I'd like to clear a raw (scuffed) aluminum piece...are there any tricks I should know about? I'm looking to keep the raw finish but keep oxidation at bay as much as possible. I talked to a paint manufacturer who said there was no guaranteed way to do it, so I was just thinking of cleaning it up REALLY good and spraying some clear on it. Thanks for any info! Curt
i checked into it a while ago,,, seems the universal answer is "its going to yellow and cause headaches when you wanna strip it off"
I beleive he ment the clear will yellow. I work in a shop building aluminum boats and from what I've been told it is really hard to get paint to stick to aluminun and we use special epoxy paints. Unless you are going to leave this piece outside in the elements and especially near salt water I would not worry about oxidation to much, aluminun is pretty good about staying "fresh" if not left outside. Also if it does start to oxidize you can always re-scuff it.
If you clearcoat polished aluminum you'll see a definite light loss and clear gets yellower as it ages. On an unpolished surface clear will make it look flatter and more reflective. (That's what it's for) I don't know how well the clear will bond to aluminum, but people do it all the time. Ie, bike manufacturers do not use etchants on the fork lowers or casings. They clear straight over it. Find out what they use on Showa fork legs and you'll be in with a chance. I'm sure somebody on the board has good knowledge on clears and aluminum. I normally recommend avoiding clears because they detract from a super polished finish. On an unpolished or scuffed finish I see know reason why you can't find what you need and get it to do a good job.
Did I hear someone say"GIBBS"? There is a sealer from Eastwood that I have used, but after a while it looks cloudy.-MIKE
Memory is fading, but I think I recall that Yamaha sell the best clear for aluminum, and that yellowing is lessened the less the piece is exposed to heat: ie: more heat, more yellow. In any event, the bike manufacturers will more likely have what you want (not sure about H-D, the japanese are more likely to clear their aluminum.) Cosmo
What about that new stuff ZOOP sells? Anyone tried that and had in on for long enough to see if it yellows?
I know it's not a perfect solution, but I have had great luck with wd-40 on the bare aluminum on my motorcycles. When it gets dirty you just brakeclean it and re-apply. Just don't ever try to paint over it! I also recommend using a brass brush for prepping, it's softer than steel and it wont leave particles that will rust.
How about having it clear powdercoated instead of painted? Most new factory aluminum wheels are powdercoated these days.
ppg has a sys. that works very well, I have used it on intakes to wheels. Start with thorough cleaning /degreasing 'polished parts do not have to be sanded 'anything else should. start with "metalprep" mixed at correct ratio ,rinse then apply alum. conditioner again at correct ratio and i must add use cold water or yellowing may occur.dry off and shoot with dau-75 mixed correctly,light coats. I have never seen this chip peel or yellow. It is costly to get set up and these are acids that you cannot take lightly (safety precautions) then the dau -75 clear needs hardener but no reducer. but you will be able to do a lot of pieces of alum. hope this helps , dave
After someone gave me a can of Gibbs Brand, I tried it on bare magnesium, aluminum, steel, and cast iron. I was so happy with the results I became a dealer for it. Here's a link to the page I wrote about it: http://www.roadsters.com/gibbs/ If you take the time to read that page it will explain pretty much everything you need to know about Gibbs. Dave http://www.roadsters.com/
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