How to make aluminum look weathered. | FerrariChat

How to make aluminum look weathered.

Discussion in 'Technical Q&A' started by staatsof, Feb 24, 2019.

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  1. staatsof

    staatsof Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    #1 staatsof, Feb 24, 2019
    My local garage cracked two aluminum steps on my old Suburban and had them welded. But now these 20 year old steps look terribly "repaired" in a couple of spots and I'd like to try and touch those spots up instead of refinishing all 4 because frankly ... getting these two off was a real bear.

    Any ideas other than a lot of time ...

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  2. yelcab

    yelcab F1 World Champ
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    #2 yelcab, Feb 24, 2019
    Lend it to a construction crew, working with concrete, for a week.
     
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  3. Steve Magnusson

    Steve Magnusson Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #3 Steve Magnusson, Feb 24, 2019
    Won't guarantee that this will work for you (as you may have a different Al alloy), but I had a (bad) experience leaving some cast Aluminum parts in a Simple Green solution overnight thinking that it would clean them -- instead, it oxidized the heck out of the surface turning them a dark grey.
     
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  4. Smiles

    Smiles F1 World Champ
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    #4 Smiles, Feb 24, 2019
    Apple cider vinegar will make it look oxidized, but not that dark.

    Matt
     
  5. staatsof

    staatsof Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    #5 staatsof, Feb 24, 2019
    Well this is easy to try out. I'll carefully wrap a rag around the spots if the test spot works. Thanks.

    I also think the cement idea might work.

    My wife thinks I'm totally crazy considering the the hood is a complete mess having been blown back twice when it wasn't latched properly and now needs paint. Roof needs paint and both front fender flares need replacing. But the inside is still pretty nice and mechanically we've gone through a lot of things in the last 3 years. That 454 pulls like a very thirsty freight train and hauls big stuff very well.
     
  6. APA#1

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    #6 APA#1, Feb 25, 2019
    I have used lye before with good results
     
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  7. staatsof

    staatsof Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    #7 staatsof, Feb 25, 2019

    I forgot about that! During my early HS years I used lye solutions to frost aluminum panels for a huge electronics console I built.
    Thanks for reminding me.
     
  8. APA#1

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    #8 APA#1, Feb 26, 2019
    Want to get rid of latex paint on surfaces? Try ZEP industrial purple, takes it right off just like paint stripper.
     
  9. 335s

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    #9 335s, Feb 26, 2019
    warning: read labels with contents CAREFULLY.
    The "graying" which earlier poster refers to is an amount of a low molar content level of muriatic acid.
    This is a cheap-o degreasing agent formulation (added into many of the commercially available "cleaners/degreasing" solvents available at "big box" stores), but tears aluminum lattice alloys to shreds on surface...
    the typical resulting is "greying of the aluminum alloys...it will also grey the valve seats as well. It is strictly a surface discoloration and doesn't undercut integrity of steel alloys, merely discoloration, again...
    experiment with the ph-in both directions-half a point at a time, on test materials until you obtain the desired results
    Based on your description of the vehicle, I frankly don't get it?
     
  10. staatsof

    staatsof Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    #10 staatsof, Feb 28, 2019


    My wife agrees with you LOL but ... it's still a well functioning vehicle and I'm always of the opinion that if you let the condition of a car deteriorate it's not long before it goes to the wrecker. A lot of people run these vehicles for another 100K, I'm at 150K and the new equivalent is way more expensive than the maintenance is on this one.
     
  11. moysiuan

    moysiuan F1 Rookie
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    #11 moysiuan, Mar 3, 2019
    Easy off oven cleaner will darken it up, it is mostly just a convenient for of lye.
     
  12. staatsof

    staatsof Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    #12 staatsof, Mar 3, 2019
    Yes I know. I really miss their paste version as it worked great.
     
  13. staatsof

    staatsof Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    #13 staatsof, Apr 3, 2019

    Just to followup. I'm finished with repairing and bringing the appearance back to a weathered look. The lye crystals in solution using a foam brush not only cleaned a lot of crap off but did a good job of making it look reasonably uniform. Good enough for an old truck anyway. I'd have to go to Florence and study under the master forgers to do much better! LOL The more uniform medium gray areas on the mounting flanges is where I used a metallic epoxy filler to make up for eroded aluminum mounted next to the steel brackets. Now to fix the bent up brackets on the truck and bolt these back on. That's not so easy either as I can't get the brackets off of the truck WO a lot of work and expense. The plastic sills have to come out and those screws are really stuck in there.

    Thanks to everyone.

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