job.

showcrop · Aug 16, 2019

Silicosis is a form of occupational lung disease caused by inhalation of crystalline silica dust. It is marked by inflammation and scarring in the form of nodular lesions in the upper lobes of the lungs. It is a type of pneumoconiosis. Silicosis (particularly the acute form) is characterized by shortness of breath, cough, fever, and cyanosis (bluish skin). It may often be misdiagnosed as pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs), pneumonia, or tuberculosis.
Silicosis resulted in 46,000 deaths globally in 2013 down from 55,000 deaths in 1990.
The name silicosis (from the Latin silex, or flint) was originally used in 1870 by Achille Visconti (18361911), prosector in the Ospedale Maggiore of Milan. The recognition of respiratory problems from breathing in dust dates to ancient Greeks and Romans. Agricola, in the mid-16th century, wrote about lung problems from dust inhalation in miners. In 1713, Bernardino Ramazzini noted asthmatic symptoms and sand-like substances in the lungs of stone cutters. With industrialization, as opposed to hand tools, came increased production of dust. The pneumatic hammer drill was introduced in 1897 and sandblasting was introduced in about 1904, both significantly contributing to the increased prevalence of silicosis.

rustyfarmall · Aug 16, 2019

Silica sand is available at most lumber yards and home improvement centers. It is used in masonry projects. Silica sand is what I use in my cabinet blaster.

Deutz Lover · Aug 16, 2019

Silicosis is just one of a number of diseases that are caused by particles getting in the lungs where coughing, or ciliated cells cannot get rid of them. In the case of particles like sand, dust, etc. scarring results and makes the victim prone to difficulty in breathing and tuberculosis. The only way to really prevent it is to use supplied air and a positive air pressure hose. I think that even extremely fine filter masks don't give complete protection.

Related diseases are black lung, brown lung, asbestosis, and other similar diseases. There were approximately 30,000 deaths attributed to silicosis worldwide last year. Smoking can combine with any of these to severely complicate this by causing emphysema, opd and lung cancer.

Traditional Farmer · Aug 16, 2019

Cement dust dust must not cause a problem I have probably literally sucked in a ton of the stuff in my life never have had any lung problems,but never have smoked either.

Keith True · Aug 16, 2019

I've used hundreds of tons of coal slag.Black Beauty,Black Blast,Patriot blast,different names but all coal slag.There are different grades of it,a lot of times what stores carry won't go through some peoples blasters.I've blasted lots of tractors,cranes,dozers,backhoes,and probably a couple hundred dump bodies.For equipment like that I have to use what they call fine grade.I never blasted anything where I could use what they called medium.I believe the bridge crews use that grade a lot,at least around here.Coal slag,(NOT coal dust)has a low free silica content.Almost zero,the warning labels on the rap sheets say treat as a nuisance dust.I always bought it at the power plant,there are plants set up at the coal plants that crush,screen,dry and bag the stuff.It comes 3000 pounds to the pallet.Coal slag is hard,and actually cuts when it hits.On sheet metal it can make a little cut and leave a little flap,and painting over it will bridge it with a little trapped air under it.That is all in a microscopic setting,and I personally don't think it amounts to anything in real life.Silica hits,and explodes sideways,cleaning off paint,rest,and leaving the surface pretty much untouched.

jacksun65 · Aug 16, 2019

The state of CA has recognized sand as a major cause of silicosis. From now on no beach going and anyone setting up a sandbox for kids will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. LOL

Bill in IL · Aug 16, 2019

If you must have it you can buy pool sand which is graded silica sand. Its probably about the same price as the black beauty.

big tee · Aug 16, 2019

Have you had a chest X-ray recently?????

WGM · Aug 16, 2019

This stuff is called coal fly ash, not coal slag. Around here all of the professional industrial painters use it. It goes by ?Black Beauty?. It comes out of coal fired generating stations.

jm.old · Aug 16, 2019

I am like Keith, since about 1975 Black Beauty is all we have used. Twice the cutting power of sand and no dust. Can,t think of going back to sand. You need to find better black beauty, think you would be satisfied. We go right to the plant by the power plant where they bag it. I use their fine or medium and works fine.

Keith True · Aug 16, 2019

If you read the bags,they are marked slag product.I buy it from a plant set up at a coal fired power plant.The captured fly ash from that place goes to a different part of the yard,I have no idea what becomes of it from there.That part of the power plant looks to be a tightly monitored operation.That fly ash is pretty poisonous stuff,that's what they told me at the mineral plant anyway.The mineral plant has no connection to the power plant except to buy coal slag from it.Then it gets crushed,screened,heated,(dried)and either bagged or loaded out in bulk cars.It is what is used for roofing shingles.Coal slag products are all zeros on the hazard usage charts,but what bothered me the most was what I was blasting off.I was probably making powdered lead when blasting 3 coats of paint off old dump bodies.

jwmfarms · Aug 16, 2019

According to California EVERYTHING causes cancer, even thing that don't anywhere else. I'm beginning to think maybe it's the state of California ITSELF that causes cancer!

showcrop · Aug 16, 2019

(quoted from post at 08:14:44 08/16/19) The state of CA has recognized sand as a major cause of silicosis. From now on no beach going and anyone setting up a sandbox for kids will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. LOL

Jackson 65, I hope that no widows or kids of guys who died from silicosis read your lame joke.

jwmfarms · Aug 16, 2019

Is that at Willis Mountain?

Traditional Farmer · Aug 16, 2019

Yea that is it on US 15.Supposedly one of the largest deposits in the World.Also US Silica has a big operation on US 522 between Berkley Springs WV and Hancock MD.

jm.old · Aug 18, 2019

Keith that is exactly the way it is here. I am within 3 miles of the 3 largest coal plant in the nation. The FLY ASH is finer and goes to folks making concrete , they add it to the cement. T lower cinders are hard and black and get ground into sand blast material by a third party.

Black Blast---NO

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Member

Similar threads