Oxide layer on aluminium whistles

[musicmadsimon]

O Wise Ones, My Chieftain and Alba low F whistles have developed a white powdery surface, presumably aluminium oxide. Both my low D Chieftains are fine and older! Can they be cleaned eg. with chrome cleaner or should I sned them back?? Many thanks.

[chas]

There's no reason the oxide layer on aluminum should be powdery. If the aluminum has a decent surface (I've never seen an Alba that didn't), the oxide should stick perfectly and self-terminate at a thickness of just a few nanometers. I would suspect that either the aluminum has some impurities that are causing this or that there's something in your local atmosphere that's causing this. Both unlikely; I'd be interested if anyone else with an interest in metallurgy has any other ideas. (Oh, and one more possibility, do you clean it with any chemicals or abrasives? Aluminum is extremely reactive to bases.)

[Ballyshannon]

I see that Eastry is fairly close to salt water (English Channel?). Just curious, have you played them at the beach or park on windy days without cleaning them off? Salt is the death of aluminum and the process begins with the white powder you're describing. There are aluminum cleaners but if the oxidation has been there for a while, it can very quickly begin to eat into the metal like a cancer (corrosion), leaving pits and scars that you can't get out.

I used to do a lot of windsurfing in the Atlantic around Miami and always had to take great care with equipment like masts and booms made of aluminum. If they weren't immediately washed off with fresh water after use, I'd soon see the same white powder develop, then the inevitable destruction of the metal. Fresh water rinses after every windsurfing session maintained the aluminum for years. Oh yea, we always had to wash down our cars after a day of windsurfing or they'd completely rust out. Some guys had old beaters they never rinsed off and were literally held together with duct tape, rope and a prayer. I don't know how some of them made it to the beach each day in those things.

Not saying this is what caused your problem, but the thing about playing at or near an ocean beach with waves crashing in and filling the air with salt is it can also get inside the whistle, into cracks and crevices and you don’t want that.

[chas]

Good point about the salt air. I remember the aluminum mast of the Sunfish I sailed growing up was always pitted and powdery.

[Mick Down Under]

I've used a Chrome and Aluminium polish on my Overton and it works fine. I prefer the satin sheen of a light tarnish over the mirror polished look and so, won't polish any more than is really required. I live just 400 metres from the ocean but I don't have any real issues with the corrosion that seems to have occurred to your whistles. Try keeping them in a case (if you don't already do this) between plays. Whatever polish you use will give protection for a while before you need to re-apply it anyway.


Mick

[dryer]

O Wise Ones, My Chieftain and Alba low F whistles have developed a white powdery surface, presumably aluminium oxide. Both my low D Chieftains are fine and older! Can they be cleaned eg. with chrome cleaner or should I sned them back?? Many thanks.

If you Google "aluminum corrosion", images, you'll see many examples of that powdery white layer. It's called a "hydroxide layer" and forms when uncoated aluminum is immersed in water. I've seen it on outboard motors and outdoor aluminum items. Maybe you are storing your whistles in a case, not wiping them down first?

[syn whistles]

It is common to find white powdery oxide on the inside of aluminium whistles after a deal of use, especially in those surfaces that are not exposed to the air for ready drying. Some people seem to provide a more reactive spittle than others and the amount of corrosion varies a lot. If you find corrosion on the outside of the whistles, it would suggest to me they have been exposed to corrosive elements in their atmosphere. I would suggest cleaning all aluminium whistles with soapy water on a regular basis, especially on their inside surfaces.

[Ballyshannon]

I would suggest cleaning all aluminium whistles with soapy water on a regular basis, especially on their inside surfaces.

That's exactly how Phil Hardy suggested cleaning my Chieftain high D. He told me to briefly soak it in soapy water and rinse it off. I've had no problems.

[dryer]

It is common to find white powdery oxide on the inside of aluminium whistles after a deal of use, especially in those surfaces that are not exposed to the air for ready drying. Some people seem to provide a more reactive spittle than others and the amount of corrosion varies a lot. If you find corrosion on the outside of the whistles, it would suggest to me they have been exposed to corrosive elements in their atmosphere. I would suggest cleaning all aluminium whistles with soapy water on a regular basis, especially on their inside surfaces.

Have to wonder if a fine silicone spray might keep it oxidizing? Almond oil?

[Thomas-Hastay]

The most permanent way to keep a mirror finish on aluminum is Clear Anodizing with Sulfuric (battery) acid. This technique is simple but mildly hazardous.

http://www.nimet.com/processes.php?proc ... or_anodize

For those without machine skills...I suggest a mild rubbing compound (abrasive) followed by a good waxing. I prefer to have my whistle waxed by an attractive woman and I'm sure the ladies would prefer to be waxed by an attractive man (?)

[Daniel_Bingamon]

Local plating shops do anodizing. They usually do different colors throughout the week. Also, there is a clear anodizing process as well that will keep the whistle looking new inside and out for a long time.

[ahogrelius]

If you want to try to anodize yourself this site describes it fairly well.

http://astro.neutral.org/anodise.shtml

Cheers,
Anders

[hoopy mike]

If you want to try to anodize yourself this site describes it fairly well.

Never, ever try to anodize yourself or any close family member.

Stay Hoopy,
Mike

[ahogrelius]

If you want to try to anodize yourself this site describes it fairly well.

Never, ever try to anodize yourself or any close family member.

Stay Hoopy,
Mike

The results can be rather displeasing if you try it on yourself rather than the whistle... On the whistle you'll get a protective skin, on yourself your skin disappears...