You can also try alodine, which is a two step chemical dip process. For
aluminum tubes it will work better than zinc chromate because it will
coat the inside surfaces too. I used alodine and then gave it a coat of
zinc chromate on top. I could not get zinc chromate from any of the
local auto paint shops or marine shops. Shipping cost is pretty
expensive if you buy from catalog stores because it is considered
hazmat. I picked up a few cans from the local Grainger outlet for
pretty cheap. It was something like $5 per can. A safer a alternative
is zinc oxide paint.
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