If you’re restoring a vehicle or have done so in the past, then you know that it’s a balancing act. Restorers have to walk a thin line between preserving the vehicle’s original beauty and upgrading it to meet modern safety standards (and adding some fun stuff along the way).
One of the most important stages in vehicle restoration is cleaning and surface preparation. Clean, prepared surfaces last longer, take paint better, and generally clear the way for a high-quality restoration.
Enter: vapour blasting. This gentle surface preparation technique is a go-to for vehicle restorers. If you’re curious about trying this technique for yourself, read on for a full breakdown of how vapour blasting services can enhance your vehicle restoration project.
What is Vapour Blasting?
Also known as wet blasting or liquid honing, vapour blasting is a non-aggressive technique for surface preparation that combines three things:
- Water
- Abrasive media
- Compressed air
These three components are blasted across surfaces to clean and finish them. This is fairly similar to traditional sandblasting, but the water used in vapour blasting services cushions the abrasive particles. This ensures they’re not as abrasive, which makes this the ideal technique to get a smooth surface clean without embedding any of the abrasive media into the surface or causing scratches.
When it comes to vehicle restoration, this technique is prized as the best way to clean and prepare a variety of surfaces, thanks to its gentler touch.
Applications of Vapour Blasting for Vehicle Restoration
Across the board, vapour blasting is effective at removing grease oil, carbon deposits, rust, corrosion, old paint, and more. All this without damaging the delicate surface beneath. This makes it ideal for use across a variety of different car parts, including:
- Engine components.
- Wheels and suspension parts.
- Carburettors and fuel systems.
- Body panels and trim.
Why Use Vapour Blasting for Vehicle Restoration?
Superior Surface Finish
One of the top benefits of choosing vapour blasting services is the quality of the surface finish it produces. The cushioned abrasive media leaves body panels, engine components, and wheels with a satin-smooth finish. Whether you’re re-painting, ridding old parts of corrosion, or simply bringing a piece back to life, this is the right technique to choose.
Gentle on Delicate Parts
Many automotive restorers hesitate to use blasting techniques on their projects, and for good reason. Techniques like sandblasting or garnet blasting are fairly aggressive and can leave particles embedded in delicate surfaces. But with the right vapour blasting services, you won’t have that problem.
This is a non-aggressive process that won’t damage critical parts or alter surface quality, apart from leaving it with a smooth sheen. Not to mention, the water included in the vapour blasting medium ensures there’s no dust left on the surface, thus preventing any dust from making it into delicate mechanisms.
Corrosion Resistance
With the right additives, vapour blasting can even encourage corrosion resistance, making it harder for rust to grow on vital components. For vintage vehicles, this is a major benefit, especially when it comes to parts that are exposed to harsh environments or chemicals.
The smoother surface also ensures there are fewer places for dirt, oil, and grime to accumulate, further protecting your carefully restored vehicle from corrosion.
Environmentally Friendly
Depending on the company providing your vapour blasting services, this can be an environmentally friendly approach to surface preparation. The water and abrasive media can be captured and recycled for future use, all while minimising airborne contaminants (and even preventing dust from accumulating in your workshop).
For example, at Hamilton Blast & Paint, we’re able to work on a closed system that recaptures the vapour blasting material, reducing waste and minimising the environmental impact.
Versatile
Finally, vapour blasting is prized as one of the most versatile surface preparation techniques. It can be used on a wide range of different materials without causing harm, including aluminium, steel, brass, and even some plastics. This makes it a great pick for restoring various vehicle components, stretching from delicate engine parts and carburettors to wheels and body panels.
To make a long story short, vapour blasting is prized in the vehicle restoration industry for many reasons. It’s gentle on delicate surfaces, leaves a dust-free result, and perfectly prepares a variety of different materials for the next stage of vehicle restoration. If you’re looking for a cleaner, smoother, more uniform finish, vapour blasting is the way to go.
Bring your vehicles back to life with vapour blasting services from Hamilton Blast & Paint.
At Hamilton Blast & Paint, we’re proud to provide automotive enthusiasts with the perfect solution to their restoration needs. Our team has years of experience cleaning and preparing vehicle components for vintage vehicle restoration with our high-quality vapour blasting services.
Have you been searching for the right way to rebuild your vehicle with a clean slate? Look no further than Hamilton Blast & Paint. Get in touch with us to experience the power of vapour blasting today, or reach out with any questions. We’re happy to help!