Vapor Blasting Service

[Bobby Crumpley]

I'm glad to do test parts for anyone, even Chevy guys.  Don't cost nuthin...

[shelbydoug]

I'm glad to do test parts for anyone, even Chevy guys.  Don't cost nuthin...

It's not the cost per se, it's the "value" of the part being lent out of "my" sight. Many of these parts might not mean much to you, to me that's something else?

I had to bring my Ford 427 aluminum MR GT40 heads to a welder to get repaired. When I asked him for a receipt, he said aluminum is only $.23 a pound? I said how much are heads for a $12 million dollar car worth?

He said, "there ain't no FORD worth 12 million. Do you see what I am using for a doorstop here? BB Chevy Pro-Stock heads. What do you think those are worth? I said, "my point exactly!" 

[Bobby Crumpley]

Having been involved with the restoration hobby for 40 years, I definitely understand the value of parts, particularly those with date codes or casting numbers that are tied to a particular car. 

"Hey. I ruined your small letter S1MS intake, so you'll need to order a new reproduction from one of the vendors" is not something that I think a customer would accept. 

I mention doing test parts because some guys will send something with little or no value, such as the 428CJ valve covers posted above which had seen a fair bit of tig work.

Thanks,
Bobby

[shelbydoug]

Having been involved with the restoration hobby for 40 years, I definitely understand the value of parts, particularly those with date codes or casting numbers that are tied to a particular car. 

"Hey. I ruined your small letter S1MS intake, so you'll need to order a new reproduction from one of the vendors" is not something that I think a customer would accept. 

I mention doing test parts because some guys will send something with little or no value, such as the 428CJ valve covers posted above which had seen a fair bit of tig work.

Thanks,
Bobby

This wasn't intended to be a criticism of you. It was intended to explain how my paranoia interferes with a really great solution.

[Bobby Crumpley]

It wasn't taken as a criticism, and valuing your belongings, some literally irreplaceable, should be understood by anyone.  As far as having trust in who you're sending your part to, the transaction is documented at each step via email - agreement on what is being sent, with photos, and the agreed upon price; Once the part arrives at my home, I email multiple photos of what i receive to the customer; When the part(s) is finished, more photos are emailed to ensure satisfaction before shipping; Customer receives tracking number for shipment; Customer receives part(s), inspects them, then submits payment.  I've been buying and selling cars and parts on eBay for over 20 years with a perfect record (UserID bcrumpley).  Even with all of that, I realize that it takes some faith to send something of value to someone you do not know.  Fortunately I have a very good job and this is a sideline for me so that I have something to do when I retire in a few years, and I realize that it takes time to establish.

Bobby

[shelbydoug]

It wasn't taken as a criticism, and valuing your belongings, some literally irreplaceable, should be understood by anyone.  As far as having trust in who you're sending your part to, the transaction is documented at each step via email - agreement on what is being sent, with photos, and the agreed upon price; Once the part arrives at my home, I email multiple photos of what i receive to the customer; When the part(s) is finished, more photos are emailed to ensure satisfaction before shipping; Customer receives tracking number for shipment; Customer receives part(s), inspects them, then submits payment.  I've been buying and selling cars and parts on eBay for over 20 years with a perfect record (UserID bcrumpley).  Even with all of that, I realize that it takes some faith to send something of value to someone you do not know.  Fortunately I have a very good job and this is a sideline for me so that I have something to do when I retire in a few years, and I realize that it takes time to establish.

Bobby

I had a documented USPS Priority package, with a tracking number disappear from the face of the earth. It had nothing to do with the recipient or good faith or responsible receivership. It just never got there.

It must have evaporated? Fortunately is wasn't an expensive or irreplaceable item. It was only a $30 item that I had to refund to the purchaser and take the loss on the part. Shift happens. 

The PO kept telling me to wait, it would show up. Then after 90 days, it was no longer covered as a loss.


Today's Friday. Let me see how I feel after "Happy Hour"? I'm tempted to send you a wheel. It's only Bud Light so it doesn't kill the tempt.

[1967 eight barrel]

Im not sure I see any real advantage to this over using low air pressure and #10 Beads.  Adding water may make it cleaner.  convince me

Jim, I think the only way to convince you is for you to have the parts in your hands. Send me a couple items (junk is fine), both die cast and sand cast, maybe a carburetor body, or something like that. I will blast them and send them back. Same address you just sent the Cobra 427 valve covers to.

Thanks,
Bobby Crumpley

Bead blasting leaves a completely different finish than vapor blasting. I would NEVER use anything with beads or sand for engine components that are exposed to the intake or oiling systems. It's a good way to destroy an engine. I don't care how many times you blow it and wash it out you can't get them all out. They ultimately wind up in the oil.

[Bobby Crumpley]

To be clear, vapor blasting does use media such as glass beads.  The difference is that it does not open the pores and get embedded, but you still have to thoroughly wash and flush the part to remove any residue.  That said, Ferrari and likely others use the process on new engine castings.

[1967 eight barrel]

The original finish is obtained by a tumbling process.

[J_Speegle]

The original finish is obtained by a tumbling process.

Then reproducing the machined surfaces if you choose that route

Of course choice of method is often dependent or at least influenced by what part and the material its made from

[1967 eight barrel]

There is someone who does the whole process. I can't find the information on my old lap top.
It was about 110.00 on an FE intake.

[shelbydoug]

I personally have not done any parts with this process. From what I am seeing, it appears to give a factory new finish on certain parts like distributors, timing chain covers, valve covers and others that until now were difficult to replicate.

It may put the 10 spokes back to where they were just BEFORE they got clear coated?



I've been thinking about the intake manifolds too. It may be that there are various finishes on the intakes?

For instance, I could never figure how Edelbrock got to what appears to be a unique to others, finish on their intakes?



I have what appears to be a brand new virgin C60A Trans Am intake manifold. It was cast by Buddy Barr and it was machined by Offenhauser. It has a finish on it that I certainly have never seen before and when asking others how it was done, in effect I get a shoulder shrug? It's glossier and smoother then I remember. Almost like it was pressure cast?

The reason that I bring this up at all is that after seeing the results of this process, I think it has been identified. You can take the casting, as Offe did, machine it, THEN vapor blast it over the machined surfaces and not dull them. The resulting finish being very, very similar to what we see on a brand new distributor housing?

Now where does this go? Probably nowhere in particular since it appears that not many of the Ford intakes were put through this by their vendors.

I did buy a '82 Ford GT 2v intake from a Ford Service Parts dealer way back that had this type of a finish on it. If memory is correct, the S1MS COBRA intakes had this "almost glossy" finish on them new. (Yes I go that far back).



So if this is just another consideration that the Judges" need to look at, if your intake finish is too sandblasted, what's that just a 1/2 point deduction? Why bother with the trouble and risk of it right? For me, the finish on my intake is definitely something to think about or more correctly hard to let go? To others, who cares?

This could be the straw that broke the Judges back? 

Hey sorry about the explosion, but I ain't cleaning up that mess.


(Psst...the S2MS was like that too. Not sure about the S7 '67 Shelby intake though, but maybe? There are remnants of what COULD be that process on mine?)

[Bob Gaines]

I personally have not done any parts with this process. From what I am seeing, it appears to give a factory new finish on certain parts like distributors, timing chain covers, valve covers and others that until now were difficult to replicate.

It may put the 10 spokes back to where they were just BEFORE they got clear coated?



I've been thinking about the intake manifolds too. It may be that there are various finishes on the intakes?

For instance, I could never figure how Edelbrock got to what appears to be a unique to others, finish on their intakes?



I have what appears to be a brand new virgin C60A Trans Am intake manifold. It was cast by Buddy Barr and it was machined by Offenhauser. It has a finish on it that I certainly have never seen before and when asking others how it was done, in effect I get a shoulder shrug? It's glossier and smoother then I remember. Almost like it was pressure cast?

The reason that I bring this up at all is that after seeing the results of this process, I think it has been identified. You can take the casting, as Offe did, machine it, THEN vapor blast it over the machined surfaces and not dull them. The resulting finish being very, very similar to what we see on a brand new distributor housing?

Now where does this go? Probably nowhere in particular since it appears that not many of the Ford intakes were put through this by their vendors.

I did buy a '82 Ford GT 2v intake from a Ford Service Parts dealer way back that had this type of a finish on it. If memory is correct, the S1MS COBRA intakes had this "almost glossy" finish on them new. (Yes I go that far back).



So if this is just another consideration that the Judges" need to look at, if your intake finish is too sandblasted, what's that just a 1/2 point deduction? Why bother with the trouble and risk of it right? For me, the finish on my intake is definitely something to think about or more correctly hard to let go? To others, who cares?

This could be the straw that broke the Judges back? 

Hey sorry about the explosion, but I ain't cleaning up that mess.


(Psst...the S2MS was like that too. Not sure about the S7 '67 Shelby intake though, but maybe? There are remnants of what COULD be that process on mine?)

From the examples I have seen recently the vapor blast process gives a very nice close but a ways from being exact finish on distributors and a feww other things IMO. Valve covers look OK but much farther away from original IMO. It may also have to do with how good the part was before starting the process. The valve cover that I saw for example was said to be junk to begin with so in that case it looks much better then before I am sure. Maybe a less oxidized part to begin with would result in a better finished product. I have to respectfully disagree on the shiny look because I have seen a few NOS ones over the years which confirms many of my observations in the wild that the casting had a distinct porous texture and was not shiny or glossy. I used to find greasy unblasted intakes ( not so much anymore) and after steam cleaning until the cows come in they had a very close to new look. You can even get a sense of how they looked in some of the old catalog pictures. It is a slightly darker mat porous finish. Blasting typically lightens the surface up. Fresh cast is not shiny from my perception. Like a alchemist I am always looking for the next best way to achieve that elusive look of diecast or aluminum instead of gold..  Just my point of view . Others may have different.

[68stangcjfb]

I agree. As an example, these are photos of an NOS 427 SOHC intake that was sitting in a basement wrapped in plastic since the 70s. Notice the dull pourous finish.

[shelbydoug]

This is the one that everyone saw at last years convention in Califonia. The picture of the bottom shows the luster the best.

It isn't wet, it has a low level sheen to it.

You tell me how Offenhauser got it like that? I've seen original S1MS intakes with that sheen also.