Gentle Surface Cleaning
Glass Bead Abrasive Blasting in Melbourne
Glass bead abrasive blasting is a gentler blasting process that cleans contaminants from a surface and leaves a smooth, matte finish rather than cutting a deep profile into it. It suits more delicate substrates such as aluminium and stainless steel, and items where appearance matters as much as cleanliness. Like all our work, it is carried out in house at our Bayswater workshop in Melbourne.
What It Is
Glass Bead Abrasive Blasting
Instead of the angular mineral grit used in garnet blasting, glass bead blasting uses rounded glass beads. They scour rather than gouge, lifting off contaminants and old residues while leaving the underlying surface smooth and evenly matte.
That makes it the sensible choice when an aggressive cut would be too much for the substrate, or when the finish itself is part of the point. It is an eco-friendly method that produces minimal dust and a clean, consistent result.
As with garnet blasting, glass bead work can be blast only or the first stage of a blast and coat job. If you are not sure which process your item needs, send a photo with your enquiry and we will recommend one.
Step By Step
How the process works
- 1
Send us the details
Tell us what the item is, what it is made from and what finish you are after. A photo is genuinely useful here, because the right media depends on both the substrate and the look you want.
- 2
We confirm the process
We come back to you on whether glass bead is the right call or whether garnet would serve the item better, along with a quote covering blasting, any coating, and transport if you want us to arrange it.
- 3
Get the item to Bayswater
All blasting is in house at 46 Malvern Street, Bayswater. Drop off and collect yourself, or ask us to arrange courier and transport to and from your location at additional cost.
- 4
Mask and set up
We agree what must be masked or left untouched — threads, machined faces, bearing surfaces, glass — and set the blast room up with the media matched to the substrate.
- 5
Blast to a matte finish
The item is blasted in our large blast room until contaminants and residues are gone and the surface carries an even, matte finish across the whole item.
- 6
Coat, or hand back
The cleaned item can go straight back to you, or through to our qualified spray painters for a specified coating system while the surface is still clean.
Suitability
What surfaces and materials it suits
Glass bead is the gentler of our two blasting processes. It is well suited to the softer and more finish-sensitive substrates in the list below, while garnet remains the usual choice for heavy rust and mill scale on steel.
| Substrate | Notes |
|---|---|
| Mild steel | The most common substrate we blast. Removes rust, mill scale and old paint and leaves a profile for priming. |
| Structural and fabricated steel | Beams, frames, skids and weldments, blasted ready for a primer or full coating system. |
| Stainless steel | Cleaned and uniformly finished without the iron contamination that comes from unsuitable media. |
| Aluminium | A softer substrate, so media choice matters — handled with the gentler of our two processes. |
| Cast iron | Strips baked-on grime, scale and old coatings from castings, housings and fittings. |
| Alloys | Cleaned and prepared with the media matched to the alloy's hardness and the finish required. |
| Glass | Processed in our blast room where a cleaned or matte surface is wanted. |
| Plastic | Handled with care and a gentle media where the part cannot tolerate an aggressive cut. |
| Timber | Can be blasted to bring out the grain for a visual effect, as well as to strip old finishes. |
| Kevlar | One of the specialist substrates our blast room is equipped to process. |
Applications
What it's typically used for
- Cleaning aluminium and stainless steel without an aggressive cut
- Producing an even matte finish where appearance matters
- Decorative metalwork — gates, panels, balustrades and furniture
- Machined and cast components that need cleaning, not reprofiling
- Removing surface residues and light contamination from alloys
- Glass, plastic and other specialist substrates our blast room handles
Why PBC
Why choose Profile Blasting and Coatings
Two processes, one workshop
Because we run both garnet and glass bead blasting in the same blast room, we can recommend the process the item actually needs instead of the only one available.
Experience since 1980
We have worked in abrasive blasting and protective coatings in Melbourne since 1980, with clients ranging from government and corporate through to homeowners.
Finish-aware handling
On finish-sensitive work, the masking and media matter as much as the blasting. We confirm both with you before the item goes in.
Coating in house
Fully qualified protective coating spray painters are on site, so a cleaned item can move straight to a coating system without leaving the building.
Questions
Glass Bead Abrasive Blasting FAQs
Choose glass bead when the substrate is soft or finish-sensitive, or when you want a smooth matte surface rather than a deep profile — aluminium, stainless steel and decorative metalwork are typical. Choose garnet when you are cutting through heavy rust, mill scale or old coatings on steel and need a profile for a primer to grip.
More questions are answered on our FAQs page.
Related Services
Other services we offer
Garnet Abrasive Blasting
Garnet abrasive blasting is a surface preparation process that strips rust, mill scale, old paint and contaminants from steel and other substrates, leaving a clean, evenly profiled surface for a protective coating to bond to.
Learn more about Garnet Abrasive Blasting
Protective Coatings
Protective coating application is the process of applying a paint or coating system to a prepared surface so it resists corrosion, wear and environmental damage.
Learn more about Protective CoatingsNeed a quote for glass bead abrasive blasting?
Send us the details of your item and any specification you are working to, and we'll come back to you with the next steps.