Because sandblasting is cooler than stickers and paint any day.
Benefits of Sandblasting:
- Remove old screen-printed labels
- Blast the whole mug, or mask it off to blast a pattern
- Dishwasher safe
- Cool colors based on the glazing
- Sandblasting is fun
I like how the dark gray becomes a medium matte gray. Dark blue becomes a medium matte blue.
Tools & Supplies
The sand blaster is cheaper than most people think!
Hardware:
- Sandblaster
- Air compressor w/ good air flow — if you’ll be doing a lot, get one with a bigger tank
Safety / PPE:
Sandblasting Media — Get the fine stuff!
Your local monument (headstone) company likely sells bags of sandblasting media. They’ll give you normal unless you specify fine. Keep everything in a bucket.
Blast Away!
Aim/Technique
- Aim so that the sand ricochets off the mug away from you
- Aim to avoid blasting inside the mug
- Don’t stay in one spot too long — you only need to give it some light texture
Siphon/Sand
- Keep the siphon on top of the sand. If it stops sucking, kick the bucket.
- Don’t let the sand get wet
- Cover the bucket to keep critters and leaves out
Safety
- Shoo away bystanders
- Wear both the mask & eyeglasses with good coverage
- Use a good respirator
- Don’t blast through the glazing
Draw!
Personally, I’ve had my fun by now. But friends like to write & doodle on coffee mugs.
Condition The Mug?
Nope.
Chalkboard stickers and paint instruct you to condition the surface for maximum erasability. But the mugs will go through the dishwasher which removes the conditioning. Leave it up to your friends to decide.
Blast More Stuff
Cookie jars? Flour & sugar canisters? Old salsa jars?
Bonus: Blast Glass
I like to blast glass jars to turn them into candle diffusers.
