Vapor Blasting of Aluminum Parts

[Mouse]

Oh my! That 400f looks mighty good.
400F's and CBX's go together like PB and J.

[NobleHops]

Hmmmm Nils, I'm getting ready to pull the the valve covers from my 4.6 Mustang, the natural finish of the aluminum covers are getting dull and stained looking. I was thinking of a black wrinkle finish but the finish you are showing off here has me wondering.

Your stuff looks great Nils.

Jeff, I'd be delighted to try one for you. The newer the metal the more incredible they look.

[NobleHops]

Oh my! That 400f looks mighty good.
400F's and CBX's go together like PB and J.

Yaknow Mouse, I totally agree!

[NobleHops]

Here's what's new!

Two-cycle cylinder heads. This happens more often than you'd think: Guys bead blast their parts and then wish they had not. I can fix this but I sometimes spend a bunch of extra time cleaning because they don't mask and plug the parts as carefully as I do.








This was along the lines of a resurrection. I think this motorcycle was parked UNDER the barn:








Sure, we speak car!












Old trick parts:






8 Kawasaki engines? Sure, send 'em!



















Vintage motocross!














"Careful with my just-honed cylinder!" Yes, we are careful






Brakes!




Carbs!






A "Triumph-ant" army"




Sure, we can fix that. And that, and that, and that.









OK, back to work!

[steve murdoch icoa #5322]

Geez, Nils you do such nice work......it is a shame this business hasn't taken off for you.

[NobleHops]

Geez, Nils you do such nice work......it is a shame this business hasn't taken off for you.

Haha! It is going well Steve, but as a mostly 1 man band I am busier than a 1-armed paper hanger, I'm on my feet all day, and I've got a budding case of vapor blaster's (OK, tennis) elbow happening. But even so I am really happy and engaged, and that has been really great for me, a d the customers are happy, and I'm challenged, and learning every day.

It's all good

[Jeff Bennetts]

Today I'm living vicariously through your wonderful display of work Nils, keep the pictures coming.

[NobleHops]

Today I'm living vicariously through your wonderful display of work Nils, keep the pictures coming.

Thank you Jeff, will do!

[NobleHops]

I really do love working on CBX engines. They keep us hopping, but the metal is gorgeous and after all, it's a CBX!

[daves79x]

Gorgeous, as usual! He's going to need that head skimmed, at least. Pretty significant pitting, by the looks of it. Nils has been doing aluminum parts for a '59 BMW R50 restoration I'm in the middle of. Just amazing work. When I get a second, I'll post some pics. (retired now and it's hard to find the time).

Dave

[steve murdoch icoa #5322]

Nils, have you got an "after" pic of the Sportkit foot plates and what do you recommend as a finish for them.

[steve murdoch icoa #5322]

Gorgeous, as usual! He's going to need that head skimmed, at least. Pretty significant pitting, by the looks of it. Nils has been doing aluminum parts for a '59 BMW R50 restoration I'm in the middle of. Just amazing work. When I get a second, I'll post some pics. (retired now and it's hard to find the time).

Dave

That is living a good life when you are too busy to post pics of a resto project.

[NobleHops]

Gorgeous, as usual! He's going to need that head skimmed, at least. Pretty significant pitting, by the looks of it. Nils has been doing aluminum parts for a '59 BMW R50 restoration I'm in the middle of. Just amazing work. When I get a second, I'll post some pics. (retired now and it's hard to find the time).

Dave

That is living a good life when you are too busy to post pics of a resto project.

Haha! Dave has more than one resto project going, I can tell you .

Steve I'm not sure I did get a photo of the footrest plates, but I can show you my 1100F lattice plates a little later. Those are also made using some of the highest quality alloy Honda used, and so they have a lovely consistent surface with virtually zero pitting or streaking. I think they are candidates for further hand finishing - possibly Scotchbrite and Wd40, maybe a little work on the buffer.

I personally think the vapor blast finish isn't just right for parts that Honda did to a smooth, shinier finish like many sidecovers, but it is a fantastic first step for removing oxidization and clearcoat and staining before hand finishing to get them to your liking.

[Michael Vidovic]

Impressive. Love the finish. Keep up the excellent work.

[NobleHops]

Update time from RestoCycle!

We recently finished a nut-and-bolt restoration of a 75 Kawasaki Z1-900 that was a total blast. This bike went down to itty bits, and was completely restored - including new transmission parts, bearings, clutch, honed for the high compression big-bore pistons it wears, and a brand new head with Kibblewhite valves, springs, keepers. Carbs were also rebuilt. The fork has RaceTech internals and new tubes, the rear some nice Ikon shocks and roller swingarm bearings, and everything else in between is new or was totally refurbished to as-new condition. There is fantastic reproduction parts support for these bikes, and that is where the signature 4-into-4 exhaust came from, along with the gorgeous bodywork, faithfully reproduced by craftsmen in Japan.

It was so fun to build this bike I bought another and it is awaiting its turn .


Where we started. It was a lot worse than it looked at this point.



Torn down, frame powdercoated, up on its stand and about to get reassembled.



Fork apart, waiting for parts from RaceTech, and installation of new springs and gold valves.



Wheels about to be relaced, new spokes, strips, and bearings. Hubs freshly vapor blasted.


New wiring harness, into replated brackets. All the wiring was carefully renewed, cleaned, retaped, made perfect.


Engine torn down to little bits: We found pitting and worn valve guides so the head got totally redone, cylinders honed. Also found bad transmission parts and bearings, all repaired or replaced. Oil pump rebuilt, clutch hub bearing, springs, discs replaced. Many new cam chain tensioner parts. This beast is actually a 1075 and has high-compression pistons to boot. It boogies .







My brother could not resist the urge to port it, "just a little". Ok, ok.



We replated and reused all the original fasteners.



The entire engine was of course vapor blasted and looks new.


The build - so many details!







And done. Took it out for a maiden cruise a week or so ago, and it is running great, is a total blast to ride. Will deliver this to my friend/customer in Switzerland in the spring, just as their riding season gets started. This bike will be ridden and loved.



We have more projects and news to share, coming soon. Thanks for checking in.