VO5
Well-Known Member
What is the best way to get a shine on aluminium cleats that have lost their shine through weathering ?
Any experience of this ?
Replies welcomed. Thanks.
Any experience of this ?
Replies welcomed. Thanks.
Aluminium Cleats.
- Thread starter VO5
- Start date
SHUG
Well-Known Member
If you are really keen you could rub them back to the metal ,re-polish them and get them anodised. Having said that, I expect you just want to polish them up in-situ!!!
sarabande
Well-Known Member
If the anodising has worn off then polishing them e.g. with Brasso will bring back a lovely polish.
For a few minutes - until oxidisation takes place.
You could polish, then lacquer them, but surface abrasion from warps will kill that too.
For a few minutes - until oxidisation takes place.
You could polish, then lacquer them, but surface abrasion from warps will kill that too.
Alpha22
Well-Known Member
Depending on how bad they are-
Wet and dry paper, 240 - 600 - 1200
then buff using a fast buffing wheel and suitable compound. They will look like chrome when finished.
Probably best done off the boat, but possible in situ with a a mop on a mains power drill.
Wet and dry paper, 240 - 600 - 1200
then buff using a fast buffing wheel and suitable compound. They will look like chrome when finished.
Probably best done off the boat, but possible in situ with a a mop on a mains power drill.
sarabande
Well-Known Member
Brasso is just petroleum distillate as the medium, plus some china clay. It really does work on raw aluminium, and does seem to prevent oxidisation for longer than I originally suggested.
D
Deleted member 36384
Guest
Solvol Autosol
V05 on my motorbike I use Solvol Autosol, its readily available and works well over the British salt infested winters.
http://www.thepolishingshop.co.uk/acatalog/Bike_Cleaning.html
Works well and maintains a shine for quite a while with perhaps some added protection, but I am not sure about that.
I would recommend it. If you are tarting her up for a sale, then wax after use as it will protect the aluminium for a while longer.
V05 on my motorbike I use Solvol Autosol, its readily available and works well over the British salt infested winters.
http://www.thepolishingshop.co.uk/acatalog/Bike_Cleaning.html
Works well and maintains a shine for quite a while with perhaps some added protection, but I am not sure about that.
I would recommend it. If you are tarting her up for a sale, then wax after use as it will protect the aluminium for a while longer.
VO5
Well-Known Member
Thanks for your replies. Very useful.
I am not tarting her up for sale. I love her. I have no intention of selling her.
But she does deserve the TLC the previous owner did not expend on her.
So bit by bit I want to attend to different bits, none of them serious, just cosmetic.
I am not tarting her up for sale. I love her. I have no intention of selling her.
But she does deserve the TLC the previous owner did not expend on her.
So bit by bit I want to attend to different bits, none of them serious, just cosmetic.
sarabande
Well-Known Member
BOB - that's an interesting observation about a possible'layer' of protection after using Autosol.
To assuage my curiosity, I have just cleaned part of an aluminium rod with Brasso, and stuck it out in the rain. I'll leave it till the front passes over and then see what if any oxidising has taken place. Probably too short a time to test polishing aluminium properly, but I like empirical testing
Photo to follow later today, insch'allah !
To assuage my curiosity, I have just cleaned part of an aluminium rod with Brasso, and stuck it out in the rain. I'll leave it till the front passes over and then see what if any oxidising has taken place. Probably too short a time to test polishing aluminium properly, but I like empirical testing
Photo to follow later today, insch'allah !
VO5
Well-Known Member
Actually, with soft metals that are not exposed to the weather its a different story. I have found that after cleaning brass thoroughly if given a coating of clockmakers varnish the brightness will last years. Another alternative is to use SWMBO's transparent nail varnish, which works very well too. Neither of these two ideas are suitable for use on cleats....Back to the drawing board I suppose....
sarabande
Well-Known Member
agreed, a milli or micron thick physical layer of varnish will abrade. What is needed is some form of nanoscale protective layer which does not involve anodising. I'll talk to someone whose a metallurgist, or maybe VicS will pop up with a solution.
macd
Well-Known Member
You won't have long to wait. The surface of aluminium oxidises to a stable oxide almost instantly in air. That's what protects it. The flakey white deposit that disfigures it is something else, probably some form of aluminium salts. Vyv Cox will no doubt be able to tell us what it is.
rob2
Well-Known Member
Damn the loss of British engineering! I was most taken with the deckgear on Shamrock. Apparently its a hard Titanium Oxide coating and for all the world looks like bronze! To think that I used to work on a vacuum deposition rig that could have done that on overtime!
Don't even start me on the availability of an ion beam welder!
Rob.
Don't even start me on the availability of an ion beam welder!
Rob.
BACUS
Well-Known Member
ali cleats
Just had my cleats reanodised but should have them mirror polished befor anodised for better results.
If they are pitted not a lot you can do about it
Regards Bacus
Just had my cleats reanodised but should have them mirror polished befor anodised for better results.
If they are pitted not a lot you can do about it
Regards Bacus
VO5
Well-Known Member
No, not pitted...just a dull colour, like lead.
