Anodized rims; removing from brake surface?
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Anodized rims; removing from brake surface?
Has anyone ever done this with good results? I've removed anodizing from rims before, but only from the entire rim. I never liked the finished result so vowed to not do it, again. However, can you just remove it from the brake track? Is there a good way to do it? Hoping for better braking.
FYI, I'm using early 90's Shimano low profile canti's with Salmon pads. And, yes, they are adjusted properly geometrically at the brake and tuned for lever pull...if that makes sense
Thanks
FYI, I'm using early 90's Shimano low profile canti's with Salmon pads. And, yes, they are adjusted properly geometrically at the brake and tuned for lever pull...if that makes sense
Thanks
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Brake pads do a pretty good job of removing anodizing. Or if only there was some kind of easily obtainable abrasive paper or fabric...
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The classic method to "dress" a rim's brake track is with a piece of emery cloth between the pad and rim. If done well the portion of the rim "above" the sides will be un effected. Andy
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OTOH, if you're talking about hard anodizing, that olive colored finish reminiscent of Calphalon non-stick cookware, be aware,that it's a thicker coating and will take a lo-o-o-ong time to remove even with sandpaper.
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+1 this is the way to do the job if you're too impatient to wait for it to happen naturally.
OTOH, if you're talking about hard anodizing, that olive colored finish reminiscent of Calphalon non-stick cookware, be aware,that it's a thicker coating and will take a lo-o-o-ong time to remove even with sandpaper.
OTOH, if you're talking about hard anodizing, that olive colored finish reminiscent of Calphalon non-stick cookware, be aware,that it's a thicker coating and will take a lo-o-o-ong time to remove even with sandpaper.
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I've heard of people running super aggressive pads to do this. Like ceramic specific pads you would run on the textured ceramic coated Mavic rims, or the WTB speedmaster pads. Both are probably hard to find at this point. My Swissstop pads took the regular black ano coating off my rims in about 500 miles.
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Has anyone ever done this with good results? I've removed anodizing from rims before, but only from the entire rim. I never liked the finished result so vowed to not do it, again. However, can you just remove it from the brake track? Is there a good way to do it? Hoping for better braking.
FYI, I'm using early 90's Shimano low profile canti's with Salmon pads. And, yes, they are adjusted properly geometrically at the brake and tuned for lever pull...if that makes sense
Thanks
FYI, I'm using early 90's Shimano low profile canti's with Salmon pads. And, yes, they are adjusted properly geometrically at the brake and tuned for lever pull...if that makes sense
Thanks
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Has anyone ever done this with good results? I've removed anodizing from rims before, but only from the entire rim. I never liked the finished result so vowed to not do it, again. However, can you just remove it from the brake track? Is there a good way to do it? Hoping for better braking.
FYI, I'm using early 90's Shimano low profile canti's with Salmon pads. And, yes, they are adjusted properly geometrically at the brake and tuned for lever pull...if that makes sense
Thanks
FYI, I'm using early 90's Shimano low profile canti's with Salmon pads. And, yes, they are adjusted properly geometrically at the brake and tuned for lever pull...if that makes sense
Thanks
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I've used Modolo "Sinterized" brake pads for this. Run them for a few weeks, and the anodizing is gone from the brake track. Leave them on longer, and you'll wear out your rim. Not sure if they were ever offered for cantilever brakes, though.
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FWIW - i've been riding on hard anodized rims for decades, While there is some measurable reduction in brake friction, I still have no problems, either locking the rear wheel, or lifting the rear with the front brake. Rain braking is lousy, but I can't really tell whether it's worse than with any of my other aluminum rims.
Rarther than focus on stripping the hard coat, try using "stickier" rubber brake shoes. Think about the shoes on your feet. Your leather soled dance shoes may be very slippery on the varnished wood of a basketball court. However they don't sand the courts, instead players wear shoes suited to it's surface.
Shoes do vary by brand, and even by color within brands. For example, I've found KoolStop grey colored shoes to be a bit stickier then their other colors.
Rarther than focus on stripping the hard coat, try using "stickier" rubber brake shoes. Think about the shoes on your feet. Your leather soled dance shoes may be very slippery on the varnished wood of a basketball court. However they don't sand the courts, instead players wear shoes suited to it's surface.
Shoes do vary by brand, and even by color within brands. For example, I've found KoolStop grey colored shoes to be a bit stickier then their other colors.
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. . . . Back in the day when these rim "coatings" were popular, you used to see brake tracks with pulsed colors: the slight distortion of the rim by spoke tension would bulge the rim just a bit and as the anodizing wore off, you would have shiny aluminum alternating with the color of the rim.
Wanna guess why I'm manually de-anodizing the sides of a pair of old Araya rims?
Last edited by Hondo6; 09-23-22 at 05:26 PM.
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So, what I'd thought of doing was masking off the rims and spokes cutting off tape where the brake surface is. Then spraying a light coat of easy off to the brake surface and then cleaning it to expedite the process. Meh....it all seems laborious. Maybe just stick with the tried and true natural process. It's coming off slowly as it is, I suppose. The other superficially annoying thing is the color...haha! It just hardly matches well with but a couple of color schemes. .
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Commute in the rain and it’ll take half the time.
I wouldn’t recommend any corrosive, you’re likely to end up with pitting, which may be the least of your issues at that point.
I wouldn’t recommend any corrosive, you’re likely to end up with pitting, which may be the least of your issues at that point.
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Does anyone want to try and diagnose the marks on this rim?
Is it an attempt at removal of anodization?
Is it an attempt at removal of anodization?
Pattern is consistently even
Around one entire side of rim. Deep enough to just barely feel by, or catch, my nail, smooth enough to hardly be able to tell they have a depth by using a finger pad’s feel.
Last edited by streetsurfer; 09-25-22 at 08:10 AM.
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Scratches or Deposits ?
I can’t tell from the photos if those are patterned surface scratches from grit imbedded in the brake pad or bits of brake pad material transferred to the rim … or both!
I have found both conditions on some of my vintage rims - remedied (right or wrong) by wet sanding the rims with very fine 600+ sandpaper and a very light touch. It’s a time consuming process and kinda rough on the fingers, but the result is a pretty clean and smooth braking surface. Coupled with new pads, it seems braking efficiency is improved too.
BTW, I’ve also seen a SwissStop block that looks like a medium sized blue eraser marketed for cleaning up whatever it is that collects on the
sides of rims, but haven’t tried it FWIW.
I have found both conditions on some of my vintage rims - remedied (right or wrong) by wet sanding the rims with very fine 600+ sandpaper and a very light touch. It’s a time consuming process and kinda rough on the fingers, but the result is a pretty clean and smooth braking surface. Coupled with new pads, it seems braking efficiency is improved too.
BTW, I’ve also seen a SwissStop block that looks like a medium sized blue eraser marketed for cleaning up whatever it is that collects on the
sides of rims, but haven’t tried it FWIW.
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Scratches or Deposits ?
I can’t tell from the photos if those are patterned surface scratches from grit imbedded in the brake pad or bits of brake pad material transferred to the rim … or both!
I have found both conditions on some of my vintage rims - remedied (right or wrong) by wet sanding the rims with very fine 600+ sandpaper and a very light touch. It’s a time consuming process and kinda rough on the fingers, but the result is a pretty clean and smooth braking surface. Coupled with new pads, it seems braking efficiency is improved too.
BTW, I’ve also seen a SwissStop block that looks like a medium sized blue eraser marketed for cleaning up whatever it is that collects on the
sides of rims, but haven’t tried it FWIW.
I have found both conditions on some of my vintage rims - remedied (right or wrong) by wet sanding the rims with very fine 600+ sandpaper and a very light touch. It’s a time consuming process and kinda rough on the fingers, but the result is a pretty clean and smooth braking surface. Coupled with new pads, it seems braking efficiency is improved too.
BTW, I’ve also seen a SwissStop block that looks like a medium sized blue eraser marketed for cleaning up whatever it is that collects on the
sides of rims, but haven’t tried it FWIW.