Vapour blasting

[Rob Farmer]

After seeing a friends bike that had been vapour blasted I've gone out and got one. It's a serious piece of equipment and gives a great finish.

I'm not a commercial set up but if anybody is restoring a bike and wants vapour blasting done for a fraction of the big boys drop me a line.

I've got to charge, these things eat bits and consumables at an alarming rate.

If you haven't come across vapour blasting before it's basically a water blast cabinet that fires an abrasive slurry at the piece of work using compressed air. The advantages over normal blasting is the water cushions the abrasive preventing it cutting the material. The surface is peened and washed at the same time giving a lovely sheen to the finish that is far more resistant to marking than normal blasting. Being water based means it's a dustless process.

Here's a few examples

31 year old Front hub

Swinging arm

Close up of the swinging arm

Cost wise you would be looking at £15 for the swinging arm. £10 for the hub and around £8 for the gearbox cover.

Bearings need to be removed from parts. painted surfaces need to be stripped first.

I can do crankcases and will wash them out the best I can BUT (A very big BUT) you will have to check and thoroughly wash, blow out the oilways and passages along with everything else inside yourself. I would not take responsibility for any problems with beads in the engine. Heads and barrels no problem though.

Before on the right

 

[Vern]

It's pretty good stuff innit

What size cabinet have you got. I'm just about to get mine set up for bead and soda blasting.

What medium are you using,as I might know a man who could help you out with that

 

[Rob Farmer]

It's one of these

uses beads and water. I tried soda in the water but ended up spraying froth - cleaned it out nicely though but did feck all cleaning.

 

[forest biker]

A mate just had some steps for his vintage show truck done , they used glass beads he said for softer material ?? , come up lovely but cost him a fortune so i'll point him in your direction for the next lot of stuff

 

[Rob Farmer]

A mate just had some steps for his vintage show truck done , they used glass beads he said for softer material ?? , come up lovely but cost him a fortune so i'll point him in your direction for the next lot of stuff

Thanks. But I may struggle to get a truck parts in there. A bike engine is pretty much the biggest I could do so if he has anything bigger I'm scuppered. Big vapour blast units are 10's of thousands of pounds so I can understand why it's expensive. The small ones are dear enough.

Glass beads for softer materials. there's a whole range of blast media available for harder materials but I'm not into that. Just doing bike and car stuff.

 

[forest biker]

Thanks. But I may struggle to get a truck parts in there. A bike engine is pretty much the biggest I could do so if he has anything bigger I'm scuppered. Big vapour blast units are 10's of thousands of pounds so I can understand why it's expensive. The small ones are dear enough.

Glass beads for softer materials. there's a whole range of blast media available for harder materials but I'm not into that. Just doing bike and car stuff.

ah thats what he was on about with the glass then , its not big stuff only the little steps what go up into the cab so no bigger than a work boot size he restores vintage bikes aswel and has all that done and takes it up north somewhere

 

[abrasion]

Rob
if there are any metal liner parts in the cabinet you have to replace let me know

 

[Rob Farmer]

ah thats what he was on about with the glass then , its not big stuff only the little steps what go up into the cab so no bigger than a work boot size he restores vintage bikes aswel and has all that done and takes it up north somewhere

Ah! I'd got visions of enormous long foot plates.

 

[Rob Farmer]

Rob
if there are any metal liner parts in the cabinet you have to replace let me know

Thanks Chris

 

[(RIP) Proff]

Will it fit on yer bike for the WeeKend ???
I can see that being used a lot over the duration of the event

 

[swissrob]

Rob,

Can you give me an idea of cost for a set of fork legs to be cleaned up please? they are off an RD500 so only normal length.

 

[Rob Farmer]

Rob,

I changed jobs at the end of August and now have very little time for doing anything other than work so I've knocked the vapour blasting on the head for the time being.

 

[steveburton]

vapour blaster

hi rob,

do you still use your vapour blaster?

steve

 

[GADGET]

Where are you? Contact details?

 

[george potter]

vapour blasting

hi rob,

do you still use your vapour blaster?

steve

if your busy with new job goerge in narborough leicester still does vapour blasting same komet machine as yours also good for ali welding hes on 07742582642

 

[george potter]

It's pretty good stuff innit

What size cabinet have you got. I'm just about to get mine set up for bead and soda blasting.

What medium are you using,as I might know a man who could help you out with that

dont use soda in wet blaster and dont use too fine glass bead as it will slump and block the pump any advice ring george 07742582642

 

[Mickthecat]

Rob,

I changed jobs at the end of August and now have very little time for doing anything other than work so I've knocked the vapour blasting on the head for the time being.

Hi rob

If you still have this machine would you be interested in selling

Thanks

Mick

 

[wonk123]

dont use soda in wet blaster and dont use too fine glass bead as it will slump and block the pump any advice ring george 07742582642

What is the best size glass bead to use on aluminium barrels and heads?