Friday Spotlight - "Is this the same as vapor honing?"

Good morning everyone! We have thankfully made it through yet another week!

Back to that common question... We get asked all the time if 'liquid bead blasting' is the same as vapor honing or some other machine. Simply put, yes it is. The process is identical and the systems are very similar. So then what's the difference? Let's look!

Using the term 'liquid bead blasting' sometimes causes confusion so we get asked this question a lot. Liquid Bead Blasting is a term that we here at 911 Blasters developed. Today we will look at the different terms and also make some comparisons to the different systems. I have gathered a few descriptions from sites talking about the forms of wet blasting.

Liquid Bead Blasting (that's us!): A blasting system that uses a mixture of water and abrasive media, along with air, to clean surfaces without damaging the material.

Vapor Honing: A system that cleans and restores surfaces by using a wet slurry and high pressure air.

Dustless Blasting: A cleaning and stripping method that uses a mixture of water and abrasive to remove surface contaminants and coatings without creating a large amount of dust.

We can already see the similarities just with these definitions. The question then becomes, 'what are the differences?' followed by 'which one is better?'

Well, here at 911 Blasters, a big part of our mission was to create a cabinet that would be as easy to setup, use and maintain as possible.

Here are some of our key points and why we think our system is a bit better than the average vapor honing or dustless blaster system:

• All aluminum cabinet construction.

  • Internal parts are all aluminum or stainless with some plastic components.

• Our stands have casters so you can easily roll it where needed.

• No external tanks or continual water source needed.

• No gauges or regulators to setup or maintain.

• No nozzle replacements EVER.

  • (Lifetime nozzle warranty should you figure out how to wear it out)

• No need for different types of nozzle tips.

• No need for different types of media per application.

• Inside working space: approximately 24"x 24"x 40"

  • Door opening: approximately 24"x 24"

Of course we are more than happy to assist when it comes time to setting up your 911 Blasters Liquid Bead Blasting cabinet, but we hope that our goal of easy installation and operation has been accomplished.

Another way to tell the difference would be to watch some videos. We like to believe that the combination we have developed results in a much faster cleaning time, but you can investigate fro yourself.

In the end, these processes are similar in ways. We did not invent the process of wet blasting and do not claim to. We just tried to make it easier for anyone who may be interested in this type of machine, especially for those who are not as savvy with machinery and equipment. It should not require a bunch of tanks and regulators and four of your buddies to set up something like this.

Hopefully this at least begins to answer your questions. We will be adding more in depth information and guides soon.

For now, watch some videos and do some reading. BUT don't get stuck on your phone all weekend! Get out there and work on some projects!

Happy Friday Everyone!