Services
Abrasive Blasting Contractor in Michigan
The right media, the right profile, the right prep — every time.
Services
The right media, the right profile, the right prep — every time.
Abrasive blasting propels abrasive media at high velocity against a surface to remove rust, mill scale, old coatings, and contaminants — and to create an anchor profile that allows industrial coatings to bond. Without a proper surface profile, even the best coating system will fail prematurely.
Most industrial coating specs — whether from the coating manufacturer, an engineering firm, or a government standard — require abrasive blasting to a specific SSPC cleanliness level before primer is applied. Abrasive blasting is the only method that both cleans and profiles the surface in a single operation.
Blasting Jack uses premium silica-free abrasives on every job. Coal slag is cheap and creates real problems — silica exposure risk, inconsistent profiles, and surface contamination. We don't use it.
Not abrasive blasting — for reference
Removes 2/3 of rust and contaminants — basic industrial requirement
≥95% clean — required by most high-performance coatings
100% clean — required for immersion service, tanks, severe environments
High-performance steel prep, precise anchor profiles, clean finish
Heavy-duty rust and scale removal on thick steel, high production rates
Peening and light cleaning on steel where a smoother profile is needed
Lighter surfaces, vapor blasting slurry, masonry, and restoration work
Media selection is matched to the surface type, cleanliness spec, and required anchor profile. We confirm the spec before any blasting begins.
Surface profile (measured in mils or microns — Ra/Rz) is the roughness created by abrasive blasting. Coatings require a minimum profile to achieve specified adhesion strength. Too little profile and the coating won't bond. Too much and the peaks can telegraph through thin coats.
Every coating system specifies a required profile range. We select media and blast parameters to hit that range consistently.
Abrasive blasting generates spent media and removed material that must be managed. Blasting Jack plans containment for every project — tarps, vacuum recovery, and shrouded blast heads for dust-sensitive environments.
If the surface being blasted contains old paint with lead or other regulated materials, containment and disposal requirements are addressed during project planning.
Sandblasting is an older term for abrasive blasting using sand as the media. Modern abrasive blasting uses silica-free media (garnet, steel grit, glass bead, etc.) to avoid silica dust exposure. The terms are used interchangeably in the industry, but the media used today is almost never actual sand.
The coating manufacturer's product data sheet specifies the minimum surface prep required for the product to perform as warranted. Engineering specs and government contracts typically specify the standard. Blasting Jack can help you interpret the requirements — just send us the spec or the product data sheet.
When done correctly with the right media and blast parameters, abrasive blasting removes surface material (rust, scale, coatings) without damaging the base steel. Excessive blast pressure or the wrong media can cause over-blasting on thin gauge materials. We adjust parameters to the surface.
Very thin metals, certain plastics, live electrical components, and surfaces where dust or abrasive contamination would cause downstream problems are generally not suited to traditional abrasive blasting. For those, dry ice blasting or vapor blasting may be the better option.
Yes, we can provide Testex tape profile readings as part of project documentation when required by the project spec or at client request.