Raw Aluminum?

J

Jackal

Joined
Oct 5, 1998
Messages
1,830
Well, it's not exactly for a set of knive scales...it's my bike frame. I have a 6061-T6 "Super Heat Treated Al. Alloy" clear anodized bicycle. It's all scratched up, so I figured I'd get me a fine wire brush to attach to a power drill and give it a swirled / brushed look. Will I have any problems with the raw Al.? I know it tends to corrode and turns "white" but what causes this, and can it be prevented? Thanks guys!!!

-AR
 
Just like steel, if you buff it up, it corrodes less. Also, as MikeS said, if you wax it or laquer it, it will hold up much longer, but leave another surface to scratch.
 
Thanks guys...how bad is 6061-T6 Super Heat Treated Al. Alloy about corroding? If it does corrode, how would I go about restoring it? It can't be as bad as say, 1095 or O2. ;) What corrodes Al. anyway? Water?

-AR
 
Just like steel, aluminum oxidizes in the presence of oxygen. When aluminum corrodes/oxidizes it turns powdery white as steel goes to red rust.

The corrosion/oxidation is also aggrevated by salts and acids, like sweaty palms....but on the bright side, the oxidation will be slight where the shiney surfaces turn dull and lack luster. Then it can be cleaned up quickly with a scotch bright pad or steel wool.

My 2 cents:

-Rob Frink
 
rfrink, what kind of bike is it? In the years I worked as a shop mechanic, I saw quite a few cracked frames, but none due to corrosion. Aluminum has a definite stress fatigue lifespan and when it's up, cracks happen. From a structural point of view, a "naked" aluminum frame is no problem. Most rims and things are not anodized, either, and they get way more abuse than the frame without any problems. If you really want to shine up your frame without putting too much effort into it, use some stuff called Simichrome. You should be able to buy it at any hardware store. Grab a clean rag, put a dot on the frame and wipe in circular motions and that thing will look like a mirror in no time at all. Doing the whole frame sucks, but it can be done. The biggest thing to worry about with aluminum frames is making sure the steel components are not fusing themselves to the inside. Make sure you grease anything steel, like stems, steering tubes on forks, and seatposts, or you'll never break them free. Same goes for Ti, but titanium components require a special antiseize compound.
 
It's a '99 Diamond Back Assualt EX. Everything else is aftermarket and I rebuilt it several times. We have some Semi-Chrome. THe big $50 tub in fact, but I hear they stopped exporting it so it'll be hard to come by? Anyway...I may try that, but it may be easier to wire brush is the clear is pretty scratched in places...I dunno, maybe theirs something I can rig up to high-speed polish it with a drill or dremmel. I dunno...I'd like to just get a new one, as I need ANOTHER new set of 3 pc. cranks...I go through em' like nothing.

-AR
 
i lot of the frames i've seen are polished then laquered. not sure about the aluminum frames. you should think about switching to titanium, slightly heavier, but stronger.
 
Titanium is not only heavier, but infinitely more expensive and a lot different feel. If you are used to the stiffness of aluminum, titanium will feel a bit like a sponge. You could have the aluminum frame bead blasted for a few bucks at an auto parts place, too, but you have to be careful not to remove too much material. In my experience, simichrome polishes aluminum quickly no matter how bad it is. If your frame is 3-5 years old, you should probably think about changing it anyway. If you are beating cranks that badly, then you have a hard riding style on your components and the frame is due for a crack any day now. If you're tired of crank problems, suck up the three pound weight penalty and put some Profiles on there. Good luck bashing those!
 
Yep, lookin into the Profiles...doubt I'd destroy those too fast, besides, they sport that lifetime warrenty. ;) Thinkin' about goin back to a 4130 frame.

-AR
 
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