QUESTION ON POLISHED ALUMINUM BARE FRAME

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Gents,
I bought an unpainted aluminum frame. I went ahead polishing it. Any
compound to coat it perhaps laquer to protect the surface against
corrosion? Thank you for your advice.

In article <1eeb936f.0404150720.264f132a@posting.google.com>,
ilam@rocketmail.com says...
>
>
>Gents,
>I bought an unpainted aluminum frame. I went ahead polishing it. Any
>compound to coat it perhaps laquer to protect the surface against
>corrosion? Thank you for your advice.

clear paint.
-----------
Alex

Vintage wrote:
> Gents, I bought an unpainted aluminum frame. I went ahead polishing it.
> Any compound to coat it perhaps laquer to protect the surface against
> corrosion? Thank you for your advice.



I would use Mothers Mag & Aluminum polish, intended for automotive
applications. Automotive clear coat would also work. Laquer usually
doesn't hold up well on frames that are used in regular riding service.



--

ilam@rocketmail.com (vintage) writes:

>Gents,
>I bought an unpainted aluminum frame. I went ahead polishing it. Any
>compound to coat it perhaps laquer to protect the surface against
>corrosion? Thank you for your advice.

I have heard that it's not a good idea to use clear paint, as it has a
hard time sticking to a mirrored surface, so it's easy to chip,
whereupon the frameset turns grey, and moreover even fine pinholes can
cause the frameset to turn grey.

If you enjoy the mirrored effect of a highly (1200 - 2000 grit, or
buffing wheel) polished frame, your best choice is probably to wax the
frame, so that it's easy to strip the wax and repolish it in a year or
two when it invariably will oxidize.

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

On 15 Apr 2004 08:20:12 -0700, ilam@rocketmail.com (vintage) may have
said:

>Gents,
>I bought an unpainted aluminum frame. I went ahead polishing it. Any
>compound to coat it perhaps laquer to protect the surface against
>corrosion? Thank you for your advice.

Automotive clearcoat (used as the final step over better metallic
paint jobs) would probably be your best bet, but getting it to stick
to polished aluminum is not always easy, and the stuff you can get in
aerosol cans is, in my experience, for want of a more polite term,
crap.

I'd use a good grade of automotive aluminum wheel polish, and just
renew it every 6 months or so.

--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail.
Typoes are not a bug, they're a feature.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

vintage wrote:

> Gents,
> I bought an unpainted aluminum frame. I went ahead polishing it. Any
> compound to coat it perhaps laquer to protect the surface against
> corrosion? Thank you for your advice.

I'd use a metal polish like Simichrome or Met-all, which have silicone wax in
them to keep the metal shiny. A once a year buffing routine should keep your
frame looking good, without your having to worry about a clearcoat peeling off.

Matt O.

On Thu, 15 Apr 2004 08:20:12 -0700, vintage wrote:

> Gents,
> I bought an unpainted aluminum frame. I went ahead polishing it. Any
> compound to coat it perhaps laquer to protect the surface against
> corrosion? Thank you for your advice.

I had one that had been clearcoated, and wound up taking it off (not
easy). Clearcoat became scratched, and there was nothing to do for it.
It also scraped off a bit, and the bare metal got a bit corroded.

Once the clearcoat was off, it was easier to maintain, but still too much
to fuss with. You can polish it better without the clearcoat, but it does
take regular polishing to keep it looking OK.

I now have a ti frame. Much better. Maintenance consists of wiping the
mud off occasionally.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | Some people used to claim that, if enough monkeys sat in front of
_`\(,_ | enough typewriters and typed long enough, eventually one of them
(_)/ (_) | would reproduce the collected works of Shakespeare. The
internet has proven this not to be the case.

I would say leave it bare and wax it every now and then. Clear paints
(except perhaps exterior marine polyurethane) are not good oxygen
barriers. the Al will still eventually oxidize. Car wax is easy to
remove.

- -

"May you have the wind at your back.
And a really low gear for the hills!"

Chris Zacho ~ "Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

Chris'Z Corner
http://www.geocities.com/czcorner

Have it clear anodized.

"vintage" <ilam@rocketmail.com> wrote in message
news:1eeb936f.0404150720.264f132a@posting.google.com...
> Gents,
> I bought an unpainted aluminum frame. I went ahead polishing it. Any
> compound to coat it perhaps laquer to protect the surface against
> corrosion? Thank you for your advice.

I just do the same thing I do for aluminum wheels on a car, polish and wax.
Looks nice.

C.Q.C.

If you want something more permanent, contact a powdercoater and ask about
having a clear powdercoat put on the frame. Powdercoating is much, much more
durable then any paint coating (although 2k polyurethane is also very
strong), but is a permanent coating so if you change your mind later on than
you will be in trouble...

Sasha

"vintage" <ilam@rocketmail.com> wrote in message
news:1eeb936f.0404150720.264f132a@posting.google.com...
> Gents,
> I bought an unpainted aluminum frame. I went ahead polishing it. Any
> compound to coat it perhaps laquer to protect the surface against
> corrosion? Thank you for your advice.