When [bdk6] tried painting aluminum for digital projects, he identified it didn’t are likely to continue to be painted. It would conveniently scratch off or, eventually, even flake off. The trouble is the paint does not want to adhere to the aluminum oxide coating all over the metal. Investigation ensued, and he found an post in an old ham radio magazine about a approach that he could adapt to get fantastic results portray aluminum.
Essentially, paint seemingly adheres poorly, even to non-oxidized aluminum. So the strategy is to cleanse and take out as substantially aluminum oxide as possible. Then the procedure will convert the aluminum floor to something the paint sticks to improved. Of system, you also want the right sort of paint.
The vital ingredients are phosphoric acid and zinc phosphate. Phosphoric acid is discovered in soft drinks, but is also bought as a concrete and steel prep for portray. The zinc phosphate is component of a unique paint recognized as a self-etching primer.
Cleaning usually takes cleaning soap, elbow grease, and sandpaper. The up coming phase is a very long soak in the phosphoric acid. Then you implement a few coats of self-etching primer and sand. At the time it is all established, you can paint with your regular paint. Which is commonly epoxy-based mostly paint for [bdk6].
Of training course, you can also dye aluminum while anodizing it. Soldering aluminum also has its problems.