Abstract: An anodized aluminum part is wear tested by forcing a ball point stylus against the part and rotating the part about an axis spaced from the stylus. A turntable driven by a motor rotates the part at a desired speed. Weights are used to determine the force on the stylus. A layer of nonconductive oil on the test area helps clear wear debris from the circular wear path due to the motion of the ball through the oil. An ohm meter is connected between the stylus and the aluminum substrate to monitor electrical continuity and thus detect when the stylus wears through the anodized coating. The time required to achieve the wear through is a measure of the wear resistance of the coating.