Metal cleaning

[robsangster]

Hi chaps,
Not sure how many of you are aware of this but thought I might draw your attention. Having spent hours over the years with Dremels, grit blasters, solvents, acids etc etc, by far the best way of cleaning is with glass beads in solution. The finish is a very subtle satin (natural) aluminium colour. Hopefully the pic speaks for itself! Currently have my S2 engine in bits.... will post an intake manifold/throttle body pic in due course.... but the results are phenomenal..... aluminium looks as though it has been silver painted.
I do quite a bit of this and if anyone was interested in getting some done - PM me for details. Its not cheap however as the time involved can be lengthy and the media requires regular changes, however its far superior to other methods without the harshness of grit blasting which can damage delicate items if extreme care isn't taken. If your budget is super tight it may well not be an option, but if you're happy to spend a few quid on your pride and joy and are disappointed with the results of hours bent over the engine bay with a tooth brush - get in touch!

 

[zcacogp]

How long does it last Rob? A finely textured, unprotected aluminium surface will tarnish quite quickly won't it?


Oli.

 

[robsangster]

Immediately post cleaning the surfaces receive a very light oil coating, such as WD40. Clearly you are right, any untreated surface will be vunerable over time, as any factory fresh vehicle will be, unless maintained. I tend to clean in this way and then keep on top of it, wax treating (tectyl or similar) any particularly vunerable areas (trailing arms etc).

Makes for an attractive engine bay (and other areas) which is not only pleasing to the eye but much more pleasant to work on subsequently. If like me you tend to own cars that have already been out there 10 years or so, youve already got a fair bit of grime to boot and ive yet to find a method that is as astonishing as this results wise.

Its not for everyone, however if you're keeping your pride and joy long term and have caught the bug of keeping it gleaming, this method simply is far superior to any other i have tried. My last car got the full treatment and with care looked as good 6 years later when sold.

 

[sulzeruk]

There should be corrosion inhibitors mixed in with the solution. When I did vapour blasting, we only rinsed the parts of with clean warm water and never had to touch them after that. As long as you don't blast them with salt, everything was fine.
Alasdair