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Old 26th Jul 2014, 7:40 pm   #14
threeseven
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: Worcestershire, UK.
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Default Re: Achieving a brass-like Finish?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Radio Wrangler View Post
We use gold coloured aluchrome treated aluminium sheet as covers for our equipment and the finish looks like matted brass. Rather good indeed. We use diecast aluminium chassis and tried having some run through the same treatment, they came back sooty black. The aluminium alloys used for diecastings have various other metals added to improve their flow and fusing properties and they all count against good anodising processes like aluchrome
Yes, as I mentioned above, ali castings can't be anodised, I discovered this during my early motorcycle restorations.
However, there is a process used for protecting magnesium castings, some sort of chromating, which might be possible. This imparts a gold colour on Mag castings, looks very spiffy on Matchless G50 timing covers!
Problem is going to be cost for small one offs, inevitably the dreaded minimum order charge will be applicable.
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