Finishing off 3003 aluminum.

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With the things I'm making, I want to be able to finish it, maybe give it a brushed look, I used both white and red scotch brite pads, and I like the finish, but the one issue I have is smudging. If I finish it off and wash it with dawn or similar soap, would I still get the smudges?  Reason I ask is I have some aluminum that didn't have the pvc coating on it and I have small scratches, so I want to finish it of to get rid of them, I have since ordered the pvc covered stuff, and will most likely just sell them with the natural finish, but would like to offer a brushed look, just don't want it to get smudged after I brush it. these are radiator expansion tanks so they get fairly hot so i would think a clear coat would not be an option. Any suggestions?www.thefusionsolution.com
Reply:Hmmm I bet a clear alodine treatment would work well.
Reply:Until the aluminum reforms the protective oxidation coating (the anodizing, whether all by itself with enough time from exposure to the air or by actually running it through an anodizing process) or has some other sort of 'protective' coating applied (paint, powder-coat, etc), the aluminum will just smudge off.Note:  Weld filler 4043 will anodize (process, not 'natural' one) to a dark grey/black while 5356 filler generally gives a good anodizing color match to welded/weldable aluminum.Your call as to how much time/effort/$$$ to expend on protecting the aluminum.Last edited by MoonRise; 08-10-2011 at 02:10 PM.  The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:You can also buy aluminum with a #4 finish (brushed) with pvc covering.Have we all gone mad?
Reply:Catch 22 here.4043 WILL turn black when anodized, however, 5356 is not recommended for use where temps are above 165 deg F for sustained periods (expansion tank).Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:hmmm.. some things to think about.. painting is an option but being I don't have what I need to paint or powdercoat, I want to avoid that as much as possible.. I'll look into the prebrushed stuff.www.thefusionsolution.com