How to make aluminum wheels "gold"

[Untame]

What kind of finish is on these wheels? (Yamaha XS750) Is it some sort of plating, or is it just paint?

 

[pidjones]

I believe it is anodizing. Tends to fade over time. UV may make it worse.

 

[Untame]

I believe it is anodizing. Tends to fade over time. UV may make it worse.

I wonder if it clear-coated after anodizing. I'm not worried about UV... going to be garaged and driven infrequently.

 

[teazer]

It's paint. The idea is to look like magnesium race wheels which were a whole different process to stop corrosion.

 

[Hurco550]

Much of the aluminum of that era was Alodine coated. It can be a bit finicky to get the right hue as it is dependent on how long the part is submerged in the solution, and the difference is made in a matter of seconds. Dad recently Alodine coated an aluminum race snowmobile chassis that he built from scratch. It is a replica of a Boaski BAR racer from the mid 70's. Of the whole project, getting an even finish on the chassis has proven to be one of the more difficult things.

Here is a picture with some better resolution of an Alodine finished aluminum piece.

 

[Rider52]

Powder coat. Choose the gold wisely as not all gold powders are the same. I've used the Prismatic Powders with good results. They have a huge selection of gold powders. https://www.prismaticpowders.com/shop/powder-coating-colors?color=pris_gold

 

[teazer]

+1 to prismatic powders

 

[Untame]

Thanks for the info/tips.