Originally Posted by jeff williams
Alu does not require c-coat, but would stop scratches to some degree.
You sure? Admittedly I've never tried doing what the poster suggested, but I've worked with a number of other aluminum products. If they weren't anodized, clear coated, ball burnished or something similar, they developed an oxide film over the surface that not only looked dull but also made your hands black whenever you touched them.