Metal finishing Q&As since 1989
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How to seal a cast aluminum part, for outdoor use
Q. I have a cast aluminum piece that I want to seal. What kind of paint/procedure will be the most durable against moisture and abrasion?
Lisa Hurtado- San Francisco, California, USA
Q. Was wondering how you would go about sealing aluminum from exposure and fading etc for outside uses.
Brian Wimbish- Farmington, New Mexico, USA
A. Lisa: hard coat anodizing is an extremely abrasion-resistant finish.
Brian: two-step / integral color anodizing won't fade; an alternative is Kynar powder coatings.
Unfortunately these questions are a bit abstract and tough to answer. We don't know if you are an architect trying to fix an existing skyscraper, an OEM planning a process for millions of parts, or a consumer with one piece of yard art. And there are so many potential finishes :-)
Please do your best to describe your situation. Thanks!
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Q. I have an old Hobart meat saw made of cast aluminum how can I seal it to be safe to cut meat.
dave law- Ringling oklahoma u.s.a.
April 19, 2012
"Anodizing and Coloring of Aluminum Alloys"
by S. Kawai
on
AbeBooks
or
eBay
or
Amazon
Sorry, this book was not available from any of these sources in Oct. 2023, but we'll maintain the links in case a copy turns up :-)
(affil links)
A. Hi Dave.
Aluminum is a food-safe surface. Whatever paint or coating you could apply probably isn't.
The blade could be anodized, which is probably the best answer, but anodizing is not a casual D-I-Y process like painting. I'm not saying you can't anodize at home (some hobbyists do) but most people would consider it a project to send away to an anodizing shop. Good luck.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
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