How to Maximize Efficiency with Sandblasting Stencils

 
Sandblasting in and of itself is an effective and efficient way to engrave designs on a wide range of hard surfaces from glass to stone. You’ll find examples of sandblasting everywhere you look, from that frosted glass storefront to inscriptions on tombs and monuments in your local cemetery. However, sandblasting is a tricky skill to master, and the very nature of the work means that it can be hard to target the abrasive material accurately enough to make sure that you get the perfect project every time. The key to getting those professional grade results is by using sandblasting stencils to keep everything neat and tidy.

What is a Sandblasting Stencil?

When you’re sandblasting, you need some way of covering up the parts of your working surface that you don’t want to engrave with the abrasive material. While it is possible to use a narrow sandblasting tool, the amount of time and precision required to get your design perfect is often not with the money the client is paying you. A sandblast stencil is the easiest way to make sure you get the right design every time you use it. It’s made from some sort of flexible material, usually vinyl or rubber depending on your budget or project, and sits (with the help of adhesive) on the top of your blasting surface. When you switch on the machine, the stencil prevents the abrasive material from going where you don’t want it. Stencils give you crisp, sharp lines and the freedom to create any intricate and delicate design.

How Does a Stencil Improve your Efficiency?

When you’re talking about improving efficiency for your sandblasting project, what you’re really talking about is how to improve your performance in three key areas: time, cost and overall quality. Obviously, you’re trying to save the first two while increasing the latter to make your company both financially viable and attractive to new clients. Here’s how investing in a high quality sandblasting stencil helps you with each area of overall efficiency to make the most of every project:

• Cutting and weeding – When you’re working with rubber stencil, you’ll find that the adhesive needs to be strong enough to keep the integrity of the design, but will also release easily so that the design can be picked out efficiently. The elasticity of the rubber also plays a huge part in this as it has to be stretchy to easily pull out large sections of the design, but not so stretchy that the design will distort. If the rubber is too rigid, it will snap easily, wasting a lot of precious time repicking the design out of a new rubber stencil. Ideally, you’re looking for a stencil that hits that blend of strength and flexibility so you get the right result at the first time of asking.

• Adhesion – The stencil must adhere to the stone such that the design remains stuck onto the substrate while sandblasting. If the glue is not strong, the design will lift off the rock, resulting in repeat work, having to re-adhere it and blast again. On the other hand, you need to be careful of using too much adhesive as the design will get stuck to the substrate, and again you’ll waste precious time in scraping it off which can also damage the final look of the project.
• Clean up – When it comes to using a sandblasting stencil, easy clean up is important. There are a lot of things that will affect clean up such as the effort it takes to remove the stencil from the substrate and whether there is adhesive residue leftover. The faster the clean up, the easier it is to move onto the next project. A high quality sandblasting stencil should be easy to remove from the substrate and should take most of the adhesive with it, meaning you can wipe clean and get the next project done.