Anodized surfaces

[fbuccino]

What do people use to preserve an anodized surface?

[subscriber]

For the outside of firearm parts, nothing is required to preserve them: Anodizing is aluminum oxide and is chemically inert and quite hard. As long as you don't bang it on rocks and keep it reasonably clean it doesn't require any attention.

So; to preserve anodizing, treat it like stainless steel that is even more corrosion resistant than stainless steel.

For the inside parts that are anodized; if they rub on other parts, lube them.

[kcstott]

As stated above. Anodizing is Aluminum oxide. It is good to go as is. as close to a maintenance free surface as you can get.

[fbuccino]

Thanks!!!

[67Cuda]

Standard anodizing will fade in sunlight, hard anodizing will not fade.

[kcstott]

Standard anodizing will fade in sunlight, hard anodizing will not fade.

and that is a matter of the dye involved not the anodize layer.

If you type II anodized a part and dyed it with a carbon black dye it won't fade either. it's all the vegetable based dyes that fade.

[Eagle Eyes]

Ahhh have to disagree with some of you.


Just like Stainless steel if you do not clean you gun on a normal basis you can get acid etching in the surface. When burnt powder, certain oils and humidity mix together over long period it can become acidic and cause acid pitting.

In stainless they look like small black dots and on Anodized they can fade out the color and look like white spots over time.


You can also get corrosion if the surface is exposed to excessive salt water (stored on a boat in the ocean) and certain chemicals. In fact certain bore cleaners have been known to damage the surface and the thicker the surface the more microfractures there is allowing chemicals to reach the non oxidized aluminum underneath.

[subscriber]

Ahhh have to disagree with some of you.


Just like Stainless steel if you do not clean you gun on a normal basis you can get acid etching in the surface.

As long as you .... keep it reasonably clean it doesn't require any attention.

Sounds like agreement to me...

[kcstott]

Sounds like agreement to me...

Yeah I mean you still have to clean your weapons, What I mean by Maintenance free is that you do not need to worry about corrosion from it just sitting out with not to protect it.

Anything exposed to salt air or water will corrode. Even titanium

[wpage]

Its always fun to paint something,,,