Bead blast finish stainless steel

Bead blasting is a mechanical, not an abrasive-belt, process. The sheet or part is placed in a cabinet and fine media is propelled at it by compressed air; each impact leaves a tiny rounded dent, and the overlapping dents make a surface that looks and feels like fine frosted glass. Because the media arrives from every direction there is no grain, so light is scattered evenly and the metal reads as a soft, even grey. The page notes that the texture changes with the media used, which is why a bead-blast specification needs an approved sample rather than a name.

At arm's length the sheet is matte and quiet, with none of the brightness band of a brushed panel; close up the pits are visible as a fine, regular speckle. Reflectivity is the lowest of the group's mechanical finishes, which is the reason to choose it: it hides small scratches and fingerprints, does not glare in sunlight, and sets off a polished element beside it. The page describes the same route on components and fabricated parts such as castings, where it also cleans and unifies the surface after welding.

The compatibility list gives bead blast for stainless steel and aluminium and puts it under PVD colour, anti-fingerprint coating, etching, Electro IH, embossing, mirror and matte. The PVD colour is a thin, hard ceramic layer that follows the pitted texture and keeps its matte character. The page names no grades. Neither ASTM A480 nor EN 10088-2 numbers this finish.

Wash with warm water and a mild detergent on a soft cloth or sponge, rinse well and dry; there is no grain, so wipe in any direction. The pitted texture holds dirt and salt more than a smooth finish, so rinse thoroughly and, outdoors near the coast, on a schedule. Never use scouring pads, powders, steel wool or chloride cleaners such as bleach, which pit the steel further. On PVD-coloured bead blast avoid abrasive metal polishes, which wear through the thin colour layer. A polished spot cannot be blended back into a bead-blast surface without re-blasting.