tmh657 

Got this Shimano 600 crank and it's pretty scratched up. I don't think it has any value other than being used as a crank on my bike.
I like nice looking things so would there be any reason not to strip the anodizing, sand and polish it up?

It's on a '85 Trek I got as a frame so there were no original components on it.

mainducoyote

I don't see any reason why you shouldn't polish them , I don't think they have any collector value either. I find tricolor Shimano 600 to age pretty badly aesthetically.

Amani576

Those cranks are pretty common, really. If it were something more collectible, like a SunTour Sprint crank, then I'd wholeheartedly say no (and I have before).
Those, go ahead.
-Gene-

Old Fat Guy

They polish up nicely, go for it.

cuda2k

Go for it. I have a set of Shimano 105SC cranks from about the same year that I"m waiting for a chance to do myself.

Old Fat Guy

Here's some beat 105's I did:

tmh657 

Thanks for the answers guys and for sharing your sweet looking cranks. I thought I might get to see some nice examples.
I am motivated to get it done now.

NDL

very nice, how often do you have to repolish it?

easyupbug 

Don't listen to ↑, Shozaburo Shimano was an entrepreneur, who started a machine shop at age 26 making freewheels, by the time he passed away he was building his own 3 speed hub. He and his families successors (world's largest component manufacturers) would appreciate your care and attention to their components. All components have useful lives and you would be materially adding to that 600's life.

oneclick 

Put a resist on the extractor threads if you can.

tricky 

I LOVE it when people get mad when 12 year old threads get dug up!

easyupbug 

What is the excepted protocol for old posts? tmh657 was thanking folks from a very old post that may not be around, and NDL did show an old post that helped frame his question. I don't see the harm but happy to be educated. To answer NDL's question, which does come up often, in my personal experience there are a lot of factors bearing on polish life but they can be extended with a sealers on the market, I just switched to SHARKHIDE Metal & Aluminum Protectant and early returns are very good.

ThermionicScott 

Just speaking for myself, I like when people add interesting or useful data to an old thread; it becomes an even better repository of information for that topic. And I figure when a topic takes years to unfold and there are new developments, updating the existing thread is a nice way to keep it all in one place. (I can't stand when someone starts multiple threads about a topic and it's up to other users to hunt down the other threads and get the whole story.)

It is somewhat irritating when a new member obliviously bumps an old thread they found in a search and doesn't realize the person they're responding to is banned (or dead). But there's not much point in getting upset and adding more comments, since that just bumps it to the top again. So I usually (try to) let it go...

tricky 

No, but you seem very upset, wow! Relax! I'll give you two guesses who is in the photo, the first one doesn't count.

tricky 

I don't see a problem in this thread getting bumped. This is the classic and VINTAGE forum after all. Old stuff is still relevant here. I was also enjoying the photos of the polished 600 cranks. NDL didn't do anything wrong, but was rudely educated of the fact that he was replying to an old thread and quoting a banned user.

sdn40

I'm just worried about throwing away an old coffee maker. I don't want to kill any angels.

SurferRosa

I'll answer your question for you: almost never. The only polished components I have to repolish on occasion are seatposts. (And then it takes only 30 seconds.) I don't know why that is, but the cranksets always look fantastic. Of course, I don't ride in the rain, so ymmv.

Not "just sayin'."

verktyg 

ThermionicScott easyupbug I agree with hazetguy about digging up ZOMBIE THREADS

My objections are for practical reasons: Many of those old posts have multiple pages and it's frequently a waste of time to drill down to find the message or messages relative to the new additions.

Starting a new thread brings fresh ideas and people into the loop and it's easier for new BF members to quickly find solutions rather than digging through all the old stuff that may have been frequently side tracked or hijacked.

easyupbug There's not much in the way of published protocols on BF, we're mostly a polite and self monitoring group.


BITD on the old rec.bicycles.tech newsgroup and other forums, one could find themselves mercilessly FLAMED for bringing up Zombie Threads.

BTW, Google is a good place to search for BF information because it not only lists topics but also the time line so there's no guessing about Zombie Threads.

In closing, that polished 105 crank looks really nice... But start a new thread. You can always put a ling in for a old thread or message.

verktyg

Road Fan

I don't see any problem with using old thread, or quoting a banned member. First, he had a lot of knowledge and shared it willingly. Second if the mods wanted his posts never to be referenced, they would have deleted all his posts. But they didn't.

Lazyass

Since this thread is back to life:

Wet sand, polish and get new decals.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/13362382156...xoC_d4QAvD_BwE

NDL

Thanks for the info, I wonder why on some other threads I read once you sand and polished up the crank, you will have to repolish it every couple of the months or it will look really bad.

masi61

it is because un-anodized aluminum has open pores that readily loses its luster. I have full polished rims on my bike and if I ride on wet roads I get water spots and dirt that begs for a touch up to bring back the bling:



The water spots are visible on a clean rim and might take 2 rounds of being rubbed with Mother’s mag wheel polish to buff fully out.

Mr. 66

If I recall those 105 cranks above weren't anodized, and was not a relevant reply to the question of removal of the ano.

scarlson 

Yeah, that's right, at least for the ones I've seen. They were painted. Sometimes the corrosion gets under the paint, but you can easily remove it all with a Scotch Brite wheel. Makes a terrific amount of dust, but then the cranks polish right up and you can put "DURA ACE" stickers on them afterwards...

Ronsonic 

I did a blog post on this like a million years ago with some really scabby looking 105 cranks. Yes it is some sort of paint / powder coat and Jasco did peel it off.

Before:

AFTER: