Topic: Vapor Blasting Services Offered

[Countrysquire]

UPDATE - Finally have the machine up and running, I've been working on a seemingly endless garage expansion project, but it is nearing completion and I can finally get back to working on cars.  I've only done a few test pieces so far, but I wanted to post the results here which I'm very happy with.  The first piece is the distributor body from my son's '66 GT convertible.  The iPhone photos aren't the best, but I tried to capture how the details, including casting flashing, were preserved.  The natural color variations in the aluminum are there and it feels like a new piece when you pick it up.  Also pictured is a used Blue Thunder FE intake that was showing some age and it came out nice as well.

Let me know if you would like to get a test piece done, either something good or damaged.  I would like to test a die cast Boss 302 or 428CJ valve cover if someone wants to send me a damaged one.

Thanks,
Bobby

[J_Speegle]

Thanks for sharing. Wish I had the time - maybe at some point - as I would like to take a bell housing cut it into 4-6" slices and try different processes for each section to produce something that can show the differences.  But must say that the experiments so far show allot of positive outcomes and a big improvement over the "older" techniques. Thanks to all that have made and shared their efforts.

[CharlesTurner]

Did you build your own setup?  Saw some online DIY that looked a bit involved and mentioned that the cheapest unit to buy outright was around $4k.

[jwc66k]

- as I would like to take a bell housing cut it into 4-6" slices and try different processes for each section to produce something that can show the differences. 

Would alternator housings suffice? There should be a lot available.
Jim

[Countrysquire]

Charles, I bought the machine from Vapor Honing Technologies up in your neck of the woods. I encourage you or Jeff to send some pieces to me and I will blast them and return them to get your opinion. Photos are great, but nothing like holding the item in your hand. While NOS parts are the best we have to compare to, I have to think 30-50 years of oxidation has to dull parts a bit, even when sitting in those FoMoCo or Autolite boxes that we all love to see. When I compare a freshly blasted aluminum part such as the alternator housing to the same part on my 2018 F150 or my son’s 2019 Mustang GT, they are essentially the same. It’s what you expect to see when you raise the hood on a new car. I’m really impressed with the results of a bellhousing that I did today. It’s ‘ugly’ with a great deal of color variation, exactly what I’d hope to see.  I have a rough pair of original CJ valve covers on the way and I can’t wait to see the results on them.

The greatest compliment that I can give to the process is that parts don’t look restored, they look new.

Bobby

[bullitt68]

I am very happy with our new vapour blaster. I am doing every part that I can fit inside the machine. Here are a few before and after pics

[Countrysquire]

Works on brass too...

[Countrysquire]

Really pleased with the outcome of member Morsel’s hipo servo cover.

[67gtasanjose]

How would you go about vapor blasting a small transmission case, say a C4 Case, bellhousing and tail shaft case? Do you have a way to prevent media from getting embedded in the internal areas?

[Countrysquire]

How would you go about vapor blasting a small transmission case, say a C4 Case, bellhousing and tail shaft case? Do you have a way to prevent media from getting embedded in the internal areas?

Richard,

The great thing about this method is that it does not open the pores and embed the media, BUT, because of all the water, the glass beads seem to get into more places than in a dry blast cabinet.  After blasting, I rinse the parts with a sprayer in the cabinet, then move them to a tub where they are submerged several times, which seems to remove all remnants of the media.  That said, on something like a transmission where any contamination would be disaster, I like to seal up the item as much as possible.  Thinking about a C4, I think it would be best to blast it with the tail shaft housing, servo cover, and pan in place as well as a piece of gasket material to seal the front pump opening.  All the holes would be plugged.  I would still expect something to sneak in there, so several thorough post-blast flushings would be a good idea.

Thanks.

[Countrysquire]

428CJ die cast valve cover straight out of the cabinet.

[Countrysquire]

Her's a little before and after of steel parts.  The first pictures are of a hinge (?) bracket and an original non-tach Boss 302 oil pressure sending unit.  The bracket was in excellent shape to start with and the blue dichromate is still present.  The sending unit was fortunate enough to have been preserved in FoMoCo oil and grease for the last 50 years.  Being careful, most of the original gold dichromate was preserved, though it doesn't have quite the 'sparkle' of what it looked like when new, but look at the copper solder that was used on the bracket.

[Countrysquire]

A few new photos of some 1970 items that Dashmore sent to me to do that were not aluminum.

[KevinK]

So, this would seem to be an excellent way to clean aluminum parts. Any suggestions to preserve to parts after cleaning?

Flat clear?

[67gtasanjose]

So, this would seem to be an excellent way to clean aluminum parts. Any suggestions to preserve to parts after cleaning?

Flat clear?

CRC 3-36 has been unmentioned.