The most widely used abrasive blasting bead, glass bead cleans away rust and surface residue from any material to leave a smooth, bright finish. It has a round shape to peen soft materials such as plastic and aluminum, though it’s not hard enough to peen steel and stainless steel.

The most common abrasive for heavy duty cleaning and peening jobs. Rounded like glass but harder and denser, this shot blasts away heat-treated scale, heavy forgings, and other stubborn irregularities while leaving a uniformly peened finish. It also lasts for 500 times more cycles than glass, so it’s perfect for abrasive blasting cabinets and other systems that let you reuse your media.

Just as aggressive as steel shot but with better corrosion resistance and durability. Unlike steel, this shot cleans and peens stainless steel, brass, and other nonferrous metals without contaminating them with iron. It also stays effective for twice as many cycles as steel shot. This high-impact shot isn’t recommended for removing paint from aluminum and plastic.

A tougher alternative to steel shot. Cut from cold-drawn solid steel wire for extreme durability, this media stays effective for twice as many cycles as steel shot. The cutting process forms both rounded and sharp sides, so it will peen and etch your surface at the same time. It also creates highly consistent pieces for a uniform finish.

A step up in hardness and durability from glass bead. This round abrasive lightly peens metals that are too hard for glass bead, such as steel and stainless steel. It's also a good middle-ground, cost-wise, between glass and ceramic bead—it’s more expensive than glass bead because it stays effective for 200 times more cycles, but it’s not as expensive as long-lasting ceramic.

The hardest, longest-lasting bead abrasive we offer. This round abrasive stays effective for 500 times more cycles than glass bead while delivering the same smooth finish. Since it’s harder than glass and bauxite bead, it easily peens steel, stainless steel, and other hard metals. It’s also virtually dust-free, so you'll find it used in medical, aerospace, and other dust-sensitive environments.