From: tarumph@uncc.edu (Timothy Allen Rumph)
Subject: Re: Al and Steel : some questions
Reply-To: tarumph@uncc.edu
Organization: University of NC at Charlotte
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 14:53:26 GMT

In article 1389@blue.cis.pitt.edu, fmg@alpha.smi.med.pitt.edu (Filip Gieszczykiewicz) writes:
>
>	Greetings. My first post here so be gentle in your approach :-)
>
>	1) I am making some of my armour at a local armorer. I have also
>	   been folowing a long and heated thread on rec.org.sca about
>	   how "Aluminum does not look/is authentic"... Since there is
>	   no way back (and the reduced weight is my goal) I would like
>	   to do something to make my armor look more like period "stuff".
>
>	   a) I can paint it - but it will look nice for the first few
>	      blows (yes, my armor will see "action" :-) I could always
>	      reapply the paint but this will make it a nightmare.
>	   b) I can anodize it - yes, but how and how good is the result.
>	      I would also like to point out that we fight with duct-tape-
>	      covered-rattan (wood) not (ouch) live steel. How well does
>	      anodized Al stand up to abuse? Also, I would be interested
>	      in COLOR... (being into electronics) I have some Al heat-
>	      sinks that are black - coal black. Even if this DOES look
>	      better than shiny Al... I don't even want to think how well
>	      it absorbs the suns rays on a good summer sunny day! So,
>	      what are my options? I was thinking of anodizing my armor and
>	      then (since the surface was very rough) painting it with
>	      metal enamel... will this work?
>

Sorry, but Al is not going to look like steel no matter what you do.  Some of the 
     anodyzing treatments can result in a surface as hard as mild steel, but this will
     probably not help much with impact resistance. They are availble in many colors,
     none of which are period.
There was some naturally occuring Al used for show armour that is period. It was very
     rare though, since aluminum was more valuable than gold at that time. This may
     seem strange but Al is made by applying large amounts of electricity to bauxite,
     only a recent development.
     
>	2) I also have many steel armor parts. Here my concern is not with
>	   color as it is with rust. We practice on wet grass and even on
>	   light rain days (picture of the wizard of Oz's Tin-man comes to
>	   mind :-) Most folks I know wax their metal. I've seen it and
>	   it does work. It does, however, need reapplication every few
>	   blows as it comes off quite easily. I know, I know, even the
>	   best plating will need reapplication now and then... but not as
>	   OFTEN! So, my options are:
>

Waxes and oils are your best bets. The rust resistant treatments work mostly by making
     the rust not fall off rather than preventing it in the first place. Also, any 
     plating is not period (no electricity.)

>	   a) Paint it (as it is now) but it comes off a lot. I used one of
>	      those "bronze" $2/can metal enamels from a local plumbing
>	      store and it allows me to spray it every now and then with no
>	      bad effects. BUT: I do have to spray it every practice...
>	   b) Plate - how and how good?... 
>
>	4) (with all that metal-related stuff above maybe I can get away
>	   with this one :-) Has anyone come across a source of plate
>	   Lexan? I think that's the spelling. It's like Plexiglass but
>	   VERY durable. (for the SCA folks about ready to scream - no,
>	   this is not related :-) I know a few folks who have made cases
>	   from said materials for their camcorders. I have a cheap, old one
>	   that I plan to snorkel with and don't feel like shelling out $5K
>	   for the "real thing(tm)". I need about 5 square feet and up to
>	   1/2 inch thick. Anyone?
>

As was mentioned before, availble but expensive. Look in the Yellow Pages under 
     Plastics - Distributors.

Tim Rumph
tarumph@mosaic.uncc.edu
KD4OWS@W4BFB.#CLT.NC.USA.NA
(704)455-5259

Newsgroups: rec.crafts.metalworking