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If you read my previous post closely you will note two terms
anozize and alodine.  Not sure I'm spelling either correctly.

Anyway Anodize infact puts a good scratch resistant coating
on the AL in any one of many colors but usually black.
Thus will not need to be painted.  This process
is in my opinion beyond the capability of a small shop and has to
be farmed out and typically results in a minimum fee of
$45 here locally even for the smallest part.

Alodine on the other hand imparts a gold or clear coating on the
AL but is not scratch resistant at all.  But it does provide an
excellent base for paint primers like DP50 to stick to.  In areas
where scratching is not a factor alodine alone is an excellent
corosion resistor and much lighter than paint.  The neat thing about
alodyning is that you can easily do it yourself.  Many auto paint shops
carry the AL cleaner and the chemical that imparts the alodine to the AL.
All you
need is a dip tank to hold the acid (ie. PPG Chroamicoat 103) which is
basically chromic acid.  When the AL turns a slight gold color you
have inparted a very thin but corosion proof coating to the AL.
Don't drink the acid or dump it down the drain when done!

Alodining or Anodyzing both make AL corosion resistant
and are much lighter than any paint process I know of.  Most of the
AL parts on my Lancair are alodined and some are black anodyzed and
a few are alodined and painted where scratch resistance or cosmetic
appeal is a requirement.

Jim
Lancair Network News