Amuminum shine durability

[soligen]

It seems that teh popular choices for kitless fittings are brass and aluminum (or stainless if you have the right tooling)

We know brass takes on a patina, and have seen the opinions and methods for dealing with it, so my question is on aluminum. I know it can be polished to a high gloss and look really nice, but i've seen aluminim (not pen) with white oxidation.

So, my question is how long lasting is buffed-up glossy aluminum on a pen?

In my first kitless pen, I used aluminim rod from home depot. If there any real difference between using this vs. an alloy? (I see johnnycnc uses alloy 6061 if I remember correctly)

Thanks

 

[Russianwolf]

the alloy will lend some of the properties of the alloying metal to the Alum. That could be hardness (Copper added to Silver for example) or could be to retard oxidation (chromium added to Steel for example). So it depends on what you are looking for.

 

[ldb2000]

The Aluminum rod from HD was most likely 6061 , that is the most common alloy for machining . It does oxidize but if taken to a high shine the process will take some time and can be shined up with a little metal polish like Flitz or Brasso , my favorite is Nevrdull wadding http://www.nevrdull.com/ I give all my customers a small baggie of it to care for the Aluminum , Brass and Pewter parts on my kitless pens . A little piece and a light hand polish brings back the original shine very quickly .

 

[Acornelius]

The only way to keep it from oxidizing or tarnishing would be to have it clear anodized. With normal use this coating will about about 10 years.
If you have any plating shops close by they could probably do it. It might be best to have as many as possible done at one time. Most platers will charge a lot charge. You can get 10 for the same price as 1.

 

[Boz]

I have a couple of old vintage British motorcycles. They have a lot of aluminum parts. Once shined and polished I have found there are some metal sealers on the market that do a good job. The one that comes to mind is from a company called lustre lace. The Z plates on my Norton look like the day I finished them a year ago.

 

[DozerMite]

6061 will hold a shine practically indefinately if prepped, buffed and polished properly. Especially on a pen, they don't see the elements.
I have an aluminum pen I turned over 5 years ago and it still looks like the day it was finished.
Cast aluminum is a little different. It should have(not absolutely required) a sealant applied. Zoopseal is a real good product, but a bit pricey.
I've done intakes, valve covers, wheels, alt's., starters, and anything else that can be polished on a vehicle and have never used a sealant. Just keep it wiped down and a light coat of wax once a year.

 

[jttheclockman]

I agree, being aluminum for pens does not see harsh conditions, there is no reason the shine should not remain indefinetly. I have made this pen a little over a year ago and it is one of my everyday pens and gets alot of use. It still looks the same way as when I first made .it.
I used a brushed look as oppose to the full brilliant polish to hide the fingerprints better and it does that well. Good luck.

 

[workinforwood]

Ya'll took the words right out of my mouth. The pen will dull down a little bit with the acid from fingerprints, but not that much. It's not going to turn white and get crusty like the side of my 53 foot trailer unless you plan on storing your pen in the gutter all winter long. Brass is going to do the same thing..it'll brown down a tiny bit, but for the most part it will stay looking really good, if not better with age. Both materials are prone to scratches of course, but as long as they are not gouges, they are easily buffed out. Even stainless steel is prone to some age effects, dulling down a bit and is not completely scratch resistant. You leave it outside in regular rain it will get rust on it eventually, and it can also get that white color with big white chunks on it..that's salt corrosion.

 

[soligen]

Thanks for all the replies. I really like the light weight from using aluminum, and I have a past customer who expressed interested in an upgrade, but he felt some of my heavier pens and was concerned about weight.

From your replies I feel good about offering designs with external aluminum.

Thanks