Best finish for aluminum bolster?

sogflash

sogflash

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Aug 28, 2011
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What is the best finish for an aluminum bolster? If remember correctly polished aluminum get scratched just by looking at it the wrong way.
Because of that I'm thinking a course sanded finish with the sanding marks going in a straight line between the top and bottom will look better. What do you think? Have you used aluminum for bolsters?
 
You can blacken with a solution (Al Black) or stonewash too. It is hard to get a good even black finish I think.

What alloy, heat treated 7075-T6 or 6061 is pretty tough stuff.
 
Stonewash sounds interesting.

I have no idea what alloy, just random aluminum I had laying around.
 
Aluminum is too soft. If you use it you would certainly only do a satin or brush finish.

Most folks use stainless steel or nickel silver (which is actually Nickel Brass and has no silver in it). Titanium is also used but is somewhat difficult to work and takes special precautions. Other choices that are not white are brass and steel. Steel can be heat blued to look very nice.
 
I'm glad this was brought up.....I've been thinking about This too?

I like the look, and weight of aluminum.
Wondering about scratches and nicks?

Options....
1. Live with it.
2. Brush or tumbled
3. Hardcoat anodized
4. Distressed, purposefully dinged and beaten?
 
I use G10 or Micarta for guards. MUCH easier to slot and match up with the handles :) It's cheating, I know!
 
I'm gonna diverge here a bit and suggest a surface treatment rather than a finish. Hard anodizing would be cool, and my first choice.

Attaching aluminum bolsters I think is a bigger issue here, since aluminum pins would not be strong and any other material wouldn't match. I feel like peening a steel pin into aluminum would be a pain in the ass.

Fasteners would be my solution.
 
I have seen a few (very few) knife makers using aluminum for bolsters. Faulkner Knives comes to mind. He takes it to a high polish. I believe he uses 7075 aluminum.

You could always design the hole placement to be decorative and use either mosaic pins or brass/copper pins to affix the bolster. something like what Horsewright Horsewright does.

My concern with raw aluminum (uncoated/untreated) is that when it oxidizes it forms a whiteish powder. I have seen this on a few 1911 frames that were left raw, as well as on exposed small boat parts.
 
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That makes sense...brackish and salt water on the Riverine boats, and sweaty palms on the pistol frame.
 
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