I am a doofus at metal work so I ask. Can I take a piece of aluminum and put a steel bushing in it to install a bolt thru and the steel not corrode the aluminum? Can you stop this reaction between the two metals? Once I get this question sorted out I will say why I ask.
Look twice, shoot once.
You can't easily isolate the two to prevent corrosion, but if you can keep oxygen and moisture from the interface there won't be much problem. If salt water, acid, etc. gets into the joint, then corrosion would be worse than steel on steel or aluminum on aluminum.
Studs that hold heads on aluminum engine blocks are a common application.
Ruger has used aluminum pistol grip frames attached to steel upper frames, and I've never seen any resulting corrosion of the upper frames or screws that hold the two together.
It depends.
If you're in a relatively dry non corrosive environment with no stray voltages you shouldn't have a problem. If however you're in a damp corrosive environment and have some stray voltage the aluminum is going to rot out. You could use a sacrificial anode of zinc to protect the aluminum as is done on boats.
In the Army, working on helicopter, we used zinc phosphate paint to prevent galvanic corrosion. Most fasteners were steel, while the skin and components were aluminum.
Brass bushing.
One thing to be aware if; they have different coefficients of thermal expansion. If a press fit, it could become an issue if exposed to larger temperature differential. Most likely probably not going to be an issue.
ECK.
Ps, if using steel I aluminum, use stainless. Less galvanic difference
Stainless corrodes Aluminum just as bad as regular Steel. Salt Water is the electrolyte . We see this on Navy Parts all the time.
However if this is a press fit bushing in the aluminum it should be just fine, just not lifetime fine.
Randy
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I've installed steel bushings into aluminum a lot. Got it laying around all over the place. I can probably count hundreds of steel and stainless parts pressed into aluminum around the shop.
Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats. -- H.L. Mencken
The notion that a radical is one who hates his country is naïve and usually idiotic. He is, more likely, one who likes his country more than the rest of us, and is thus more disturbed than the rest of us when he sees it debauched. He is not a bad citizen turning to crime; he is a good citizen driven to despair.― H.L. Mencken
IN non-saltwater environment it is used a LOT. I have proof in the form of antennas that are stainless/aluminum construction! Little no-alox paste helps prevent it too. I use it for aluminum to aluminum joints so the antenna boom sections(telescoping aluminum tubing sections) don't corrode to each other.
Originally Posted by W.R.Buchanan
It depends upon the environment and the alloy. Fancier aluminium alloys will corrode faster. Brass will be worse than steel in aluminium. Zinc won't protect aluminium as aluminium is more reactive. Paint will help as long as it stops moisture from joining the 2 metals together electrically.
Thanks every one for your input. I feel rather confident how I want to go about this project. I have a o/u 12 ga barrel cyl choke with rifle sites from factory. I also bought off ebay many years ago a fancy wood set for a 101 Winchester. I have a total of 100 dollars in this project to date. I want a BP 12 ga slug shooter and anything else that I fancy to blow smoke with. All I need to do is built the receiver. I will use a lever to open the barrel lock. Sorry I can't load pics on this site but I think one time I did post a pic of barrels and wood a few years ago when I could down load pics. Thanks for all the replies and educating me on this metal to metal situation. This is the biggest project I have taken a shot at and I can only work as the meds allow me to, so it will take awhile.
Look twice, shoot once.
I have lots of guns that are mixes of aluminum and steel. I never subject them to conditions where problems have occurred.
To simplify; you need a potential and an electrolyte to set up a corrosion cell. The potential can be determined by looking at a galvanic series charts, the further apart on the chart the more potential there is. You will have a potential between steel and aluminum just need to eliminate the electrolyte and you will be fine.
As already stated, if in a corrosive environment it could be a problem but for most applications should be just fine. Consider guns with aluminum receivers, aluminum moulds with steel sprue plates and alignment pins pressed in, steel screws in aluminum parts, etc. Pretty common to have the two metals mixed.
Not exactly.. You have to look at the science behind the corrosion, and the makup of the two materials.
Stainless is closer to aluminum in the galvanic series than plain steel, thus it has LESS of a reaction.
I installed playgrounds for over 12 years, stainless hardware into cast aluminum clamps. The manufacturer recommended loc-tite (red), I believe, to seal the threads as much as to prevent loosening. I can't see vibration loosening hardware on a playground that was torqued to snug plus another 1/4 turn.
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Might get your Al part anodized then press the bushing in. I do my own anodizing but when I want the pros to do it, it is only a $100 charge for 1 or a few parts.
Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats. -- H.L. Mencken
The notion that a radical is one who hates his country is naïve and usually idiotic. He is, more likely, one who likes his country more than the rest of us, and is thus more disturbed than the rest of us when he sees it debauched. He is not a bad citizen turning to crime; he is a good citizen driven to despair.― H.L. Mencken
look at an aluminum mold many of them have steel parts [pins and sockets] pressed into place.
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