I hear ya.
Another alternative would be a matte clearcoat.
POR15 makes a nice urethane product that could be brushed on easily.

https://porproducts.com/por-15/matte-clear-coat/

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
Once you get it cleaned up and optionally polished (if that is what you like) maybe Cerakote Clear. You would need a way to apply it (spaygun, etc). Ready to spray - no mix or oven cure.

Interesting video. It appears to give very good short term protection. I'd be interested to see what it does over a year and exposure to the sun and time. Two years. Three. Especially as it may be difficult to remove without harming the structure underneath.

The video is interesting, though.

Wax it with collinite insulator wax. We use this on $100k-200k aluminum tuna towers on sportfish in saltwater. It works great and is cheap. Rub a thin coat on and let dry, rub off. It will easily last 6 months in your application.

Armand has a 25 y.o. pole that he waxes , twice a year , weather it needs it or not, it looks great,

but he has a bucket on his tractor to get him
too the top

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:
Wax it with collinite insulator wax. We use this on $100k-200k aluminum tuna towers on sportfish in saltwater. It works great and is cheap. Rub a thin coat on and let dry, rub off. It will easily last 6 months in your application.

Sounds good to me. Probably a good deal more than six months in my application, being as it won't often be out in the weather, anyway. Thanks for the suggestion.

In the interest in hitting my goal, that of having our flag raised on that flagpole today, I just gave it a good rub-down with Boeshield T-9 for now. Also did the halyard ends with "landlubber's whipping" (cigarette lighter). I'll address both properly at a later date.

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
...
but he has a bucket on his tractor to get him
too the top

Our pole comes out of the ground

I used to work in a flagpole factory.

They didn't do anything to them but "polish" them, more like sanding them. We made lots of similar items, light poles, tents poles... none of them had anything done to them.

My concern with be more with how you are going to mount it and the galvanic corrosion that can occur between the aluminum and any other material. That's where your research should go.