Better than nothing, it will look "kinda silver" ,don´t expect miracles.
You "don´t want to mix epoxy" 🙄 but the option is drying/curing by solvent evaporation, so you will have a pockmark there.
"No pain no gain"
Quite better are the aluminum dust loaded fillers suggested above, rough sanding scratches might help disguise them.
Best is aluminum welding or plain plugging the hole with exact same diameter aluminum rod, then light sanding,only way to restore real aluminum metal there,not sure you will go all the way.
A light coat of silver paint afterwards (simpler than a proper full fledged painting job) will cover differences.
I zinc plate my speaker frames, in silver finish ; sometimes I pick some frames from storage after, say, 1 year , and they show some dull patches or whitish areas (zinc self sacrificing to protect steel), Buenos Aires is sometimes humid plus I am less than 60 meters from the riverside, and although perfectly fine, they don´t look "new".
No big problem if sold inside Guitar cabinets, but not good if sold as raw speakers, so before final assembly I spray a light silver coloured paint coat.
Just car/wheel painter´s aluminum powder pouch dissolved in a can of transparent paint base, I guess you can buy a spray can of the product.
Not a full paint job by any means but it works wonders hiding blemishes.
You are not "changing chassis colour" but "surface texture" to make it uniform.
Human eye is a devil comparing side by side texture and colour, this cheats it 🙂
I think we've established that a few of us just fill the holes with unnecessary extra screws. I'm certainly another guilty party.
I haven't been countersinking my screws, but I'm going to do that in future - much neater. It also means I can use Scotchbrite pads to brush the aluminium which will run over the countersunk screws.
I'm not going to use dremmel cutting wheels - yes, it would work but too much trouble. I have too many holes!
So I'll buy one of the silver coloured metal putties and see how that goes. Try simple first. And look at a variety of small heatsinks that look as pretty as possible for larger holes. And I do like the idea of several ventilation holes, that's smart. And I like JM's idea of aluminium rod. That's a good one.
Keep the ideas coming! I guess it's a problem we all face at some time or another. Haven't seen it discussed before.
I haven't been countersinking my screws, but I'm going to do that in future - much neater. It also means I can use Scotchbrite pads to brush the aluminium which will run over the countersunk screws.
I'm not going to use dremmel cutting wheels - yes, it would work but too much trouble. I have too many holes!
So I'll buy one of the silver coloured metal putties and see how that goes. Try simple first. And look at a variety of small heatsinks that look as pretty as possible for larger holes. And I do like the idea of several ventilation holes, that's smart. And I like JM's idea of aluminium rod. That's a good one.
Keep the ideas coming! I guess it's a problem we all face at some time or another. Haven't seen it discussed before.
Since the holes are many, may be using with little effort a spray glue (or even some screws 🙄 ) for a thin aluminum plate (0.5mm) to be put over the entire panel. Maybe just finding it finished as your taste.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/WANGZHENG-Aluminum-Sheet-Machinery-Welding/dp/B08K3B2TK8
https://www.amazon.co.uk/WANGZHENG-Aluminum-Sheet-Machinery-Welding/dp/B08K3B2TK8
You can do Aluminium welding. Finish with grinding and sanding.
Only average skills required. Just heat the plate enough with a mini torch and apply the rod just like solder starting around the hole.
This is brazing and not welding with current.
Alternatively, you can drill many holes near them in some fashion and pretend it is for ventilation.
Regards
Only average skills required. Just heat the plate enough with a mini torch and apply the rod just like solder starting around the hole.
This is brazing and not welding with current.
Alternatively, you can drill many holes near them in some fashion and pretend it is for ventilation.
Regards
That's something else I though of - put a plate over the whole top, like 2mm thick anodised. But the problem would be all the stuff fixed to the main plate - heat sinks, transformers, valve bases, connectors...... Could work depending on what is sticking out.
I did some experimenting with brushed aluminium using Scotchbrite pads and finishing with acetone. Looks promising, combined with countersunk screws. Much better than it was.
Try this its a wonder no one has mentioned it, KISS.
Grab some aluminum offcut bung it in the hole and peen it with a hammer over a metal dolly then file and sand flat... it'll take about 5 minutes, but dont over do it because you will stretch the base metal and end up curving(oil canning)
Grab some aluminum offcut bung it in the hole and peen it with a hammer over a metal dolly then file and sand flat... it'll take about 5 minutes, but dont over do it because you will stretch the base metal and end up curving(oil canning)
I think aluminium rod would work better. Just make a short off-cut and glue it in the hole. Leave it proud on the underside and saw it off where it doesn't matter.
Depending on the number of holes, the simplest is to fill with countersunk screws.
You dont need to glue it, when you peen it flat it expands if your really paranoid you can chamfer the hole first from each side to give it more of a key.