The Best Sandblast Stencil for Rough Stone? Here are the Top Options
Product: UB2
Sometimes the engraving gods smile and your new client wants a beautiful design on a smooth, flat piece of marble or glass. These jobs are generally more forgiving, with most sandblasting stencils applying cleanly and performing well. But other times a customer brings you a rough stone piece, and you know you’ll need to choose a sandblast stencil specifically designed to handle rough surfaces.
Why Rough Stone Causes Problems for Stencils
For many people, the aesthetic contrast between rough stone pieces that look like they’ve come straight from a mountain and the crisp and clear designs from a high quality sandblasting project makes for a beautiful piece of art or monument. However, rough stone can be problematic for sandblasting stencils for a number of reasons.
Most obviously, the uneven surface can make it hard to get a solid adhesion. If there are any areas of the stencil that aren’t stuck down well, especially around the edges, you run the risk of the stencil lifting during the sandblasting process. This can happen more frequently with the longer sandblasting times required when working with rough stone types.
Another issue when engraving rough stone projects is image distortion. This happens when the sandblasting stencil is stuck down too firmly on the target surface, causing the image to shift to adapt to the uneven stone. This might not be a huge issue for bigger and more simple designs, but for a high quality finish with a well picked design, you have to have the right stencil roll that will adapt to the rough stone.
Best Sandblasting Stencils for Rough Stone
Here at U-Blast, we have many years of helping our customers find the right stencil roll for the job. There’s very little that we haven’t seen and been able to find a solution for, so even if your new project feels impossible, a quick call to our sandblasting stencil experts will have you feeling confident with the right stencil roll in hand. When it comes to engraving rough stone, here are some of our best stencil roll options:
721 series – out of all of our sandblasting stencil roll options that are suitable for working on rough stone, the 721 series should be top of your list every time. It’s an aggressive single liner stencil that is designed for working with all types of stone surfaces. The 721 stencil roll comes with an industry leading level of adhesion (make sure you test it on a sample surface before using it to make sure you understand just how strong the tack is!) and is the thickest stencil roll we offer. You can be sure of a clear design and a high level of adhesion without need for filler which means that the stencil will come off easily once you’ve completed your rough stone project.
732 series – if you’re looking for something a little less aggressive but that will stick fast to uneven stone surfaces, then our 732 series is your best bet. It’s designed to be super flexible for curved surfaces, stretching just the right amount to adapt to the shape of your stone piece while maintaining the integrity of your design. The medium thickness gives you the widest variety of sandblasting media options while also giving you the strength to stand up to multiple rounds of heavy shot.
UB2 series – finally, if you’re not sure if the surface you’re working with counts as truly “rough”, then our UB2 series stencil roll is for you. It’s our flagship double liner stencil, and it’s one that we’ve adapted over the years based on customer feedback. We’ve created a new adhesive formula that eliminates stencil shift so you can be sure of a firm grip on every project. The rubber outer layer provides a thick level of protection against the strong PSI necessary for engraving rough stone, while the film and liner layers help to provide a sturdy base ensuring that centers remain firmly in place during the whole sandblasting process.
Get Professional Advice
If you’re not sure which of our high quality sandblasting stencil liners will be the best for your project, the easiest option is to call us. Our team of sandblasting experts have decades of experience in the field and will talk through your current and future projects, find out about your budget and expectations, and match you with the top option to give you a professional finish every time.