What is Vapour Blasting and how does it work?

What is Vapour Blasting?

The vapour blasting or aqua blasting system was developed in the United Kingdom and is by far the best process for cleaning all types of non ferrous metal components.  The process uses a high volume, low pressure wet slurry system consisting of abrasive media, water, detergents and compressed air.  It does not cause surface damage to components, therefore threads, seal surfaces and other sensitive areas do not have to be protected.

As part of the vapour blasting cleaning process, a high lustre surface finish is achieved that won't fingerprint and is much easier to keep clean.

Vapour blasting is a versatile cleaning/finishing process and lends itself to cleaning a variety of different components.  The process cleans very effectively without removing any of the underlying metal or substrate. This allows for the cleaning of delicate parts and soft metals.

What order process do you use for blasting?

Contact us for estimated pricing or supply pictures for even more accurate pricing.

Send or deliver parts to our address.

We will then confirm pricing and what we are need to do to your parts, i.e. degrease, paint strip, blast and protect.

Carry out work.

Contact you to confirm delivery or collection of finished parts.

Can I send steel parts?

Yes but steel parts and ferrous metals are prone to flash rusting using this process.  Steel or iron inserts in aluminum parts may be masked before blasting, and quickly dried and sealed with protectant as a final step.  The vapour blasting process is suitable for Aluminium, Bronze, Magnesium, Titanium, Brass, Copper etc.  It will gently clean the surface without damage to gasket faces,  produces a satin finish which will handle without picking up finger marks and gently peens the surface so can help reduce porosity in castings.  It will gently clean the surface without damage and leave a fresh satin finish which is very easy to keep clean.

How do I prepare my parts for Vapor Blasting?

Disassemble the parts, removing any brackets, bolts, or any other ferrous metal parts you can. Threaded steel inserts, iron cylinder liners, valve seats and or pressed-in bearing surfaces obviously can’t be removed, we use a special corrosion inhibitor in our blasting process to minimise flash rust.

Clean and remove the worst of any grease and oil etc. before sending parts, or you will be paying us to clean them (should we decide that it's something we want to do), adding time and expense to your project.  Gaskets and heavy sealants must be removed prior to blasting – the blaster will not remove them and if the parts are not cleaned prior to blasting the blaster will be contiminated.

What is the finish like?

The finish can vary, depending on the condition and quality of the metal in the part.  Generally parts will emerge from the process with a very fine lustrous satin finish, this finish is fantastic straight out of the blaster for many parts including cylinders and heads, valve covers, wheel hub centers, and just about any rough-cast engine parts commonly found on British, European and American cars and motorcycles.

How long does it take?

Depends on current workload and project size but generally we aim for a 2 to 10 working day turnaround, if you are in a hurry please call to see what we can do.

What does it cost?

Please see our pricing page for guide prices.  The time it takes to complete a project depends on the condition and cleanliness of the parts received.  Shipping is additional.

What do you do differently?

We have blasted lots of parts testing different air pressures, media, detergents, temperatures, processes, pre-blasting and much more.  We have our own “Special Process” that gives the best finish without leaving staining and abrasive residues that can harm internal engine components.  We have had parts blasted by other companies to see where we stand so we know you will not be dissapointed with the results.

We also go to the trouble of keeping our equipment and consumables to the highest standards of cleanliness which makes the difference to the final finish!

Any other questions?

Please call to discuss.  Call 01403 701111 or 07971 169980 or drop us an email at steve@cbxvapourblasting.co.uk and we will get right back to you usually within the hour during our opening times.