Black Diamond Sand Blasting Sand

[F1 VET]

As stated there's different grades, brands, sizes etc. I'm sure there's some that has shards and some that doesn't. If it doesn't cut you chances are it won't harm ur fish! Test it before putting it in...

Go S. Vettel #1 rb8

 

[Gar88]

I have NO clue what those people are using if they cut their hands on it. I haven't cut my hands on any sand blasting substrate. It's certainly not the regular black diamond stuff that pretty much looks like small activated carbon.

I'm not sure what grade we used since my husband bought it and I threw away the bag. I'll ask him where he got it and go look later.

When you look for it could you plz check if it is slag? Thx


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[FLESHY]

Exactly - but it needs to be documented exactly what people are using successfully before we send other people out to attempt a replicate.

 

[joshlandis24]

I used it for a while it does have some long sharp pieces but i dint think it could cut or hurt fish i had a teacup ray in the tank for a few weeks an it even did fine.

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[ShadowBass]

As stated there's different grades, brands, sizes etc. I'm sure there's some that has shards and some that doesn't. If it doesn't cut you chances are it won't harm ur fish! Test it before putting it in...

Go S. Vettel #1 rb8

I agree. It's pretty easy to see and feel before adding it. The stuff I have felt just like regular small grade aquarium substrate. It had some cylinder shaped pieces, but they weren't sharp.

I found this from http://www.blasting-media.com: (my comments are in red)

Black Beauty Abrasives

Black beauty abrasives also known as coal slag, black diamond, black blast and boiler slag is an inexpensive media. It is one of the safer forms of abrasive media, containing less than 1% or no silica. Black beauty media also produces little dust, however, may release hazardous air pollutants (HAP) into the surrounding air (I assume they mean from the surface you're blasting).

Black Beauty abrasives are made from crushed liquid coal slag from utility boilers. The abrasive contains iron (Fe), Aluminum (Al), Magnesium (Mg) and Calcium (Ca) (None of which should be harmful unless you have extremely acidic (5pH or lower) unbuffered water, at least in the case of Aluminium). The media comes in sharp angular grains ranging in many sizes including coarse, medium, fine and extra fine grained. The coarser grains can be used to remove heavy rust and provide a high degree of profile, good for coating attachment and bonding. The finer grains can be used for cleaning surfaces and for smoothing surfaces. The media is used on many applications including steel, buildings, railroads and bridges. Coal slag is a fast-cutting media with a hardness of 6-7 on the Moh’s hardness scale. The media is non-recyclable.

The finer grains definitely shouldn't be sharp enough to cut, because IME with sand blasting when you're doing finishing you want a smooth surface, and the large extremely sharp grains can leave marks and flaws in the surface - the large coarse grades are just for getting the surface cleared off. The smaller finer grades are for finishing work where you want a smoother more uniform surface for painting and such.

Also - description of grades:

a) Medium Grade: A medium grade used for general purpose repair and maintenance blasting; removal of paint and rust; structured steel, mill scale, general purpose and aggregate exposure.

b) Fine Grade: A fine grade used for new construction, light paint and rust removal, and for special maintenance applications requiring reduced profiles (bridge maintenance, light mill scale, paint, rust, and new structural steel).

c) Extra Fine Grade: An extra fine grade used to clean surfaces and create a smooth finish, Brush-Off Blast, or in a high- pressure water blast system

d) Elite Grade: If your project requires a specialized blasting abrasive, we can help. Using our proprietary processes and superior blending capabilities, we can fine-tune your blasting abrasive to Elite Gradations

e) Military Specification Grade:
MIL-A-22262B(SH)
1) Black Beauty abrasive meets this military specification, which requires non-metallic abrasive materials used in the blast cleaning of metal surfaces and glass reinforced plastic surfaces. This includes ships’ hulls and tanks, for removing rust, scale, old paint and marine growth and to provide surfaces that are clean and suitable for painting.
2) The fine and extra fine grades of Black Beauty abrasive are military QPL approved to specification MIL-A-22262B(SH).

The people that actually had shards of glass in their media, either weren't used Black Diamond, or at least not the regular coal slag stuff, because it's not supposed to have glass in it. There are other medias that are specifically made with crushed glass, and Black Diamond isn't one of them. If you get a bag that contains glass something is wrong, either I'd assume due to a manufacturing error, or your vendor refilled the bag with leftovers. Glass can be reused, and I wouldn't put it past a shady vendor to refill empty or partially empty bags with used media...
Make sure to buy bags that haven't been ripped or opened, or appear to have been resealed.

 

[ShadowBass]

When you look for it could you plz check if it is slag? Thx


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Black Diamond, by definition is supposed to be coal slag as far as I know.

 

[Jbh2383]

I used 20/40 Black Diamond ( bought it at tractor supply for $8 for 50 lbs ) it is pretty fine substrate. When I was washing it I was sifting thru it with my hands and no cuts or scraps. The only problem I had was getting it out of my fingernails. So idk what those other guys were using but I'm pretty sure it wasn't the same stuff.


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[Gill Blue]

The media comes in sharp angular grains ranging in many sizes including coarse, medium, fine and extra fine grained

so... it's not sharp, but the description itself says it's sharp?

 

[AQUAMONSTER]

My work has the stuff and I can probly get a 5 gallon bucket of it. Ill have to ask tomar

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[ShadowBass]

so... it's not sharp, but the description itself says it's sharp?

Yeah don't ask me what exactly they mean by that. I think they mean sharp as in angular, not sharp as in your hands are going to be bleeding afterward. :\
I know people that do body work and painting; I've encountered a lot of Black Diamond media. I've never seen any with sharp glass shard-like pieces.