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.

A more aggressive alternative to steel shot, steel grit blasts harder and leaves a rougher finish thanks to its sharp, angular edges. It digs below the surface to remove material, which is why it’s commonly used to strip paint, remove rust and scale, and prep surfaces for coatings to bond to. However, you should only use it on steel and iron surfaces because it will leave iron behind that could contaminate other materials.