Vapor Blasting for Wheels and other Alumunum and Magnesium Parts

H

Havasu Dave

Moderator
#1
#1
On a Vintage Kart forum, one of the guys recommended vapor blasting by RestoCycle out of Tucson, AZ. From their website, I requested an estimate, supplied two photos and received an estimate back within a day. I sent four Rupp Kart Turbines in to them, and received them back with free shipping the same week. Total cost was $140. I have no affiliation with these folks, but they are easy to deal with, FAST, and inexpensive. There was minimum alterations to the surface, no removal of material, no hassles.

https://www.restocycle.com/homepage





 
ole4

ole4

#2
#2
Wondering what the process is? I have a glass beader which gives a satin finish which is dull but that looks like it was tumbled.
 
ole4

ole4

#4
#4
Very cool, I do have a blast adapter for my pressure washer and it can use either slag or soda. I used soda blast from some wheels I got that were badly corroded and it did not come out like yours so I assume they are using something else, they did not say what the media was. Considering what you sent they came out Great!

Me after soda blasting the wheels
 
mrpat

mrpat

#6
#6
ole4 said:
Very cool, I do have a blast adapter for my pressure washer and it can use either slag or soda. I used soda blast from some wheels I got that were badly corroded and it did not come out like yours so I assume they are using something else, they did not say what the media was. Considering what you sent they came out Great!

Me after soda blasting the wheels
Click to expand...
I love your "after soda blasting" pic... [emoji23][emoji23]
 
ole4

ole4

#8
#8
I have a small hand held harbor freight siphon blaster. Use soda dry in it and it cleans carbs great. Then into ultrasonic for a few minutes to dissolve any soda stuck in carb. Comes out looking new.
 
EVOL Tweety Bird

EVOL Tweety Bird

Active Member
#9
#9
Dang! Wish I had seen this before. Here's what happens when you have someone who's supposed to know what they are doing, and they don't. That's a brand new $400.00 magnesium valve cover. Was to have the paint removed so it could be powder coated.
Shop owner, left it overnight in a stripper tank.
 

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Fantic Freddy

Fantic Freddy

Member
#11
#11
Evol,there's a product called Lab Metal powder paint filler, it fills the pitting, and you can powder coat over it. Go to columbiacoatings.com. Sorry ,I'm not good at linking to the web site. It worked for a set of vintage Corvette valve covers.
 
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EVOL Tweety Bird

EVOL Tweety Bird

Active Member
#12
#12
Won't help on the underside, there are baffles that had to be removed to have it done, something like 32 rivets drilled out, holes drilled and tapped to accept tiny bolts. All those holes were destroyed, so no way to correct it. Nothing more than an expensive paperweight now.

To top it off, the owner of the shop first wanted us to accept it as a non fault on his part, then a used part in exchange for the new one he destroyed. Having a group of lawyers as one of our sponsors took care of that pretty quick, and a new cover was "arraigned". :biggrin:
 
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