How to Sand-Blast Wood

Resurfacing Wood

• 1

  Fill the sandblasting pressure pot or tank with sandblasting media. Appropriate media for sandblasting wood include soda, one of the softest mediums and also the safest, walnut shells or corn cob, which are more abrasive, or pumice, the most aggressive media typically used on wood.

• 2

  Install an appropriate-sized ceramic nozzle on the gun or wand, which is an extended handle with a long tube. The nozzle fits on the end of the tube. If you're starting with the softest media, soda, install a 3/32-inch nozzle on the gun or wand. If you're starting with walnut shells or pumice, install a 1/8-inch nozzle on the gun.

• 3

  Don protective clothing that includes an abrasive blast hood and gloves. Cover all bare skin with appropriate clothing. Work only in a well-ventilated area, preferably outside.

• 4

  Turn on the compressor and set the pressure at 35 pounds per square inch. Test the gun on a piece of scrap wood. Hold the gun 8 inches from the surface of the wood. Pull the trigger and wave the gun back and forth over the surface of the wood, overlapping each pass by no more than about 3/4 inch. Check the results. Look for pits, blown-out chunks, dips or an uneven surface. If you see any, move the gun or wand further from the surface of the wood and test again, moving the gun or wand faster until you get the desired results without defects.

• 5

  Fill the tank with a more abrasive media if the results of the test reveal little effect, and test again. If still not effective, increase the output pressure in 10-psi increments and test again. When the desired result is achieved, start on your project.

• 6

  Wave the gun over the surface of the wood with a continuous, deliberate pattern, never stopping the gun or wand in one spot. Check your progress frequently. If too much material is being removed, work faster. If too little material is being removed, work slower.