After a lot of reading I decided to try using PreKote surface prep instead of Alodine. My reasoning is that the PreKote is much safer to the environment - I live in California and I don't want to deal with hazzardous waste disposal - and probably not much more work.
The process is simple enough. Spray PreKote onto the surface enough to wet it completely, scrub with a ScotchBrite pad (pink) until you generate a good lather. Spray again, scrub again then rinse with clean water and air dry. I decided to work over a large plastic tub to catch the drippings and minimize the mess in my garage.
