Junior 11 Posted July 26, 2020 I am looking for feed back on sandblasting yeti drinking mugs and also coffee cups. Is there a certain kind of paint to spray before i sandblast these items. If so what is the name of it and where can i get it. Thanks in advance. Also do you those that do sandblasting do you do more mirrors or drinking glasses On a side note since the covid virus, has your business slowed down since most people are out of work collecting federal and state unemployment. THANKS IN ADVANCE Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
haumana 1,220 Posted July 26, 2020 you wouldn't need to paint the yeti before sandblasting, you would need to mask off everything you don't want be sandblasted. sandblasting can be done on glass as well as mirrors, and you could also use a liquid etching liquid/paste to get a similar effect without needing to actually sandblast. easiest/fastest way for results with any powder coated bottle/mug/flask/etc - laser engraving. you can get a lot more detailed with a laser, and you don't need to mask anything off in advance. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Junior 11 Posted July 26, 2020 Haumana i used to sandblast many many years ago then i bought a laser engraver and after 8 months of dealing with it well it just got on my last nerve and meet a sledge hammer. I just bought another sandblast cabinet after many many years it got lost in the move and i am using the USCUTTER vinyal cutter to make my stencils to sandblast. It works better for me doing it with the sandblaster than the laser engraver. So when i sandblast a yeti mug or a coffee cup i do not need any special kind of paint to spray prior to sandblasting just need to mask every thing else other than what i am going to sand blast such as a text or picture. I might have gotten my self confused with sandblasting a yeti mug as if remember correctly, i needed some kind of special spray paint to laser engrave. With sandblasting i just need to mask off areas that dont need to be blasted Thank you Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted July 26, 2020 they make several colors of rub n buff you can use on most things sandblasted - have done it on glassware 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
haumana 1,220 Posted July 27, 2020 Hmm. I was thinking you were wanting to sandblast Yeti's that had a colored powder coating. If that is the case, then you can use the cutter to create a mask so that only the cut out design is etched away. Bare stainless is a different beast for lasers. How very unfortunate that your laser engraver met it's demise via a sledge hammer. I personally own a couple of cutters, a sandblaser, and a laser engraver. I choose to laser engrave whenever possible, but it's so much easier. That being said, it really depends on the type of laser you had. If it was a CO2 laser, then yes, it does require a light coating of some type of ceramic solution (although Dry Moly Lube works well too) that when heated by the laser, will bond to the stainless. But that's really if you're only doing stainless steel. If you're lasering the powder coated stuff, there is minimal prep of the Yeti - you just need to make sure it's clean. Depending on the power and speed, you can either mildly etch the coating, or you can vaporize the coating off all together. If you have a Fiber Laser, then it can etch directly to a clean stainless surface, without the need of any kind of spray. As far as glass goes, it would be a similar prep that you would do if you were to sandblast. You'd still need to have some sort of mask/stencil. Do you have a picture that was you're trying to accomplish? 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Junior 11 Posted July 27, 2020 Haumana Yes i am looking at colored ( powder coated ) Yetis. Also might want to try just plain stainless steel Yetis also. If i do just plain stainless steal i might paint the sandblasted area what i sandblasted then spray a clear coat on the area i painted. Or no dont spray a clear coat on it.. YES SPRAY CLEAR COAT OR NO And yes the USCUTTER vinyl cutter is what i am using to cut out my stencils to use to sandblast things on Yeti tumblers and mirrors and drinking glasses. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
haumana 1,220 Posted July 27, 2020 Here's a gentleman that sandblasted a Yeti item: 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wildgoose 4,200 Posted July 27, 2020 I blast a few mugs each year. I just blast them and leave the frosted look. It shows up fine on plain steel/aluminum as well but really looks good on the powder coated ones. You can go with a course grit if the effect is not aggressive enough. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
haumana 1,220 Posted July 27, 2020 I actually like the frosted look on the powder coated stuff, but for some customers, they are far happier with taking the powder coat down to the stainless. It's easier for me to take it down to the stainless, than it is to finding the laser settings to get a good frosted look. Different manufacturers, different colors = different settings 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Junior 11 Posted July 27, 2020 Thanks Haumana and thanks Wildgoose I like both powder coated and regular stainless steel look I found a video here as i think both looks sandblasted stainless steel yetis and also powder coated ones i think both look awesome thanks for all the help Here is the video thanks once again to all https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo0tHoZSk4o&feature=emb_rel_end 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
darcshadow 1,626 Posted July 27, 2020 The other rabbit hole to fall into with all this is powdercoating the cups yourself. I started blasting cups and then was given a cheap powder coat gun. Now I just powder coat the design directly and don't have to worry about the blaster. Occasionally I'll get request for a design that is too detailed so I'll powder coat the entire cup then go the the local library and use their laser to put the design on. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Junior 11 Posted July 27, 2020 OK OK Darcshadow. Now you got me to thinking and now it is dangerous now. That is a good idea just to powder coat the mug with the design..... HMMMMMM INTERESTING NOW. Where would get a decent powder coating gun Harbor Freight or where. What about heating it up, what would be able to use safely. I might have to get me a small loan now. Im up for adoption 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
darcshadow 1,626 Posted July 27, 2020 I have the low end Eastwood gun. It's not bad for hobbiest type stuff. It's a good intro gun till you get serious and setup to the high end guns. To bake the stuff I bought a used oven for like $20 and then spend about $80 putting in a 220 line in the garage to plug the oven into. You can also use a large toaster oven, did that for awhile, the problem with the toaster oven is I had to stand it on it's side in order to put a cup in there and when you do that the temp. sensors are not in the right place so controlling the temperature is not very accurate. I have also seen small 110 ovens that can be used for doing cups but that about all that would fit in one, and they were pretty pricey. Used oven and a 220 line in the garage was the cheapest option I found. To start with I used a large cardboard box as my powder cabinet, but that got annoying real quick so I eventually built a cabinet, put a fan in it to pull the powder away from me as I sprayed, added a hook to hang parts from and built some metal stands to hold the cups. All in all it was a pretty fun project. As for the design, I just use standard vinyl, put it on and spray the powder, then throw it in the oven for about 2 minutes, just long enough to get the powder to flow. Pull it out and carefully remove the vinyl then stick it back in and finish the baking process. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites