Thread: Brasso...

Originally Posted by Hawkeye5

MAAS or Flitz works better for polishing. If anything, I slightly prefer Flitz.

Do others find this to be true? I couldn't find MAAS and bought Flitz; if it's as good or better, I'll stop looking for MAAS.

Reading your enthusiasm about Flitz I looked at their site and found that Flitz is only advertised for stainless steel. Spotting of carbon steel is IMO a far greater problem. However, I haven't found the words carbon steel nor rust anywhere on their site.

So my question is: which Flitz product do you guys use for carbon steel?

The tube on my workbench says it's for "Metal, Plastic and Fiberglass." I just found the cardboard card the tube was packaged on, and the back says,

Guaranteed to Safely Clean & Protect: Brass, Copper, Silverplate, Sterling, Chrome, Stainless Steel, Nickel, Bronze, Solid Gold, Aluminum, Anodized Aluminum, Pewter, Magnesium, Beryllium, Platinum, Acrylic, Factory Gun Bluing, Painted Surfaces, Glass, Formica, Cultured Marble, Corian, Plexiglass, Eisenglas and Fiberglass. Safely Removes: Tarnish, Rust, Water Stains, Chalking, Lime Deposits, Heat Discoloration, Lead & Powder Residue, Oxidation, Fingerprints, Flies, Tree Sap, Bird Droppings, Griffiti, and Dyes. Not For: Electroplated Finishes.

Doesn't specifically say carbon steel, but it does say it removes rust, which implies other than stainless . . . also says not for electroplated finishes, but says it's good for anodized aluminum, which if I'm correct, is an electroplated finish, no?

I don't think that anodizing is electroplating.
I seem to remember somewhere that it is a controlled oxidization process.

IIRC rubies are aluminum oxide and when you anodize aluminum to red you are actually turning the surface to rubies.

I know someone is going to question this so I'll go look for where I found it.

can't find it... oh well... must not be true

Okay, I just looked up anodizing (should have done it before) and it's an electrochemical process putting an oxide finish on the aluminum. So it's similar to electroplating, because the metal being finished is an electrode (the anode here), but with electroplating there's a sacrificial hunk of nickel or whatever that's being deposited on the base metal. With anodizing it's using the current to cause a chemical reaction.

Originally Posted by gratewhitehuntr

I don't think that anodizing is electroplating.
I seem to remember somewhere that it is a controlled oxidization process.

IIRC rubies are aluminum oxide and when you anodize aluminum to red you are actually turning the surface to rubies.

I know someone is going to question this so I'll go look for where I found it.

I've got a question ... what on earth is aluminum??

James.

Originally Posted by Jimbo

I've got a question ... what on earth is aluminum??

James.

AKA aluminium

Originally Posted by Jimbo

I've got a question ... what on earth is aluminum??

James.

Don't be so....Australian James!!
Next you'll be requesting us "Yanks" to insert the letter u in places it doesn't belong!

Just kiddin' with you guys You say potato, I say potarto...I'm not falling for the old "U" debate again - Steve got me a beauty with that one

James.