What is sandblasting?
Abrasive blasting – Sandblasting is the operation of forcibly propelling a stream of abrasive material against a surface under high pressure to smooth a rough surface, roughen a smooth surface, shape a surface, or remove surface contaminants. A pressurized fluid, typically air, or a centrifugal wheel is used to propel the blasting material (often called the media).
This technique has a long history, in fact, the first abrasive blasting process was patented by Benjamin Chew Tilghman on 18 October 1870.
What is sandblasting used for?
Sandblasting can be used as a cleaning method to remove paint, rust, and residue from oxidation. We use this fabrication method to create sandblasted signs using a stencil mask. Read further to learn more about this creative technique.
Sandblasted Signs – Cedar, HDU, Granite!
We are experts at sandblasting dimensional signs for businesses and communities. We’ll start with the material of your choice. We can sandblast cedar or sign foam (high-density urethane). We can even sandblast lettering into stone, such as granite, marble, or concrete. We create your custom logo or layout and use this to create our sandblast mask. Sandblast mask is a thick pliable rubber sheet with strong adhesive on the back. We run the masking through or xy cutter and then apply it to the surface of your sign.
The rubber protects the sign while the negative space is blasted away, leaving a nicely textured recessed background and raised flat letters. Often we’ll finish the letters and trim with 24 karat gold leaf.
Sandblasting Letters into Stone or Concrete
The process is reversed for blasting letters into stone or concrete. The masking covers the negative space and the letters are exposed. This allows for the sandblast to carve the letters into the sign. Often we’ll finish the sandblasted letters with black fill or 23 karat gold leaf.
Sandblasting in Washington, DC
