Vapor Hone???

Anybody have experience with a vapor hone? They appear to be the hot set-up for aluminum parts. I am kinda' wanting to buy one, the closest shop that has one is about 120 miles away and they are usually two to three months out.

 

I have no experience with this but can see it's usefulness. Though it seems limited. Maybe if doing a show piece restoration or museum piece.
It will etch the surface the same as any media blasting, only without the dust. Acid washing would give the same effect. It does remove any
plating or finish of the part. I have used strong acid based cleaners on condenser coils when only necessary. It would etch the shiny surface
and leave it vulnerable to attract dirt which then becomes an insulator. Not sure why they call it honing, unless it was to set the term apart
from blasting.

 

That was cool. Almost Like an form of art though to know what media, pressures and time to use on what part. Some learning curve involved
that may be beyond the scope of a home hobbyist. You could do a job on an old set of hubs with that though!

 

This is not a new tech, vapor hones have been around since before I was born. I remember seeing my dad vapor hone parts when I was 7-8 years old. Not much of an art form to it. Just a little common since and trying a few different grits in the water to get the results you want.

 

This is where I first learned of the process. Very impressive. Much less texture than media blasting. Great for aluminum and pot metal.