Foot plates

[Drahchir]

Hello there!

 I want to get my rocker covers and foot plates anodised! On my 03 v11 lemans! I know the rocker covers are aluminium.

GU01415890 been looking to see if the foot plates are aluminium ! I’m not being lazy but can’t seem to find that question out!

Was just looking if somebody out here knows! I want to get them vapour blasted 1st.

kindest regards 

Rich.

[Scud]

I think foot plates (aka porkchops or stilettos) are aluminum. They certainly are not magnetic.

Also consider powder-coating - but be careful with the fine threads for the swingarm pivots.

[docc]

Agreed, Scud, the frame side plates are aluminum.

[housekeeping note: moved this topic to 24/7 V11 for better viewing and archiving.]

[Lucky Phil]

6 hours ago, Drahchir said:

Hello there!

 I want to get my rocker covers and foot plates anodised! On my 03 v11 lemans! I know the rocker covers are aluminium.

GU01415890 been looking to see if the foot plates are aluminium ! I’m not being lazy but can’t seem to find that question out!

Was just looking if somebody out here knows! I want to get them vapour blasted 1st.

kindest regards 

Rich.

I'm trying to remember if the plates are cast or forged and unless something has changed over the last 10 years you'll not have much luck anodising them if they are cast. Your local anodiser won't usually touch any cast part because the surface finish never turns out well and will be powdery and blotchy. The Italian manufacturers such as Brembo have some sort of special anodising process for cast parts such as master cylinders and callipers etc that your average anodiser here and in the states does not. It's the reason cast ally car wheels aren't anodised but usually power coated. Billet and forged parts are different though. These days you can get powder coating that closely replicates an anodised finish anyway.

[Drahchir]

Thanks Phil.

[Drahchir]

Thanks scud docc 

[docc]

15 hours ago, Lucky Phil said:

I'm trying to remember if the plates are cast or forged and unless something has changed over the last 10 years you'll not have much luck anodising them if they are cast. Your local anodiser won't usually touch any cast part because the surface finish never turns out well and will be powdery and blotchy. The Italian manufacturers such as Brembo have some sort of special anodising process for cast parts such as master cylinders and callipers etc that your average anodiser here and in the states does not. It's the reason cast ally car wheels aren't anodised but usually power coated. Billet and forged parts are different though. These days you can get powder coating that closely replicates an anodised finish anyway.

I have always thought the frame side plates were cast. Not sure if this image helps make that discernible . . .

[audiomick]

9 hours ago, docc said:

I have always thought the frame side plates were cast.

It never occurred to me that they might be anything else. They certainly look like cast items to me.

[FreyZI]

On 11/4/2024 at 11:09 AM, Drahchir said:

I want to get my rocker covers and foot plates anodised!

@Drahchir What color are you thinking?  Trying to match an original color, or something creative?

[FreyZI]

I had an extra set of chops powder coated a couple years ago.  I had wanted to get them anodized to restore the faded anodized chops on the Tenni, which have turned to a sort of burnt orange. 

I don't actually mind the color -- actually kind of like it -- but had wanted to replicate the original finish. 

The powdercoater tried a lot of things, but never quite was able to replicate that soft anodized finish look.  In the end, they did a couple layers, with clear on top to give some depth.  It's hard to get a photo that catches the light, but they have a darker cherry color.  Kinda looks like red jello.  You can see through the clear and make out either sand-casted or sand-blasted surface texture.

@Drahchir I think you'll have an awfully hard time getting powdercoat to replicate an anodized finish.  If I had an extra pair of chops lying around, I'd take my chances, IFF I could find somebody willing to give it shot.  Worst case scenario, you then get it powdercoated.  If you find an anodizer to try, I wouldn't sandbast to prep the pieces.  Let us know your results.

[GuzziMoto]

If you really want to anodize them, you can polish them first. That will give the anodizing a good base. There are also coatings you can apply over a polished or chromed surface that are similar to anodizing (yes you could chrome them, but as with anodizing you would want to polish them first). They come as both paint and powdercoat. They work well when applied over a smooth shiny surface. So to be effective you need to polish the cast aluminum parts first. Chroming them seems unnecessary.

[Drahchir]

I did think about polishing the covers and pork chops! It just seems to be more maintenance to keep it all looking good.

 I can get the above vapour blasted locally. I’m not quite sure about powder coating the rocker covers as I don’t like the fact of putting them back on and cracking the finish? The same goes with the pork chops. This is why I was more interested in anodising!!As for colour… rockers black! Pork chops red. 
 

 

[Drahchir]

Just have to say I’m not a great fan of chrome and certainly nothing shiny!!!

[GuzziMoto]

14 minutes ago, Drahchir said:

I did think about polishing the covers and pork chops! It just seems to be more maintenance to keep it all looking good.

 I can get the above vapour blasted locally. I’m not quite sure about powder coating the rocker covers as I don’t like the fact of putting them back on and cracking the finish? The same goes with the pork chops. This is why I was more interested in anodising!!As for colour… rockers black! Pork chops red. 
 

 

If you polish the cast parts to get a smoother surface, and then anodize them, there would be no additional maintenance involved vs any other anodized part. When you anodize an aluminum part it does not hide or cover the surface. Any defects or textures in the surface will actually be highlighted by anodizing. It is very much like painting in that respect. If you want a good finish with a painted or anodized part you need to start with a great surface. Prep of the surface is 90% of getting a good result. That applies to painting the parts, powder coating the parts, and anodizing the parts.

If you want to anodize cast aluminum parts but you want a smooth shiny finish you have to start with a smooth shiny finish. That typically means having the aluminum part polished before you anodize it. With painting and powder coating you can use surface coatings like high build primers to help you smooth out the surface of the part. Then, once the surface is properly smooth you can paint or powder coat over it. But you can't anodize over primers. It must be done to the bare aluminum. So the bare aluminum must have the desire surface finish before you anodize it. If it has a rough finish, like from being sand blasted or even just a rough cast finish, the anodizing will accentuate that rough finish, not cover it up.

Chrome can also be used as a base for other finishes. While I do not like standard chrome, I do like "Black Chrome" It gives you a really shiny black finish. There are other clear colors you can apply over chrome as well. But you do you.

Edited November 11 by GuzziMoto