Preventing Aluminum Oxidation

Hello everyone,

Aside from my wiring harness disaster, I did manage to make a little progress on my brake caliper this weekend. Now that I have her polished up real nice and pretty, how do I keep it this way?



...and me after the job!



Kevin

Easy. Wrap it in cotton wool then put it in the back of your sock drawer.
They do tend to get grimy using them as intended.
Ta.

needing said:

Easy. Wrap it in cotton wool then put it in the back of your sock drawer.

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That is a good first start ... but it is not a real long term solution either.

I have found the best way to keep aluminum shiney, is to chrome plate it.

Slick

Car wax (polish) applied occasionally.

Based on my experience chrome on aluminum is not a good idea. I was at a swap meet this past weekend and there was a Commando there that had been chromed . Most of it was flaking off. I also have a T-150 motor that the PO chromed the primary cover and timing cover. It was flaking off and looked like garbage. It was not cheap getting them de-chromed and ready for polish. As for your now polished parts I use a product that I picked up at a bike show http://www.masterformulapolish.com. By the way I have now financial interest in this company but the products do work. They claim their metal sealer gloss lasts for one year. I used it on my Commando Z-plates and other polished aluminum and 5 years latter they still look great. Full disclosure my bike is only ridden occasionally to vintage events and such and it is stored for the winter in a heated facility with the rest of my bikes.

Alloy parts like all good motorcycle parts are just like a good spouse. They need a good rub down on a fairly regular basis to stay happy.

2 pack clear lacquer works well.

boz said:

Based on my experience chrome on aluminum is not a good idea. I was at a swap meet this past weekend and there was a Commando there that had been chromed . Most of it was flaking off. I also have a T-150 motor that the PO chromed the primary cover and timing cover. It was flaking off and looked like garbage. It was not cheap getting them de-chromed and ready for polish. As for your now polished parts I use a product that I picked up at a bike show http://www.masterformulapolish.com.

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Like most things, there is a right way and a cheap way .... I had my gearbox outer cover professionally (not the DIY or sleazy garage operation) chrome plated over 50 years ago .... no pitting or flaking. Any chrome plating should be taken to a pro .... it is not cheap, but inexpensive compared to the experience you relate.

Thanks for the tip on the metal sealer ...I will give it a try.

FWIW .... there used to be, maybe still is, a product called "Simichrome". It polished up aluminum with an amazing chrome like luster .... only it did not last.

Slick

Gtsun knows about maintining women and cycles, look in their eyes, low soft voice and lots of petting at the right speed and direction. I've tried various clear coat paints which work for a few season in my conditions to allow easy wipe off for factory level semi-gloss shine, then patches-streaks tend to errode away more and more till more ugly than protective with heated parts going sour sooner. When I polished up next Peel parts as crisis upon crisis hit to realize they'd be a decade uninstalled I hunted online for a good reviews of protective coating to settle on Zoop Seal alu sealer which car guys that drove to shows said lasted 2-4 yr of just pre show wipe off back to gleaming. It seemed to work pretty well but now see they have closed doors maybe the special sealer mentioned above is as good.

After reading up on Alu anodizing and my wifes gemology hobby realized that alu oxide is clear sapphire like non sctach watch lens so have added flame finishing with a propane tourch that tends to smooth and seal a bit more, similar to finishing a wax object with a thin layer of melt that smooths it out to shiny. Heat and oxygen forms layer and clean combustion only produces C02 & H2O and there is a method called steam anodizing so tired it to be semi-pleased to do before final protective wax polish.

All the above still only lasts a few seasons of real life exposure and bugger to refresh so will try Strongarm "oil" wipe downs in future as labor savor and see if its sales pitch holds up.

texasSlick said:

FWIW .... there used to be, maybe still is, a product called "Simichrome". It polished up aluminum with an amazing chrome like luster .... only it did not last.

Slick

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Simichrome is still available and works very well on chrome and stainless, but, for aluminum, I've had better luck with Mother's Mag Wheel Polish. A bit of elbow grease is necessary, but the resulting shine is worth it. Wax on, wax off. Now that your caliper's shine is where you want it, the Mother's will help keep it that way with a "minimal" amount of energy. And, thanks to a quick search for this link, I learned that it's available at my local Walmart store. http://www.walmart.com/ip/20896445?wmls ... 92&veh=sem Protecting the Norton and watching People of Walmart at the same time. Win-win! http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/page/2/

Aircraft practice is to use a chromate conversion coating. It usually gives a colour and contains hydrofluoric acid however it is the only way I know to stop aluminium becoming oxidised. Alodine 1200 is one of the commonly used products. There are also conversion coatings available for magnesium. That green-grey coating on manx Norton crankcases can be reproduced.

http://www.henkelna.com/product-search- ... 7997105153

Mother's Mag and Aluminum Polish. British bits are polished by a process called "tumbling" which closes the grain of the alloy. A tumbled part can always be freshened up with a rag, some good polish and elbow grease. You could probably have your shiny stuff clear anodized, but that tends to look a little cloudy compared to a freshly polished part.

Chrome is for Harleys.

Thank you! I will give Mother a chance.

Kevin

Danno said:

Chrome is for Harleys.

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Yeah!!!

...and Royal Enfields!

I use Autosol (Alloy polish) and magwheel cleaner (a fiber with polish mixed with it) together and a bit of elbow grease, I only polish my Norton once a year on its birthday (when I brought it new) and the rest of the year I just ride it, I only clean my bike when its looks dirty with just a detergent degreaser or when I am going to do some work on it, but with the polishing the alloy starts to get a bit dull when the year of riding is coming up and doesn't take to much elbow grease to get it looking good again, plus it fun doing a bit of hand polishing with a few cold beers on hand and even better when you have a few mates helping (usualy they be drinking the beers and watching me do all the work) but good company, lots of beer drinking and just talking motorcycles, what a great day it turns out to be, I look forward to that day evey year in June.

Ashley

Onder said:

...and Royal Oilfields!

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FIFY

I once went to a rally where there was this beautiful Laverda. I asked the owner how he got it looking so shiny. He said he spent a week I the polishing shop then kept it looking good with Super-Bright Polish which he bought from the platers he had the bike prepared at [ ACP Chrome Platers in Hamilton NZ ]. I bought it and think its better than Autosol. Cant get my aluminium looking like his but it is easy to keep shiny now on my 2 Commando's.
Dereck