The History of Sandblasting

Invention

• A form of sandblasting can be found in nature. Heavy winds pick up loose sand or dirt particles and throw them against a hard surface. Over time this causes the surface to become smooth or to erode. In 1870 an inventor by the name of Benjamin Chew Tilghman created the first sand blasting machine to replicate the wind. He took out a patent on his machine and noted that it could be used to cut rock or to grind away glass and stone.

Changes

• In 1872 Tilghman took out another patent on an improved sand blasting machine that could be used to polish, smooth, remove paint or clean a hard surface as well as other uses.

  In early 1854 the sand blaster has some use as a business and community machine that was used to quickly sand or strip paint from old buildings. However, due to the fact that it used steam to move the sand, the parts quickly rusted and broke down.

  In 1855 the air compressor was invented and was applied to the sand blaster. This allowed for a much more practical application of sand; however the volume of sand was limited to the amount of air pressure.

  In 1899 an inventor by the name of Gutmann invented and patented a mixing chamber that pressurized both air and sand in the same chamber, which allowed for increased speed and velocity. The technique is still used today.

  Over the next 30 years, other inventions such as the blast wheel -- which allows the rotation of the blast to be changed -- were created, along with a safer version of the steam blast: water, which allowed the sand to be blasted into a very fine and efficient stream.

In Art

• Sandblasting in art has been used almost since the sand blaster was invented. The process is usually used on glass or soft stone such as limestone. The artist is required to draw or paint a design onto the glass and to tape or use a protective material on the area around the design. The area is then sandblasted so that the design is embedded into the glass.

Commercial Use

• Sandblasting is commonly used to speedily remove paint from a building, to remove rust from objects such as ships, or to smooth surfaces so they can be painted. It can also be used for cleaning castings for foundries or preparing metal so that it can be painted or galvanized.