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What Media for Vapor Honing?

Quickstart:
Vapor honing is an abrasive process which uses water as well as a 400 to 800 grit abrasive, probably glass beads, possibly aluminum oxide or silicon carbide.

Q. Hello, I am new here and found this sight after searching "Vapor Hone"
I do firearm repair and had a local shop that as they called it a dry vapor hone applied fine satin finish to polished stainless steel pistols for me. They closed their shop and I am wondering if I purchase a small table top blast cabinet, what type of fine blast media & grit would I need for getting a "not coarse sand blasted look" -- the fine satin finish seen on many pistols like S&Ws 625 revolvers and some stainless semi-auto top slides. Thanks for any help,

Larry Brooks
Huckleberrys - Spring Grove
2007

A. I may be wrong, but there is no such thing as a "dry" vapor hone. A regular abrasive blast cabinet can come close to the same finish with a fine media and a good operator.
It is worth a try. Try some 400 grit aluminum oxide media on some scrap parts of the same hardness. If it is a bit too coarse, turn down the air pressure. If that fails, go to the next finer grit that you can get, probably a 600 or possibly an 800. There is not much call for material that is this fine.
I will bet that you can get a finish that you like.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida

Gasoline-powered Air Compressors
air_compressor

on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

A. Dry Vapor Hone is a misnomer. Vapor honing, by definition is done wet, with a mixture of water and abrasive, usually glass bead. Dry blasting is just called blasting. Sure, you can do your own, and it can be done dry with fine glass bead. Ready made small cabinets are available, and the supplier should be able to advise you on the appropriate glass bead size. Remember you'll need a good air compressor [adv: air compressors on eBay or Amazon [affil links] , dust mask, ventilation, and a way to clean everything afterward so all the abrasive glass bead residue is removed.

Jeffrey Holmes, CEF
Spartanburg, South Carolina

A. You can try several media (i.e. aluminum oxide or silicon carbide 220 or 320 mesh). This will leave a totally matte aspect. For a semi bright gloss, blast with fine glass beads.

Guillermo Marrufo
Monterrey, NL, Mexico

I rarely disagree with Mr. Marrufo, but both 220 and 320 will give far more etch than a true Vapor Hone. If you go with glass bead, use the smallest that you can get.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida

Totally agree with you, Jim. I should have suggested 600 at least which is the finest we can still get. No 800 here anymore.

Guillermo Marrufo
Monterrey, NL, Mexico

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