Laser rust removal looks fun

this is really cool and has a lot of possibilities. if only they were very affordable.
this would be a lot quicker cleaning up the underside of a coupe
 
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It is cool. I gave it a go on my G265 over the winter. It works much better on steel than it does on aluminum.

Real World Laser Cleaning and Rust Removal

The problem with functional transmission cases and motors is that you can’t shoot them with traditional media. If you do, you run the risk of getting media in the internals. That leaves you with three decent options Hand scrubbing, rotary brushes etc Dry ice blasting Laser cleaning I met up...
e9coupe.com e9coupe.com
 
What that guy didn’t say is that probably took him days and days. I think that laser cleaning has limited applications, particularly for sensitive stuff that is cleaned in situ. Even so, I would gravitate towards dry ice first.

This is something that you could do in your garage mess free, and rather quietly as well. Sound is on par with with tig welding aluminum.

Also, you can’t beat vapor honing for cast aluminum parts!
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Markos said:
What that guy didn’t say is that probably took him days and days. I think that laser cleaning has limited applications, particularly for sensitive stuff that is cleaned in situ. Even so, I would gravitate towards dry ice first. This is something that you could do in your garage mess free, and rather quietly as well. Sound is on par with with tig welding aluminum.

Also, you can’t beat vapor honing for cast aluminum parts!
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Wht does the equipment cost to do that? (Other than the compressor)
 
Nicad said:
Wht does the equipment cost to do that? (Other than the compressor)
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I kind of conflated that comment. Laser is mess free, sounds like Tig and is super expensive. Dry ice blasting is also rather costly, as you need a machine to make the pellets. I’ve seen a few “dry ice blasting” businesses for sale, the whole setup. Most dry ice outfits are mobile. I would say that you likely can’t do either for less than $10K.

Vapor honing is something you can definitely do at home. It is a modification of a traditional media blasting setup. Both guys that I use operate out of their garage with a basic media cabinet. There are plenty of youtube videos that cover this stuff.
 
I have a vapor hone cabinet at home and love if for its convenience. My better half hates it for the room that it (and the zinc plating rack) take up in the garage.

As @Markos says, it is really the way to clean cast aluminum parts. they come out factory fresh with no blast wear or hazing.
 
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