Bead vs Sand blasters?

[Stangonline.com]

I have been looking for a sand blasting cabinet, but found one being sold as a bead-blaster. What is the difference in what I can strip in this thing? Can you use sand in a bead blasting cabinet?

Thanks
Jeff

[TonyL]

should be either or. glass beads and sand are very close. Glass beads can pretty much strip everything except for powdercoat.

[astroracer]

Like Tony said, either or. If you are using beads as a blasting medium it will be a glass beading cabinet. If you run sand, it will be a sand blasting cabinet. It'll work either way.
Mark

[TonyL]

i've also had problems keeping the veiwing glass clean with sand. (not to mention, you can frost the glass with sand permenantly).

I hope you have a big compresser. ours barley keeps up with our cabinet. its like 5 minutes, let the compresser catch up. 5 minutes....

[toxicz28]

Just two things.
Make sure you get a dust collector big enough to keep the inside from looking like there's a sandstorm going on in there.
If you're going to use silica sand (playground sand) make sure you use a good respirator. A dust mask will not do!

[ronin8451]

I work at a Shot Peening company, and the cabinets marketed as "Bead Blasting" cabinets are usually a higher quality than a cheap sand blasting cabinet. You can use either media in it, but glass beads is more versatile.
A hint on keeping the glass in good shape:
Go to a local plastic supply house ( we use Regal Plastics) and get a bit of .010" Lexan and tape it to the inside of the windows with duct tape. This becomes the sacrificial layer to the abrasives and can be changed out occasionally.