Unknown metal, preventing rust

[jtexas]

Fabricating a switch panel from scratch (just for fun), cut from an old stereo component case (pioneer, circa 1983), the outside cover has a pretty neat flat black finish, but I'm using the inside, polished it up real shiny, but I don't know what kind of metal it is - is there a clearcoat-like product that might protect it from rust?

thanks!

 

[dex76]

Re: Unknown metal, preventing rust

if its the inside cage of the radio your talking about chances are its just electrogalvanized or hot dipped cold-rolled metal

 

[jtexas]

Re: Unknown metal, preventing rust

It is the inside cage for the radio...had a kind of blueish-gray finish I liked, but I scarred it doing cutouts for the labels, so I polished it - whatever protection from elements it had, is gone now. but thanks for the info....

you wouldn't happen to have a recommendation for a flavor of LED that will be visible in direct sunlight, would ya, for indicator lights?

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Unknown metal, preventing rust

Red is the only light thus far that I have seen, on my uncles Pro Craft you can tell if the light/switch is on no matter how bright the sun is. But red is common, I don't know how blue would work, I imagine that it would be about the same. But you gave me an idea on how to make a plate for one of my short neck switches, to mount it.

 

[jtexas]

Re: Unknown metal, preventing rust

red it is.........


any suggestions on rust prevention? anyone?

 

[dex76]

Re: Unknown metal, preventing rust

paint or clearcoat i suppose, the electro or hotdipped zinc coating the metal has on it already is a sacraficial rust preventitive its put on to corrode slowly so the metal lasts longer, but since you polished it back to metal maybe you could paint it with something like this
http://www.imperialrestoration.com/products.php?category=8