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Removing Anodizing

Old 07-10-19, 12:45 PM
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SteelCharlie
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Removing Anodizing

Some time ago there was mention in a thread about removing anodizing chemically. I can't seem to find that thread. So does anyone here have the killer way to strip the ano (black in particular) w/out screwing the aluminum?
many thanx
Charlie
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Old 07-10-19, 12:51 PM
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w/out screwing the aluminum?
there in lies the problem , the crude techniques that have been used, like oven cleaner, are not guaranteed safe and error free..

why not just live with it as is, or buy a set of silver looking components,, and sell the ones not meeting your aesthetic needs..
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Old 07-10-19, 12:55 PM
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Yeah - that's the prob. the color tho is just a dye so perhaps there is something that will de-dye and have no effect on the actual ano or the aluminum. I may have to sacrifice something hahaha
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Old 07-10-19, 01:31 PM
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It's been more difficult to strip black anodization for me as opposed to clear anodization. I did it yesterday with a seatpost and pedal clips. It took several applications of oven cleaner (with lye). I'd do it again with the seatpost, as they're easy to polish through wet sanding. But I should've left the pedal clips alone.

Generally, I have no qualms of stripping anodization. I've done it dozens of times.
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Old 07-10-19, 01:34 PM
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Anodize is electroplating aluminum with aluminum, the surface in a high magnification microscope

looks like a honeycomb its the interior of those hex tiny pockets that hold the color ..

you could polish down to bare metal , and then have a polishing ritual to keep it shiny from then on..


It's the polishing until i die , I avoid, by preferring black anodize..








....
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Old 07-10-19, 02:35 PM
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I used EZ Off to remove the anodizing from some chain rings. Just use it in a well ventilated area and don't let it sit on there too long.







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Old 07-10-19, 02:52 PM
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I did it, once, with EZ Off.

I'll never do it again! Fumes, tons of elbow grease, and the mottled finish underneath needed polishing. I've pulled and polished a set of Rene Herse cranks 3 times in the last 5 years. I've considered doing one more polish, then sending it out for clear anodize (MIL-A-8625, Type II). It won't be shiny, but it will be consistent and practically a lifetime finish.
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Old 07-10-19, 02:52 PM
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Use this stuff: https://www.jestcoproducts.com/index...d&productId=37

Easy-Off is an absolute waste of time and money and because there's no tried-and-true method of determining how long one should leave it on, it can result in pitting the alloy. Don't ask me how I know this...

DD
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Old 07-10-19, 03:33 PM
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I have used EZ-Off with good result, however, that is because I sanded the heck out of it. Anodized aluminum is tough stuff. It is aluminum oxide, the same stuff as on some sandpapers. So, the good thing about anodizing is that it is a tough and durable surface. The bad thing is that anodized aluminum is not as pretty as polished aluminum.

And you are probably looking for the polished aluminum look.

They are also right in that once polished, you have to keep at it to keep it looking good. Waxing the parts, I have found, will help it last a little longer, depending upon the storage conditions.

For vintage bikes, I prefer the polished look, because this is the way bike were in the '70's and much of the '80's. By the mid '80's there were more black anodized or painted parts on bikes. Please correct me here because I am not an expert at when this change occurred.

The bottom line is that it is completely do-able.
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Old 07-10-19, 03:45 PM
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Originally Posted by Velo Mule
anodized aluminum is not as pretty as polished aluminum.
Depends on the item. There's nothing more beautiful than nuovo record brake levers that are without any rash. The anodization glows. Same with the cranks when they're perfect. Glowing.

The bad thing is I can't afford parts without some rash. So I usually deanodize and polish.

once polished, you have to keep at it to keep it looking good.
I don't have this problem. But I don't ride in the rain.

My Campy Record seatposts do get hazy a couple months after using Mother's. But it takes all of ten seconds with my blackened Mother's rag to cure this every couple of months. None of these were deanodized. My deanodized bars/stems don't get this haze. It's strange.
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Old 07-10-19, 03:58 PM
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Originally Posted by The Golden Boy
I used EZ Off to remove the anodizing from some chain rings. Just use it in a well ventilated area and don't let it sit on there too long.
Nasty stuff, left a bunch of holes....
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Old 07-10-19, 04:07 PM
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I am going to point out something here.

Anodizing is a chemical/electrical process which not only introduces color to aluminum, but also creates a harder layer over the soft material beneath. When you "strip" anno you are also bringing that soft material back to the surface. It wears quicker and in lieu of using a sealer/wax on a regular basis it also allows the bit to oxidize.
My suggestion is to find the part you are looking for in the color you want without ruining it via stripping and leaving it un-anno, or to contact a shop that does anodization and having them change the color. Most of the time there are services readily available and they don't charge much for standard single colors, particularly if you are happy with a dust or matte finish.
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Old 07-10-19, 05:15 PM
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I have successfully used 5% w/v NaOH (AKA lye or caustic soda). That's 5g in 100mL water, scaled up or down as you like. Dip the part for 10s to a few minutes, it will bubble like mad once the ano has come off. You can also rub with paper towel to see if the ano has come off. Once it has, take the part out. It'll turn black but this "smut" as they call it is easily wiped off with a rag and hot water or light polish. Use Mothers mag and aluminum polish (available at walmart) after. It will polish up nicely, in my experience. You MUST take the part out when the ano is gone. The NaOH will eat the aluminum just as well as it eats the ano. It is possible to wax or grease up areas you don't want to get de-anodized as well, but this doesn't work for long periods.

It works well on all colors of ano and grades of alu that I have tried. Double- or triple-glove and wear old crummy clothes and eye protection, but it won't hurt you to get some on your skin if you immediately wash it off. In your eyes is really bad and I do not speak from experience. It's fine in plastic or glass containers and can be neutralized with vinegar or muriatic acid (hcl) when you're done.

I work in a lab, so I don't like to mess around with commercial formulae. Rather make the good stuff myself. You can get NaOH easily online or in some hardware stores. If you do this, BE CAREFUL.
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Old 07-10-19, 06:10 PM
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I've used cheap and probably diluted drain cleaner (NaOH). The part needs to be adequately suspended or agitated to make sure there's no spots where it doesn't work. Don't keep wiping off residue to see if it worked because you're just exposing raw aluminum to the NaOH and it will make it spottier. I wait for the part to discolor or for color to come out into the NaOH solution and then wipe the residue off the entire part. This seems to work better for me that oven cleaner, then wipe, then oven cleaner, then wipe. Threads and surfaces can be masked with wax (just from a melted candle). It doesn't do a perfect job and the NaOH will creep in at the edges, but it helps to keep the drain cleaner from doing too much to sensitive areas.
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Old 07-10-19, 06:15 PM
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Originally Posted by Kuromori
Threads and surfaces can be masked with wax (just from a melted candle).
Neat idea.
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Old 07-11-19, 07:02 AM
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There are many good sealers out there now thanks to the aluminum wheel business that will protect your shinny new polished, once black, bike parts and reduce the need to follow up polish.
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