Sandblast Stencil Rubber That Actually Holds Up Under Heavy Blasting Pressure

Any time that you are creating something that has aesthetic value for a customer, you are always going to be judged on the final outcome of your work. Your client doesn’t care about, and doesn’t need to know about, the trials and tribulations you went through to get the work done, and indeed most artistic ventures are paid by the final product instead of by the hour. This means that you have to be efficient with your time and resources to keep your margins and to build your reputation. This is especially true when you’re sandblasting, as it tends to be an unforgiving art form when any mistakes force you to start all over again.

Heavy Pressure Problems

Your sandblasting stencil is the most important tool that you have at your disposal when it comes to ensuring a high quality finish the first time round. However, there are several stencil problems that you can run into when you turn up the pressure on your sandblasting machine when you’re working on tougher stone or need a series of deeper etchings.

Edge Lifting 

The most common problem you’ll see when you’re undertaking a heavy pressure sandblasting project is edge lifting. This is where the sides and inner details of your stencil lift up and away from your target surface. You’ll quickly lose the crisp clear lines, and if you don’t fix the problem straight away, you can even lose the entire stencil in a matter of seconds. Of course, part of the equation here is getting the adhesive levels right, but you also need to make sure your sandblasting stencil rubber is up to professional grade.

Rubber Degradation

Once you’ve finished with the sandblasting part of the project, and you’re happy that your adhesive has held the stencil in the right place throughout the process, it’s then time to remove the stencil. This should, in theory, be the easiest part of the process, but it can lead to many adhesive related issues. If you’ve applied too much adhesive, you can end up with leftover residue that you have to clean up to avoid an oily finish. On the other hand, you might have applied the right amount of adhesive but used the wrong type for the type of substrate. This means that part of your stencil stays stuck to your design. To overcome this, remove your stencil quickly after usage to avoid unnecessary drying out, and use an approved adhesive remover to take care of any marks or residue before you apply your finishing touches. 

Image Distortion

In a similar vein to the edge lifting problem, you can also find that your stencil shifts around during heavy pressure sandblasting work. This happens especially when you have intricate and flimsy designs in the middle of your stencil when the adhesive might not attach as firmly as you would like. In these cases, you need a stencil that is more rigid when you feed it through your plotting machine to keep the integrity of the design as you weed it out.

Professional Grade Stencils

Here at U-Blast, we know that there are many factors that will dictate the overall success of your heavy pressure sandblasting work, and we have decades of experience that you can lean on to take some of the guesswork out of finding the right sandblasting stencil for your needs and budget.

Strength and Adhesion

When you’re looking for a strong grip to work with rough stone, hardwood or brick, the 721 series will always be our go-to recommendation. It’s designed to be extra thick to stand up to extended periods of heavy sandblasting and the single liner with mylar backing means that the strong adhesive will keep your stencil in place even with more intricate designs. It comes ready for all machine types (friction feed, slot fed or tractor fed machines) and the standard 30” width means it’s ready for even the larger sandblasting projects.

Flexibility and Versatility

If your project calls for a more flexible stencil, then you should be talking with us about the 732 single liner stencil roll. This is a unique combination of aggressive adhesion to keep the stencil in place under heavy pressure, and super flexibility, making it an ideal stencil when you’re working with curved surfaces or your design needs to wrap around corners. It’s compatible with all types of sandblasting media so you have more choice over how to make your engravings.

All Purpose Stencil

If you’re looking to find an all-purpose winner, then our flagship UB1 stencil roll is designed for you. This stencil roll is our go-to recommendation when you’ve got a lot of different clients on your schedule and you need one stencil roll that will do all the heavy-pressure jobs. It’s a thick single liner stencil made from our unique synthetic rubber to make cutting smooth and weeding quick while standing up to heavy blasting pressure.