Please lmk if it’s not OK for me to switch out the vapor honing aluminum oxide media for glass bead for my soft aluminum engine parts.
I’m looking for a bright, factory-look finish without removing significant material. Not wanting to etch or change the surface profiling. Happy to supply the media.
Thanks
Cliff
No don’t change the media to Glass bead. It looks the same as aluminum oxide as far as finish goes. It gives you a satin/mate finish.
Agreed. You are not authorized to change our media
Thanks for the quick reply. Totally understand the policy on not swapping media in shared equipment - makes sense.
Just wanted to note for anyone else reading: glass bead and aluminum oxide do produce noticeably different results on soft aluminum. Aluminum oxide is angular and cuts the surface, leaving a matte, etched finish. Glass bead is spherical and peens the surface, giving a smoother satin luster closer to the original factory cast look. For engine cases and covers where you want to preserve the original surface profile, glass bead in a vapor blaster is the standard in the air-cooled Porsche and vintage motorcycle restoration world.
No worries. I’ll take these to an outside shop. Thanks again.