rust/oxidation free metal?

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boardsportsrule

[H]ard|Gawd
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Nov 27, 2003
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what type of strong, thin metal( by strong i mean, i can make a box of it and it wont bend easily..i want it to hold its shape unless i put it under alot of pressure...probably more then an average person can give out with their hands... and by thin i mean ~ 1/8-1/16") is available at home depot type places...but here's the thing, i dont want it to rust or oxidize in any way..i found this REALLY good stuff..perfect actually, but it's doveloped rust in normal living conditions..
 
Galvanized steel? Stainless steel?
You could just clear coat or anodize any type of metal to prevent it from rusting.
I clear coated my wheels after sanding it down to bare metal, not a bit of rust, i used acrylic sealer. Gives it a bit more shine and makes it smoother.
 
will those both give the same metal look as all metal? sorry, to some these questions may be basic, but metal aint quite my thing...
 
boardsportsrule said:
will those both give the same metal look as all metal? sorry, to some these questions may be basic, but metal aint quite my thing...
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tell us what kinda look you are going for. I would really worry about rust too much anyways. if it is gonna be in an environment where it will rust (bathroom, outside, damp basement), you might want to rethink everything b/c there will be hardware issues with that much moisture around.
 
no, it isnt, but the metal i got rusts from almost any moisture...the stuf i havent touched is fine, but the stuff i worked with has rust spots all over...and i have only touched the stuff i worked with and put it right next to the untouched stuff..so i know its just from normal handlingl.....and im going for a brushed aluminum look....ima sand all 1 direction wit ~200-400grit..that made a nice look on the current metal i have...
 
Would aluminum be strong enough for you? It does readily oxidize, but it doesn't change the look of it or weaken it.
 
It does change the look of it, highly polished aluminium will go dull in time, that's oxidation. but the oxide layer on aluminium still looks like aluminium and it's strong and acts as a protective layer
 
Aluminum itself is quite a weak, reactive metal.

The thin sheet of aluminum oxide that forms on top(or is forced to form in a thicker layer via anodizing) is the next hardest thing to diamond.
 
why dont you just clearcoat the metal so it doesnt even touch the air?
 
Brushed stainless steel will never rust and is amazing stuff.
1981_dmc12_01.jpg

DeLorean - the car that will never rust + timetravel with optional accessory pack
And heck, it's steel. That's as strong as it gets for stuff you can get.
 
Spare-Flair said:
DeLorean - the car that will never rust...
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Maybe the body, but the frame is prone to rust. It's so bad, that alot of owners don't drive their cars in the winter for fear of rust.

The frame is mild steel coated with epoxy. The epoxy is brittle and cracks under any type of flexing or rock impacts. This starts the rusting process. Owners have said that when they do a frame-off restoration, they scrape the epoxy off and the rust is insane.

For a mere (sic) $11,000, DeLorean owners can replace the epoxy-coated mild-steel frame with a stainless steel frame.

-MacG467
 
Squalish said:
Aluminum itself is quite a weak, reactive metal.
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Yeah...copper in welded aluminum sea vessels just don't mix...

Pretty nasty.

Also a pretty easy way to get back at a fisherman at the wharf...handfull of pennies in the bilge.. ;)
 
Stainless steel is very expensive. I have a 48x20" sheet of 1/16" steel for case modding, and just the water from my fingers made it rust like crazy.

Get ahold of some enamel paint (99 cent spraycans) to protect the metal, once your project is done. If the paint needs to be strong and durable, use sintari or urathane. If you have a good aircompressor, buy a hand-held 30$ sandblaster and 100lbs of sand for $2.50. Tears off rust and paint with one sweep.

I dont think clearcoat will stick to any polished surface. Maybe just chrome the whole car frame and body?
 
Okay.....
1. aluminum--great corrosion resistance, but (as we all know) it bends REALLY easily (I put a crease in a sheet of aluminum just by holding it wrong!! :eek:
2. stainless steel--great corrosion resistance (depends on what grade SS you get.....400 series is much more resistant than 300 series) for the most part, strong, but can be pricy
3. monel--if you haven't heard of this, it's because it's not usually something you'd see used for many items, especially computer mods. I was introduced to this material when learning how to operate nuke reactors for the navy. It's about 5-10 times MORE resistant to corrosion than stainless steel, just as strong (or stronger) than stainless, but a LOT more expensive. We're talking as much as $30 per square foot (check it out at the Mcmaster-Carr website....just do a search for monel).
How corrosion resistant is this stuff?? Well, like I said, the navy uses it to construct nuclear reactor vessels and piping, among other things. And they have nuke powered ships that are 40+ years old, and still going strong. Pretty much, this stuff can be immersed in sea water, and corrode so slowly that it's almost non-existant. If that's the sorta stuff you're looking for, and can afford it, I'd go with the monel. :)

Otherwise, try to find 400 series stainless steel, and after you handle it, wipe it down with alcohol. That should remove the oils, etc, from your skin, that can cause corrosion. Washing your hands before you work with the metal can also keep a lot of the oils from getting on the metal.

Hope that helps! :cool:
 
Sweet so my computer will last for hundreds of years just like the salesman said when i bought my 100mhz pentium NEC with a 2.5gb hard drive back in '95. :rolleyes:
Just use a think sheet of steel. Clear coast it. Try to not get the super glossy type. Yu might be able to go to a store that specializes in paint and find out what is going to be your best best. Some are glossier than others. Some are mroe transparent, etc.
 
Hey, come on......dunno about you, but I still have some working 100MHz computers around here!! :eek: :cool:
 
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