Vapour Blasting Cape Town cleans and finishes parts with a slurry of water and fine abrasive. Also called vapor blasting, wet blasting or aqua blasting. Describe your parts once and compare quotes from contractors with a wet blasting cabinet.
- For motorcycle and car restorers, engine builders and anyone refurbishing alloy parts.
- Equipment, media and finish vary between contractors, so ask what they use.
Describe your parts once and compare vapour blasting quotes.
Get Vapour Blasting QuotesSuitable Parts
- Aluminium engine casings, crankcases, cylinder heads and gearbox housings.
- Carburettors, throttle bodies and brake callipers.
- Motorcycle and car wheels, hubs and fork legs.
- Stainless steel, brass and other parts that need a clean, even finish.
How It Differs From Dry Blasting
- Water cushions the media, so it cleans with less impact and leaves a smooth satin sheen rather than a rough profile.
- Far less dust, and the media is less likely to embed in soft alloy.
- Slower than dry grit blasting on heavy rust or thick paint.
- The terms are not standardised. Vapour, vapor, wet and aqua blasting can mean different machines, pressures and media, so compare by the finish shown in each contractor's examples.
What the Process Involves
- Strip the part: bearings, seals, gaskets, jets and anything rubber or plastic come out.
- Degrease. Heavy oil contaminates the slurry.
- Mask machined faces, threads, bores and bearing seats.
- Wet blast in a cabinet with a chosen media and pressure.
- Rinse, blow out every passage, and dry quickly to avoid staining.
Limitations and Preparation
- Engines must be stripped. Media in oilways and bearings destroys engines.
- It removes dirt, oxidation and light coatings. Thick paint or powder coat may need stripping first.
- Steel parts can flash rust after wet blasting unless an inhibitor is used and they are dried fast.
- Machined sealing faces need masking or a light touch.
Vapour Blasting Prices
We could not find a published South African vapour blasting price list. Contractors usually price per part from photos. Related costs on the same restoration:
| Item | Ballpark price |
|---|---|
| Vapour blasting, per part | Quoted per part - no reliable published rate |
| Dry abrasive blasting, for comparison | R80 - R150 per m² |
| Powder coating engine covers | From about R320 each |
| Powder coating a rocker cover | R700 - R900 |
| Powder coating a gearbox casing | About R1,200 |
Ballpark figures, not quotations. Compiled from price guides and price lists published on South African websites (published between April 2025 and October 2025, plus one undated powder-coating price list), checked 13 October 2026 and rounded. Most are national or Gauteng guides, so Cape Town quotes can differ. Unless a row says so, the sources do not state whether VAT is included, so confirm VAT on every quote. Photos, an inspection and a written quote set the actual price.
What Affects a Vapour Blasting Quote
- Number, size and complexity of parts.
- Whether parts arrive stripped and degreased.
- Old paint or powder coat that must come off first.
- Masking of machined surfaces and threads.
- Finish wanted, and any sealing or clear coat after.
What to Send With Your Request
- A list of parts and photos of each.
- The metal: aluminium, magnesium, steel or brass.
- Whether they are stripped and degreased.
- The finish you want, and your timing.
For other blasting methods, see Sandblasting Cape Town.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is vapour blasting the same as wet blasting or aqua blasting?
They all describe blasting with water and abrasive. Machines, pressures and media differ between contractors, so the finish can differ too. Ask for examples on similar parts.
Can a complete engine be vapour blasted?
Not safely. Engines should be stripped so media and water cannot get into oilways, bearings and passages.
Will vapour blasting remove paint?
It removes light coatings and oxidation. Thick paint or powder coat is often chemically stripped first, which adds cost.
Does vapour blasted aluminium need sealing?
Not always, but the satin finish marks and oxidises over time. Some owners add a clear coat or sealant. Ask what the contractor recommends.
Can steel parts be vapour blasted?
Yes, but they can flash rust from the water. Contractors use rust inhibitors and dry the parts quickly.
Related Services
Sandblasting Cape Town is a free quote-comparison service. Work is assessed, quoted and carried out by independent contractors, and your agreement is with the contractor you appoint. Ask each one for a written quote, what is and is not included, proof of insurance and the payment terms before paying anything.
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