Craig Balzer
Well-known member
(AKA: Vapor Honing, Wet Blasting or Liquid Honing)
It essentially suspends the blast media in water making a slurry. It cleans, removes paint, etc just like a regular blast media in air – just gotta change to a different media depending on your work -- just like with air. The resulting finish, especially on aluminum, is a near-new, satin-like finish – which I like *very* much.
Colorado Springs doesn’t have a place I could take parts to be Vapor Blasted – the two I found in town deal in large commercial projects: cleaning off graffiti from buildings/bridges/etc., cleaning industrial equipment, etc. I haven’t engaged either to see if they’d be willing to support a small walk-in customer with a trunk full of aluminum engine parts.
The problem with doing it myself is the cost. I checked with Vapor Honing Technologies out of Hickory NC. Their "Weekend Warrior" (*) (a hobbyist cabinet) needs between 15-20 CFM of air at 60-100 PSI and is an open loop (needs a water fed – as opposed to a closed loop which doesn't). The interior dimensions of the blast area is 33”W by 30”D by 28”H. It is pretty dear at $2,864 + $450 shipping to CO. And – some assembly is required.
Another option is to modify a standard blast cabinet. From having watched several Youtube videos the parts needed to convert from air to water blasting varies from $900 to $1,500 depending on the source(s) for the parts. Of course, there are two other considerations – (1) the videos each leave out a few details and my labor needs to be considered (but at $0/hr, it's no big deal), and (2) the cost of this option would include the purchase of the blast cabinet (I see this as a PRO as I can select the size/shape of the cabinet).
I don't yet have an air compressor, so that cost is a wash.
Anyone familiar with this technology?
Pros? Cons?
Other considerations?
(*) http://vaporhoningtechnologies.com/weekend-warrior/
TIA
Craig (1972 Jag XK-E with ALL-Aluminum engine)
It essentially suspends the blast media in water making a slurry. It cleans, removes paint, etc just like a regular blast media in air – just gotta change to a different media depending on your work -- just like with air. The resulting finish, especially on aluminum, is a near-new, satin-like finish – which I like *very* much.
Colorado Springs doesn’t have a place I could take parts to be Vapor Blasted – the two I found in town deal in large commercial projects: cleaning off graffiti from buildings/bridges/etc., cleaning industrial equipment, etc. I haven’t engaged either to see if they’d be willing to support a small walk-in customer with a trunk full of aluminum engine parts.
The problem with doing it myself is the cost. I checked with Vapor Honing Technologies out of Hickory NC. Their "Weekend Warrior" (*) (a hobbyist cabinet) needs between 15-20 CFM of air at 60-100 PSI and is an open loop (needs a water fed – as opposed to a closed loop which doesn't). The interior dimensions of the blast area is 33”W by 30”D by 28”H. It is pretty dear at $2,864 + $450 shipping to CO. And – some assembly is required.
Another option is to modify a standard blast cabinet. From having watched several Youtube videos the parts needed to convert from air to water blasting varies from $900 to $1,500 depending on the source(s) for the parts. Of course, there are two other considerations – (1) the videos each leave out a few details and my labor needs to be considered (but at $0/hr, it's no big deal), and (2) the cost of this option would include the purchase of the blast cabinet (I see this as a PRO as I can select the size/shape of the cabinet).
I don't yet have an air compressor, so that cost is a wash.
Anyone familiar with this technology?
Pros? Cons?
Other considerations?
(*) http://vaporhoningtechnologies.com/weekend-warrior/
TIA
Craig (1972 Jag XK-E with ALL-Aluminum engine)
