I got a very small scuff on my Scorpion MG today.  I think I have read that you should protect the scratches you get on these reels.

True??

If so with what?

Clear fingernail polish??

Thanks

Clear nail polish is the best since if you don't cover it, it may corrode.

It won 't corrode unless you are fishing brackish/saltwater.

Should I seal it just to be on the safe side or are there any negative side effects with doing that??

i had a small scuff on my 50 mg last season and i used a silver paint pen to cover it.  it worked, was pretty durable, and almost matched perfectly unless it was in just the "wrong" light

Cosmetically speaking, yes, seal it. It 's not going to corrode by the sweat of your hands or stuff like that.

Magnesium is highly susceptible to corrosion; salt from your hand or salt from you lures can cause it. If the scratch is through the corrosion inhibiting coating, simply painting the surface will do nothing.

Corrosion An electrolytic action that takes place inside a metal or on its surface. The metal reacts with an electrolyte, and part of the metal combines with the electrolyte and is changed into salt. The salt, which is the product of the corrosion, is usually dry and powdery, and has no strength.

Here is part of my Resume

Aerospace Industry: 15 years

Job position: Airframe/Power Plant Mechanic & Manufacturing Engineer

Duties: Organized customer job requirements, wrote work instructions for production, & coordinated between Customer, Operations, Production, Quality Assurance, SQ&TP (Supplier Quality & Technical Processes and Engineering Design Organization(s) in/on problem resolution(s). Investigated damage to aircraft, reviewed repair manuals/drawings, choose proper repair/part replacement, & submitted to Design Engineering for approval. Created work instructions for the fabrication of detailed parts. Ordered all tools, parts, materials required for depot maintenance or repairs.

Boeing 1989-1991

     4400 J. Bennett Johnston Av.

     Lake Charles, Louisiana

Northrop/Grumman 1993-2001

     4400 J. Bennett Johnston Av.

           Lake Charles, Louisiana

           337-421-2100

           Supervisor: Dennis Ayers

EADS Aeroframe Services 2001-2003

           1945 Merganser St

           Lake Charles, Louisiana

           337-312-2420

           Supervisor: Cecil Boutier

FYI: Environmental Factors

Atmospheres: A clean, unprotected magnesium alloy surface exposed to indoor or outdoor atmospheres free from salt spray will develop a gray film that protects the metal from corrosion while causing only negligible losses in mechanical properties.

Chlorides, sulfates and foreign materials that hold moisture on the surface can promote corrosion and pitting of some alloys unless the metal is protected by properly applied coatings. The surface film that ordinarily forms on magnesium alloys exposed to the atmosphere gives limited protection from further attack. Unprotected magnesium and magnesium alloy parts are resistant to rural atmospheres and moderately resistant to industrial and mild marine atmospheres provided they do not contain joints or recesses that entrap water in association with an active galvanic couple.

Corrosion of magnesium alloys increases with relative humidity. At 9.5% humidity, neither pure magnesium nor any of its alloys exhibit evidence of surface corrosion after 18 months. At 30% humidity, only minor corrosion may occur. At 80% humidity the surface may exhibit considerable corrosion. In marine atmospheres heavily loaded with salt spray, magnesium alloys require protection for prolonged survival.

Fresh Water: In stagnant distilled water at room temperature, magnesium alloys rapidly form a protective film that prevents further corrosion. Small amounts of dissolved salts in water, particularly chlorides or heavy metal salts, will break down the protective film locally, which usually results in pitting. Dissolved oxygen plays no mayor role in the corrosion of magnesium in either freshwater or saline solutions. The corrosion of magnesium alloys by pure water increases substantially with temperature.

And there you have it, from a man who should know.

I've had one magnesium bodied spinning reel that took a bit of rash. Over a relatively short time the scratched spots did show some corrosion, and the reel never got within 1000 miles of saltwater. I don't know if it did any serious damage, but it could not have hepled. It may have been weakened enough over time to have split under stress or when dropped. Don't know, I gave it away.

I have no idea what you should use to seal it, but I think it would be a very good idea to do just that. Fingernail polish may do the trick, but will probably need a regular touch up. Automotive touch up paint would last longer, if you can find a close enough color match.

Cheers,

GK

It won 't corrode unless you are fishing brackish/saltwater.

i've known guys whose reels corroded from senko salt.

The main reason I stayed away from magnesium reels. Not worth the headache of worrying about a scratch and corrosion

I am not doubting the above info, but if this was a HUGE problem wouldn't you hear more about it??

Nice partial resume Catt!  I think you may be over qualified for this position  ;D

KU_Bassmaster

The problem with magnesium is you don't know there is a problem until it's too late.

I'm not trying to scare you but I want you to be aware of what you have in a magnesium reel, I have a Shimano® Chronarch® 50Mg.

As for the partial resume some people doubt your answers with out you qualifying where you got it. I believe that about qualifies my answer  

Another potential problem is dissimilar metals, the magnesium frame and the steel internal parts.

Galvanic corrosion is an electrochemical reaction between two or more different metals. The metals must be different because one must be more chemically active (or less stable) than the others for a reaction to take place. When we talk about galvanic corrosion, we're talking about electrical exchange. All metals have electrical potential because all atoms have electrons, which have an electrochemical charge.