Tru Grit Abrasive Blasting
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Drop-off Blasting Service...
Sandblasting - Bring it to our workshops
Tru Gru: Giving Old Things a Fresh Start
Tailored Sandblasting Options – At our North Devon workshop (at The Sign Maker), we use a variety of blasting media and techniques to suit different materials, from tough industrial metalwork to more delicate items.
Specialist Equipment – Our setup includes an enclosed indoor blasting cabinet for smaller items (which uses reusable media reducing the overall cost), standard sand blasting and vapour blasting for softer materials.
Save Time and Effort – Dropping items off for blasting can save hours of manual stripping or cleaning, giving you a clean, consistent finish ready for painting or restoration.
CLEANING IT UP
- Firepits
- Bench Ends
- Vintage Tools
- Farm Equipment
- Bike Frames
- Outdoor Furniture
- Gates
- Alloy Wheels
- Car Parts
- Old Beams
Drop-off Blasting Service (Section 2)
Professional Abrasive Cleaning
From small components like bike parts and garden chairs to large items such as bread oven doors and old tractors, we can blast clean almost anything!
We also specialise in giving new oak beams a weathered, aged look and creating a driftwood texture on timber. We select the perfect abrasive medium for your material and desired finish.
Pricing
Outdoor Blasting: £55/hour (plus abrasive at £8.40 per 12.5kg )
Cabinet Blasting (for smaller items): £60/hour (abrasive included)
All prices exclude VAT.
Providing Quotes
Exact quotes are difficult to provide upfront as the time and abrasive needed depend on the item's size, shape, number of paint layers, and desired finish. The examples on this page can give you a rough idea.
To ensure we meet your expectations, please let our blaster know how thorough you'd like the job to be. A quick blast will remove loose rust and paint, while a full clean to bare metal takes much longer. You're also welcome (by appointment) to stay and watch the process!
Examples of Sand Blasting Work Done
We used the indoor blast cabinet to sand blast this exhaust manifold whick took 20 minutes - ie £20 plus VAT
Sand Blasting Garden Chairs
Estimating the time to sandblast a garden chair can be challenging, as it depends on several factors. These include the type and toughness of the paint, the number of layers to remove, the intricacy of the scrollwork, and the metal the chair is made from. Thinner metal work or very decorative chairs can take surprisingly long, as the nozzle must carefully follow all the narrow, curved sections. In contrast, solid objects are much quicker to blast.
From experience most chairs takes between 15 to 30 minutes and uses approximately 12.5kg to 25kg of abrasive. ie £22 to £44 per chair (plus VAT)
That said, we once had a set of chairs that needed 75kg of media per chair, costing £65 each. This was an exception, not the norm.
In general, we've found that aluminium chairs blast back to bare metal much more quickly and easily than cast iron chairs. Cast irons rougher and more porous, giving paint more surface area to grip onto. Aluminium expands and contracts more with temperature changes which can cause the paint to crack and lift easily. Also with aluminium the paint can quickly fail if the surface isn't properly primed, with poor adhesion leading to peeling, flaking, or early wear. We can paint spray or just prime for you.
The fireplace took 45 minutes to blast and used 1 bag of sand. It was left unpainted. Total Cost £58 plus VAT
The large model car took an unusually long time
to sandblast due to its many small, detailed parts.
Blasting time: 200 minutes | Cost: £183 plus VAT
Abrasive used: 5 bags | Media cost: £84 plus VAT
The horse trailer took 178 minutes to blast
using 8 x 25kg bags of abrasive media.
Total Cost £295 plus VAT
The water pump below just took 20 minutes to blast
and used half a bag ie. 12.5kg sand.
Total Cost £26.75 plus VAT
Timescales
Smaller items can usually be blasted quickly in our enclosed cabinet, and just depend on current workload. Larger items are weather dependent, as rain stops work. Please ensure you provide up-to-date contact details so we can keep you informed about progress and collection times.
If you're bringing in cast iron or wrought iron items which are not being primed or painted, it's essential to collect them promptly after blasting. These metals will begin to rust almost immediately once exposed, so quick pickup is advised to preserve the clean finish.
Spray Painting
The Sign Maker's Paintroom is equipped for both priming and painting sandblasted metal items. Whether you need a protective base coat or a smooth, durable topcoat, we offer professional spray finishes in a range of colours. Ideal for restoring or finishing metalwork, our controlled environment ensures a clean, even result every time.