Why Your Sand Blast Stencil Keeps Peeling and What to Do About It
It’s every engraver’s nightmare scenario. You’ve cut and weeded the perfect stencil, you’ve stuck it down well enough and you’re about halfway through the design when suddenly disaster strikes. You see the edges of the stencil start to move slightly and before you can switch off the sandblaster, the stencil peels back from the stone and your beautiful project is ruined. This mistake costs hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to replace the stone, as well as costing you a huge amount of time to start the whole process again. Fortunately, it’s avoidable if you know the key reasons why your stencil keeps peeling mid-project, and what steps you can take to stop it from happening.
Top 3 Causes of Peeling Stencils
While there are plenty of unusual reasons why stencils peel away from your surface in the middle of your engraving project, there are often a few main culprits that you might have overlooked in your sandblasting checklist.
Poor Surface Preparation
The first and most obvious cause of stencil peeling is a lack of attention to your surface preparation routine. Each sandblasting project needs a clean and dust free surface to work on, and each stencil needs a key to be able to grip under pressure. To avoid unnecessary edge lifting, double check the target surface area and wipe down with alcohol wipes and a microfibre cloth to remove all invisible dirt and grime. You then need to burnish the stencil by rubbing it against the substrate to remove any air pockets, as these will cause a differential in pressure when you turn the sandblaster on.
Excessive Blasting Pressure
Another cause of stencil lifting during your sandblasting project is a combination of blaster angle and high pressure of the sandblaster. When you’re working with high pressure blasting you need to be sure to use a precise 90 degree angle to keep the stencil in place on the monument stone. Most importantly, ensure that the stencil is 100% sealed down around the edges, to ensure the reactive force of the abrasive media hitting the surface to get under the stencil and lift it up around the edges.
Intricate Design
Finally, you run the risk of stencil lifting when you have an overly intricate design, such as lettering or complex patterns when you don’t go with U-Blast. With poor quality rubber, these beautiful designs can quickly dissolve into an amorphous blob and you’ll find yourself back at the start of the design process. To get around this issue, you just need to invest in a higher quality stencil roll that will stand up to longer periods of blasting without losing the internal structure.
The U-Blast Advantage
It’s clear to see, therefore, that there is much to be gained from having the right type of sandblasting stencil and adhesive to stop your sandblasting stencil from lifting up mid-project. This is where teaming up with U-Blast and our team of sandblasting stencil experts will give you the best tools on the market at the right price for your budget. Each of our high quality stencils comes with the following benefits that will keep your stencil in place to give a professional finish every time:
Upgraded rubber compound – we take our reputation as sellers of high quality rubber stencils seriously, so while others are resting on their laurels, we’re constantly refining our synthetic rubber to make it even better. Our latest innovation brings you the best balance between flexibility and blade protection, both of which gives you fine cutting lines and stronger edges on your stencils.
Anti-Shift Mesh™ technology – in addition to the new rubber compound, we’ve also introduced our unique Anti-Shift™ technology to all of our stencil rolls. This is a fine integrated mesh that helps you keep all intricate designs and details stable in between the cutting table and the target surface. You’ll be amazed at the precision image transfer that comes from using this innovative technology.
Advanced adhesives – finally, our engineers have been hard at work upgrading our adhesive formulas. They have a reduced odor while also giving you a more consistent tack across the entire area of your stencil. No more edge lifting from a lack of proper adhesion at the sides of your stencil! In addition your stencil will still hold tight to whatever surface type you’re working with, but our new adhesives are much easier to clean up and leave behind a minimal amount of residue.