KBS Coatings Is Proudly Made In The USA!
Call: (219) 263-0073
Text: (219) 531-7797
SHIPPING: Under $75, as low as $5 | Over $75, FREE*!
KBS Coatings Accepts Credit Cards, PayPal and Venmo

Do I Need to Use RustBlast If My Surface Was Just Freshly Sandblasted?

It depends on what you blasted with. Freshly sandblasted metal, blasted with fresh sand and handled only with clean gloved hands, is the ideal surface for RustSeal and needs no preparation beyond blowing off the loose dust. Plastic media, bead, and soda blasting are a different story: they do not leave enough profile for RustSeal to bite into, so those surfaces still need RustBlast.

Can You Skip Ahead? Quick Facts

Fresh sand, gloved hands: go straight to RustSeal
Plastic, bead or soda blasted: RustBlast still required
Media type is the deciding factor, not just cleanliness. Plastic media, bead, and soda-blasted surfaces do not provide adequate abrasion for a direct RustSeal application. Those surfaces require RustBlast for further etching even though they look clean.

When You Can Go Straight to RustSeal

Skip KBS Klean and RustBlast only when all of the following are true:

  • The metal was blasted with fresh sand, not recycled media.
  • It has been handled only with clean, gloved hands.
  • Loose dust has been blown off.
  • It has not sat around since blasting.

Always wear gloves when handling sandblasted items. A single bare-handed touch transfers skin oils, and slight residues of grease, oil, or fingerprints can ruin an otherwise good paint job.

When to Do the Full 3 Step System Anyway

If the metal has been touched with bare hands, or has sat for more than a few hours in a humid or dirty environment, run the complete KBS 3 Step System: KBS Klean, then RustBlast, then RustSeal. The blasting profile is still there, but the surface contamination that has landed on it since is what costs you adhesion.

Frequently Asked Questions: Blasted Surfaces

Do I need to use RustBlast if my surface was just freshly sandblasted?

If the surface was blasted with fresh sand, handled only with clean gloved hands, and has had the loose dust blown off, you can typically skip the KBS Klean and RustBlast steps and go straight to RustSeal. Newly sandblasted metal is the ideal surface for a direct RustSeal application.

Yes, and this is the most commonly missed part of the answer. Plastic media, bead, and soda-blasted surfaces do not provide adequate abrasion for a direct RustSeal application and require the RustBlast step for further etching. Only fresh sand blasting leaves the porous profile RustSeal needs to bite into directly.

Run the full 3 step system. Bare hands transfer skin oils to the surface, and slight residues of grease, oil, or fingerprints can ruin a good paint job. Clean with KBS Klean, treat with RustBlast, then apply RustSeal.

Coat it as soon as you can. If the blasted metal has sat for more than a few hours in a humid or dirty environment, we strongly recommend the full 3 step process to ensure maximum coating adhesion. Bare blasted steel starts picking up moisture and airborne contamination immediately.

No. It is not necessary to remove every trace of rust before applying RustSeal. RustSeal bonds to and permanently seals remaining flash rust or corrosion, which is the point of a rust encapsulating coating. What matters is that the surface is clean, dry, and has a good porous profile.

Not sure whether your blasted surface is ready? Check the full RustSeal directions or contact us.

Logo