vinuneuro

I'm ready to pull the trigger on a Diverge Smartweld but have a couple issues with the finish. I like the color a lot but the matte anodized finish looks a bit drab. The LBS mechanic's personal bike was a bit scratched up in the 9 months he had been using it. Would stripping it down and adding a clearcoat be the only way to protect the finish from scratches? Is it possible to make the finish glossy or at least add a bit off sheen, how much is possible?

Kopsis

Hard anodized aluminum is one of the toughest finishes there is. Anything that will scratch that would cut through clearcoat like butter. Not to mention that the anodized layer protects the aluminum from oxidation at a molecular level that painted finishes can't match.

A coat of automotive wax (or a silicon oil product like Pledge furniture polish) will add a little sheen without harming the finish. But the "subdued" look works great on that bike, so I'd just enjoy it as is.

HillRider

Do NOT strip or sand it down. As noted the anodizing is a very effective protective finish. You can clear coat it for appearance but it won't offer much scratch protection.

Kimmo 

Anodising is basically sapphire, IIRC. Tough stuff, and the ideal finish for an ally frame. The metal is generally given the final finish before anodising. Occasionally it's chemically etched as part of the initial process, or bright-dipped, a chemical polishing process. Once the part's anodised, that's it.

BTW, that Smartweld tech is neato. Makes hydroformed frames made the old way look suddenly stupid.