Bicycle Mechanics - Removing Anodization

I'm looking to remove the anodization from my rims but had a few questions
Is Easy Off oven cleaner the stuff to use?
After spraying it on about how long should I let it sit?
How often should I polish the wheels afterwards?

Easy off works. I would check it and leave it on maybe 15, 20 minutes, then use something like fine steel wool to remove it. You are going to need a buffing wheel on your bench grinder to make these look really nice unless you are going for a brushed steel look. for a high gloss I suggest maybe thinking of clear coating them with some kind of varnish afterwards. The fact is that the anodizing is the only really easy way to keep up the finish and once you remove it, you are sentanced to a high maintanance wheel in order to keep it looking nice. I did this on my classic 78 Trek TX900 but that's just my sunny day bike and i don't ride it very much. I am always checking it and polishing it too, it's kind of a labor of love. Again, if you remove the anodizing, you better be prepared to polish it off and on for the remainder of (your life with the bike). You can always get something re-anodized you know.

Use easy off, but don't leave it on to long or it will begin to eat the aluminum. You may have to do multiple applications. You'll know when you are down to bare aluminum by the dark color. Follow with 0000 steel wool and then some kind of polish. A buffer speeds the job, but isn't required.

I've got a set of bare Super Champion rims that I've kept polished for 30 years. It's no big deal.

Thread with some pics (http://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.php?p=3677840&postcount=38).

somegeek