On Thu, 06 Apr 2006 03:26:10 GMT, Orval Fairbairn
wrote:

In article .com,
"Andrew Sarangan" wrote:

I am using the following steps for treating my aluminum parts:

- scrub clean with Acetone and scotchbrite
- dry
- scrub clean in Metalprep-79 and scotchbrite
- rinse in water
- repeat until water forms smooth sheet (water break test)
- dip in alodine 1201 until part turns golden brown
- rise in water

After the final rinse, the golden brown coating feels soft and
delicate, and could be rubbed off easily. I have to hang the part and
let it completely dry before touching it.

Golden brown is too much! All you need for best results is a light
golden hue. Keeping it in the Alodine too long actually reduces the
corrosion protection! About 10 - 20 minutes immersion should suffice.

All that I've done so far (which aint much) looks more like a gold
clear coat, or stain rather than an actual coating. Lots of coating
and lots of washing.

You can get it for steel or aluminum. I think the Alodine is the
same, but the prep solution is different.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com


Now, I can remove the alodine by scrubbing the part again with
Metalprep-79 and recover its original shiny surface. If it repeat the
above surface treatment all over again, I get a more stable coating
that looks more uniform and not so soft, and also appears slightly
darker in color.

I am not sure if I understand why this is happening. This has happened
every time I tried it, not just once, so it is not a random occurence.
Why is the re-coat giving me better results than the first-time coat?

You can also use a weak mixture of lye and water as a prep. For best
results, heat it to 120 deg F and dip the part for about 5 minutes.

Yes -- the aluminum must be free of dirt and grease befor starting the
process.