Shot Blasting and Painting

Shot Blasting and Painting: What do I need to know?

Properly pre-treating a surface is a vital part of preparation for a range of products, especially if you want to guarantee a world-class quality finish. If your work involves abrasive blast and paint work, it can be difficult to know what necessary actions might be needed to complete the project.

What should you bear in mind when it comes to painting and shot blasting?

Here are some of the most common questions we are asked as providers alongside some key guidance about how best to proceed.

Why is it important to shot blast before painting?

Properly shot blasting the surface of your item allows you to prepare the material for a base coat. This can involve stripping away previous coatings, removing contaminants and particles, abrasions, eliminating rust, or any number of obstacles unique to your chosen material. A shot blast finish also helps to prepare a surface profile so that it enables the paint or powder coating to adhere successfully. It does this by removing any contaminants and particles, ensuring that your chosen paint or powder medium applies cleanly and provides a fine, long lasting finish.

How can shot blasting help to create the perfect finish?

By taking the time to properly prepare a surface before applying your coating, you’ll be guaranteed a finish that is free of imperfections and contaminations, making it truly fit for purpose. Creating the optimum surface roughness profile before applying coating has a huge effect on both the long-term adhesion and corrosion resistance of the coating.

What is the difference between shot blasting and sand blasting?

While many might consider them synonymous, sand and shot blasting are quite different. Shot blasting requires the use of larger ‘shot’ or angular grit that can be made from metals. This is often applied to more durable and demanding items. Sand blasting uses finer materials such as garnet and walnut shell and is therefore suitable for delicate materials. It can give a more subtle, but hard-wearing blast painting finish. Shot blasting is usually carried out using a large automatic wheel machine, although manual air blasting can also be used. Sand blasting is sometimes used as a description of manual air blasting with any blast medium.

What is the difference between powder coating and painting?

Though the two are similar, the difference is in how the materials are applied. Shot blasting should be completed first with either a wheel blast or air blast machine and then the powder coating is applied dry and sprayed on the surface of your item. This builds-up layers which then serve as a protective coating. Paint is applied wet and also built up, allowing you to get a thick even coat that’s great to look at. Powders are often applied to materials that would not suit conventional paint, such as bicycle frames and automotive parts and vice-versa for conventional wet paint. This can make shot blasting and painting a winning combination.

Why should you seek advice and help from Ervin?

Don’t struggle to find the right product or professional guidance. Instead, get in touch with the experienced team at Ervin. With many years’ of varied professional experience, we work with you to provide the solutions you need. Whether it’s choosing from our extensive selection of in-house products or helping you determine which applications and approaches are right for you when it comes to grappling with blast finishing.

You can also use our bespoke solution finder to settle on a tool or grade of shot that is right for your project.

If you have any other questions or queries about our shot blast and painting services, you can contact us directly and a member of our team will help you find exactly what your project requires.