Whats the best media for light rust/paint removal, From steel Options

[nomore9one4]

Whats the best media to use for light rust/paint removal from steel? Examples...hood brackets , door hinges, suspension parts.. I am looking to get a media cabinet and have lots of parts to clean. Thanks (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[pcar916]

I like glass. It's sold in various grits and gives up a lot of it's energy as it breaks up on the piece, so if you take care, it'll leave a much smoother finish. But there are pieces that have so much two-part paint on them that it takes more of the media to get them down to clean metal.

Makes for less surface prep for primer/paint but it is more expensive than sand. If you want to reuse it, there are Norton Carborundum products as well, but cleaning them between shoots is a pain. Of course they're even more expensive and the grit is super-sharp, so the surface is even rougher than sand.

Pick your poison, you'll probably use more than one type especially if you do any soft metals. Then a softer medium is required or stick to chemicals.