How to Get Clean, Crisp Lines with the Right Stencil for Sandblasting
In the world of sandblasting, the quality of the final product is all that matters. From a professional standpoint, you can take pride in your efficiency, your customer service and your craftsmanship, but at the end of the day, your client is only worried with how well you were able to turn their engraving vision into a clean and crisp reality. While a steady hand and the right sandblasting media plays a role in this, the biggest factor that turns a good engraving project into a great one is having the right stencil for sandblasting, and here at U-Blast, we have decades of experience matching our clients with the right stencil for their project.
Picking the Right Stencil
The more sandblasting projects you do, the more you realise that not all sandblasting stencils are created equally, and that each project requires you to examine both the substrate material and the intricacy of the design so that you can then pick out the right sandblasting stencil for your needs. To help with this process, U-Blast provides a quick and easy reference guide for all of our rubber stencils, grading them on the three important qualities of a sandblasting stencil: adhesion, flexibility and thickness.
Adhesion
Getting the level of adhesive right is a key factor in getting clean and crisp lines from your sandblasting project, no matter the substrate material. You need to have the confidence in your adhesive that it will stick the stencil in place, and that it will be easy to clean up after you’ve finished sandblasting. However, the surface that you’re sandblasting onto does play a large role in the U-Blast stencil roll that you choose as each type of stone, glass or metal will require a different level of adhesive. For example, if you’re working with a rough surface such as unfinished stone or hardwood, you’re going to need our 721 series which is designed to grip even the most uneven substrates, while if you have smooth and curved surface, then you’ll use the 720 series as it’s easy to remove with minimum adhesive residue. To be honest, when it comes to easy clean up, you can rely on the whole U-Blast range.
Flexibility
The amount of flexibility you need from your sandblasting stencil roll again will depend on a variety of factors. The biggest impact comes from the intricacy of your design, with more complex designs requiring a lesser degree of flexibility. You’ll also find you need more flexibility when you’re dealing with curved or wavy surfaces and for when you’re dealing with smaller sandblasting projects that require high levels of precision, such as in the aerospace industry. Fortunately, U-Blast has you covered no matter where on the flexibility scale your project lands. For those needing our highest level of flexibility, the 732 stencil liner is designed with you in mind, and comes with a high tack rating to keep even the most intricate designs in place. If you’re working on a rough surface that needs a more rigid approach, then a roll of the 723 series will give you the perfect balance of flexibility and strength.
Thickness
Finally, you need to think about the thickness of the stencil roll you’re using. Increased thickness usually corresponds with a decrease in flexibility and a higher adhesive requirement, but also protects your surfaces during extended periods of sandblasting, which is useful when you’re working with tough stone surfaces. You can also get a good balance of thickness with a double liner stencil, and U-Blast has the best in class 719 series that gives you our strongest thickness rating. This double liner stencil is known for its clear polyester liner on the outside and a yellow film between the rubber and the liner, it ensures centers remain securely in place when transferring designs. For more flexibility with a good thickness rating, you need the 720 stencil roll which is made with U-Blast’s distinctive easy to handle synthetic rubber to make cutting simple and weeding quick.
All Round Winners
If you’re looking for stencil rolls that will last you over the course of a variety of different sandblasting projects, then you need either our UB1 or UB2 stencil rolls. These are our flagship stencil rolls, designed and refined over many years of usage and customer feedback. The UB1 series is designed to work with all surfaces, and gives you our next-generation rubber compound designed for both blast resistance and blade protection. The UB2 series is our classic double liner roll. The newly formulated stable adhesive eliminates stencil shift, maintaining design integrity regardless of temperature. The rubber material is smooth and cuts like butter to extend the lifetime of knives and machine, while remaining strong under high PSI blasting. It’s perfect for double process sandblasting and will work with a wide variety of substrates, giving clean and crisp lines every time.