This here aluminized steel, it ain’t like regular steel, you know? It’s got this coating on it, like a thin skin, made of aluminum. They say it keeps the rust away better, that’s what they say. But, I tell ya, rust is a sneaky devil, it can find a way in anywhere. My old man used to have this truck, bed was all aluminized steel, and it got all rusty anyway. He said it’s ’cause he kept haulin’ manure and never washed it good enough.
So, this aluminized steel rust, it happens, don’t let them fool ya. Water, that’s the enemy, you see? If that water gets in there and sits, it’ll eat away at anything, even that fancy aluminum coating. Like that leaky roof on my shed, it’s always dripping on my tools. They say you gotta keep it dry, keep the dirt off. Dirt holds onto the water, see, makes it worse.
They talk about this pH stuff, like it’s some kinda magic. My grandson, he’s in college, he tried to explain it to me once. Said if the pH is too low, or too high, it’s bad for the metal. I just nodded my head, like I understood. All I know is, if you let things get too dirty, or too wet, they’re gonna rust, no matter what them fancy college boys say.
Now, they got these sprays, clear coat sprays, they call ’em. You can spray that on the metal, makes a little shield, they say. Keeps the water out. I tried it on my garden tools, but it didn’t seem to make much difference. Maybe I didn’t put enough on, or maybe those sprays are just a bunch of hooey.
- Keep it dry, that’s the main thing.
- Wash it off good if it gets dirty.
- Don’t let water sit on it.
Then there’s this oil-based paint. That’s what they used to use on everything back in the day. Thick stuff, covers everything up. If you got a painted surface, they say use that oil-based enamel. Makes it tougher, they say. Like putting on a thick coat of lard, I reckon. Protects it from the weather. That makes sense to me.
They talk about this anodizing too. Sounds like something they’d do in a science lab. They say it makes the aluminum stronger, keeps it from wearin’ down. I don’t know about all that. I just know that even with all this fancy stuff, aluminized steel rust, it still happens. You gotta take care of it. Like anything else, you gotta keep an eye on it, keep it clean, keep it dry.
Best way, they say, is to use metal that don’t rust at all. That’s what they say, but what do they know? What that metal called, I can’t remember. It’s that one they use for them fancy pots and pans. Anyways, even that can get messed up if you ain’t careful. Everything needs taken care of. Like my old bones, gotta keep ’em movin’ or they’ll get stiff. Same with metal, gotta keep it protected or it’ll get rusty.
Steel, now that’s some strong stuff. My old man, he swore by steel. Said it could hold up a house, and he wasn’t wrong. But, like I said, it needs a good coat of somethin’ on it. Paint, oil, somethin’ to keep the rust away. Rust is like a sickness, you see. It spreads. Once it gets a hold, it’s hard to get rid of. You can scrub and scrub, but it’ll just come back. Best to stop it before it starts.
They got all these newfangled ways now. Galvanizing, I heard someone say. They put zinc on the steel. They make metal with that chromium stuff in it now too, makes it shiny. These young folks, they got all kinds of tricks. But the old ways, they still work. A good coat of paint, a little oil, keepin’ things dry. That’s what my old man always said, and he was right about most things.
So, this aluminized steel, it’s good stuff, I reckon. Better than regular steel, maybe. But it ain’t foolproof. You gotta keep an eye on it. Keep it clean. Keep it dry. And if you see a little spot of rust startin’, you better get on it quick, before it spreads. Like I said, rust is a sneaky devil. It’ll get ya if you’re not careful. Don’t want your stuff endin’ up like my old rusty wheelbarrow, now do ya? That thing’s so far gone, it’s more rust than metal now.
Just remember what I said, you hear? Keep it dry and keep it clean. That’s the best way to keep that aluminized steel rust away. And if all else fails, a good whack with a hammer usually fixes most things. Well, maybe not rust, but it makes ya feel better anyway.
