Are art and sandblasting mutually exclusive? Not at all. While sandblasting is likely better known for its ability to clean surfaces, power away graffiti, wipe out rust, and so forth, it has its applications in the art world as well. Learn how sandblasting is used in art and sculpture restoration and ways this rough-sounding process can handle more delicate jobs as well.
Sandblasting: The Whys and Wherefores
Despite its name, sandblasting doesn’t always involve sand. Properly speaking, it’s more accurately referred to as abrasive-blasting. Sand is just one of the substances that sandblasters can use. Dry ice, glass beads, walnut shells, garnet minerals, baking soda, and other materials have all been used to treat, clean, strip, and otherwise prepare old and new surfaces. With that in mind, let’s explore some of sandblasting’s applications to art and art restoration.
Art Restoration Applications
Here’s how sandblasting is making a difference in the worlds of art, architecture, and history.
Surface Cleaning
Over time, artworks and sculptures, especially ones that spend their days and nights outdoors, are apt to accumulate layers of dirt, grime, and pollution. Traditional cleaning methods may work, but in some cases fall short. Decades of dust and grime buildup, pollution, and other contamination make art pieces look unsightly. Sandblasting strips away that buildup, revealing the beauty beneath the grime. Sandblasting is especially effective for improving and cleaning up intricate details and hard-to-reach areas. As rough and chaotic as it sounds, sandblasting offers a controlled and efficient way to remove impurities, making old pieces look new again.
Paint and Rust Removal
Paint is a great way to gussy up any surface, but after many years it peels, chips, flakes, and loses its luster. Decades of paint jobs also obscure details and mar an otherwise lovely piece of art. Older sculptures, friezes, and other painted art can have layers of paint stripped away in little time without harming the piece itself. Sandblasting gets rid of rust as well and prepares a metal surface for a new layer of paint protection to avoid corrosion and decay.
Detail Preservation
Sandblasting doesn’t always require a technician in protective gear working on a large wall or other expansive surface, stripping away hundreds of square feet of paint. Micro-abrasive sandblasting techniques allow restorers to work on smaller, more delicate works of art, leaving finer details and intricate designs intact while removing dirt, rust, or other debris.
Sandblasting is a gamechanger when it comes to art and sculpture restoration. No longer restricted to stripping paint from boats and cleaning up vandalized public spaces, sandblasting may be ready to take a seat at the table with painting, sculpture, and all the other visual arts!
Looking for sandblasting services in the Bay Area for your masterpieces? Call us for a consultation!