Vapor Blasting of Aluminum Parts

Companies or individuals that provide parts/accessories/services for our CBXs.

Post Reply
User avatar
NobleHops
ICOA Member
ICOA Member
Posts: 3867
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2010 7:17 am
Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA
Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA

Vapor Blasting of Aluminum Parts

Post by NobleHops »

UPDATE JANUARY 2021

RestoCycle is now closed. Thank you all for the support, it was a fantastic 6 year adventure.

Nils Menten

****

Hello gang,

I am very excited to finally pull the wraps off of something I have been working on for 6 months. Kind-of a worst-kept secret, but here's the skinny.

In February I purchased the finest vapor blasting equipment I could find, plus a dry blast cabinet, parts washer, rinse sink, industrial compressor and dryer, and much more. I rented space nearby in Tucson and since then I have been setting up my shop and testing different products and techniques and learning the ropes of how to restore aluminum parts with vapor blasting.

Image

If you've never seen this done, it's kind-of amazing to see. It's more or less a blast cabinet, but instead of dry media, siphon fed, it creates a high-pressure vapor using compressed air, water, detergent, and abrasive media.

The results pretty much speak for themselves.

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Two docs are attached - a "Frequently Asked Questions doc about the process, and also an order form :P . The service costs $50 per hour till the first of the year, when it will jump up to a more market-rate of $70 an hour. Please feel free to ask me any questions about the service or the process, here or via PM or email. The business email is nils@restocycle.com
Frequently Asked Questions about Vapor Blasting.pdf
RestoCycle_VaporBlast_Order_Form.pdf

You can also find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RestoCycleLLC, and if you do visit us there, please "Like" the page and you'll see our regular updates in your news feed as we go.

Thanks and wish me luck!

Nils Menten
RestoCycle LLC
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Nils Menten
Tucson, Arizona, USA '80 CBX, sort-of restored :-)

steve murdoch icoa #5322
ICOA Member
ICOA Member
Posts: 4069
Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2003 9:12 am
Location: St. Catharines, On. Canada
Location: St. Catharines, On. Canada

Vapor Blasting of Aluminum Parts

Post by steve murdoch icoa #5322 »

Congratulations, Nils.
Seriously, i don't think you will be needing any good luck wishes.
Time to read the articles you provided.

Michael Vidovic
ICOA Member
ICOA Member
Posts: 183
Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2014 7:59 am
Location: Melbourne Victoria Australia
Location: Melbourne Victoria Australia

Vapor Blasting of Aluminum Parts

Post by Michael Vidovic »

Good luck
...always walk out of the room smarter than you walked in...

User avatar
NobleHops
ICOA Member
ICOA Member
Posts: 3867
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2010 7:17 am
Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA
Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA

Vapor Blasting of Aluminum Parts

Post by NobleHops »

Thank you gentlemen!
Nils Menten
Tucson, Arizona, USA '80 CBX, sort-of restored :-)

Rick Pope
ICOA Rally Director
ICOA Rally Director
Posts: 2270
Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2003 3:16 pm
Location: Lawrencburg, IN
Location: Lawrenceburg, Indiana

Vapor Blasting of Aluminum Parts

Post by Rick Pope »

That sure looks like a fun way to spend your retirement. Good luck.
Rick Pope
Either garage is too small or we have too many bikes. Or Momma's car needs to go outside.

User avatar
NobleHops
ICOA Member
ICOA Member
Posts: 3867
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2010 7:17 am
Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA
Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA

Vapor Blasting of Aluminum Parts

Post by NobleHops »

Rick Pope wrote:That sure looks like a fun way to spend your retirement. Good luck.
Thank you very much Rick. I do enjoy helping people with their projects, really excited about this.

N.
Nils Menten
Tucson, Arizona, USA '80 CBX, sort-of restored :-)

User avatar
FalldownPhil
ICOA Member
ICOA Member
Posts: 929
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2006 11:25 pm
Location: Marina Del Rey, CA. USA
Contact:

Vapor Blasting of Aluminum Parts

Post by FalldownPhil »

:banana: :bigthumb:
When you are up to your ass in alligators it is sometimes difficult
to remember that your objective was to drain the swamp !!

User avatar
SteveG
ICOA Member
ICOA Member
Posts: 589
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2005 8:16 pm
Location: Skaneateles, NY
Location: Skaneateles, NY

Vapor Blasting of Aluminum Parts

Post by SteveG »

Congrats on your newest venture, Nils!! Where were you when I needed you 5 years ago!?! Now I am gonna have to get another project going.

Steve
82 CBX, 82 CB900F Project, 81 CB900(985)F, 79 CB750(810)F, 06 Wee-Strom

User avatar
NobleHops
ICOA Member
ICOA Member
Posts: 3867
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2010 7:17 am
Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA
Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA

Re: Open for business! Vapor Blasting of Aluminum Parts

Post by NobleHops »

SteveG wrote:Congrats on your newest venture, Nils!! Where were you when I needed you 5 years ago!?! Now I am gonna have to get another project going.

Steve

Yes you do Steve! :-). Thanks for the good wishes, greatly appreciated. You too Phil. :text-thankyouyellow:
Nils Menten
Tucson, Arizona, USA '80 CBX, sort-of restored :-)

User avatar
NobleHops
ICOA Member
ICOA Member
Posts: 3867
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2010 7:17 am
Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA
Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA

Re: Open for business! Vapor Blasting of Aluminum Parts

Post by NobleHops »

I'm having fun now!

Last night I brought a bunch of sample stuff to our local vintage group's gathering, which was great fun. I have been photographing it as I go, and I've got a good selection of stuff to show.

Just for fun, here are a few of my favorites:

Yamaha XT500 cylinder heads

Image

Yamaha Banshee case half:

Image

Image

Ducati cylinder head:

Image

Set of Keihin carbs. Yes you can do carbs, they just need to be ultrasonic cleaned afterwards.

Image

Image

Image

Not sure what this was, please don't send me anything like this without cleaning it first :-)

Image

Done, half 'n half :-)

Image

$10 bucks off your first order if you can tell me which one was blasted :-)

Image

Image

Yamaha XS650 side cover:

Image

Image

I'll have more soon, no doubt. Thanks for viewing!

N.
Nils Menten
Tucson, Arizona, USA '80 CBX, sort-of restored :-)

User avatar
NobleHops
ICOA Member
ICOA Member
Posts: 3867
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2010 7:17 am
Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA
Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA

Re: Open for business! Vapor Blasting of Aluminum Parts

Post by NobleHops »

Did a batch of Ducati Pantah parts for a customer yesterday - good solid parts, but had been stored for years and so the oxidization and...stuff on them was pretty thick.

Check this out. Linking big photos, I think they will get very big if you click on them. This took about 5 1/2 hours including splitting the cases and extracting bearings, and so at 2015 rates this was a $250 project, plus shipping.

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

This was the total project:

Image

Pretty cool, eh?

N.
Nils Menten
Tucson, Arizona, USA '80 CBX, sort-of restored :-)

Joner
Forum Regular
Forum Regular
Posts: 186
Joined: Fri Dec 29, 2006 12:12 pm
Location: Gloucestershire, UK
Location: Gloucestershire UK

Re: Open for business! Vapor Blasting of Aluminum Parts

Post by Joner »

Very cool work Nils.

I was looking at vapour blasting a few months ago, it seems to be the best way to clean up aluminium parts without harming them.
Looks like you have a brilliant set-up, and I know you will do well. 8)

Cheers
Chris J.
Grey-haired bikers don't get that way from pure luck.

steve murdoch icoa #5322
ICOA Member
ICOA Member
Posts: 4069
Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2003 9:12 am
Location: St. Catharines, On. Canada
Location: St. Catharines, On. Canada

Re: Open for business! Vapor Blasting of Aluminum Parts

Post by steve murdoch icoa #5322 »

Those Pantah parts look great, Nils.
hmmmm....i have a cb350 cafe that is nearing the top of the resto priority list that would benefit from a trip to your booth.

User avatar
NobleHops
ICOA Member
ICOA Member
Posts: 3867
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2010 7:17 am
Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA
Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA

Re: Open for business! Vapor Blasting of Aluminum Parts

Post by NobleHops »

Chris - thanks a ton for the good words.

Steve - I will make that engine look fantastic for you when the time comes :-)

N.
Nils Menten
Tucson, Arizona, USA '80 CBX, sort-of restored :-)

User avatar
Mello
Forum Regular
Forum Regular
Posts: 239
Joined: Sun Jan 05, 2014 9:52 am
Location: Jhb, South Africa
Location: Jhb, South Africa

Re: Open for business! Vapor Blasting of Aluminum Parts

Post by Mello »

Wow, really impressive. Best of luck Nils, I can see you're having a load of fun :D
"Aerodynamics are for people who can't build engines." - Enzo Ferrari

Post Reply

Return to “CBX Parts & Accessory Suppliers, Dealerships, Mechanics, OEM Parts, Speciality CBX Shops”