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Gold Tone Finish for Aluminum
Q. I am restoring a 1940s advertising clock whose outer edge was originally a gold tone. The clock is made from a thin stamped piece of aluminum that has been painted and decorated with paper pictures of the product glued to the surface. The thin round aluminum sheet is mounted a piece of fiberboard. The clock is approximately 20 inches in diameter and the gold tone edge is approximately 1 -1/2 inches wide and contains raised painted numbers. The gold tone has faded away over the years and only remains on a small portion of the surface that was covered be the bezel ring. The gold tone inscription that was under the glass is still bright.
I would like to restore the clock to its original appearance. I'm guessing the original was an anodized finish. I have investigated using a chem-film finish like Alodine 1201
⇦ on
eBay
or
Amazon [affil link] and then covering it with a clear lacquer. I could do this but I'm a little concerned about doing it in a home environment. I don't really need a finish for harsh environments I would just like to re-create the original glossy gold tone finish.
Does anyone have suggestions on to best achieve the desired look?
Hobbyist - Lutherville, Maryland, USA
August 29, 2012
A. Hi Michael. There are paints made for this purpose. They are not perfect, but they're not bad -- and they're very practical. Anodizing or Alodining that old clock would be a big job with a good amount of dangerous chemicals and required expertise.
See letter 26417, "True gold anodizing spray paint?"
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
(Ted can offer longterm or instant help)
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
August , 2012
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