Corben

I just buffed the right crank on my project. I used rubbing compound and old clean towels for the job. I see micro circular scratches on it now. Compound or rag results?
Anyway can anyone tell me what the alloy is on these old parts? What should I do to get 'em looking new? I'm afraid I'll ruin them.
Crbn

poprad

You're probably seeing the compound cutting into the anodizing, likely you're not even down to metal yet. When you hit solid Aluminum it'll feel different and turn the cloth black immediately. It takes a LOT of work by hand to remove the old anodized coating on cranks, I did some NR cranks a few years ago by hand and it must have taken 6 solid hours of polishing, maybe more.

An easier option is power tools or letting a pro polisher do it for you. You can search in C&V for threads relating to polishing aluminum and get more detailed info.

rootboy 

More than likely those parts are/were anodized. There's no polishing anodization and the rubbing compound you used, depending on which variety, could be a fairly course compound. You might try something finer, like metal polish, to see if you can remove the swirl patterns.

Grand Bois

Remove the anodizing from the parts with oven cleaner and then polish them.

khatfull

Look at the thread in my sig for the basic steps in removing the anodizing. Polishing tips there too. I agree, sounds like you swirled the anodization.

Roll-Monroe-Co

He has spoken.

Drillium Dude 

Another great product (not as messy as Easy Off and cheaper by far in the long run) anodizing removal is anodizing remover from Jestco Products. It comes in a plastic container and is a granular substance. www.jestcoproducts.com - Search "anodizing remover" and you'll find it. Or call 864-845-5155. A 16oz container is $14.00 and will last a good long time. It took me over two years to use the two I ordered.

Put 4 tablespoons per gallon in a plastic pan after you've filled the pan with warm water. Stir it around until it's all dissolved. Put your part in question in and wait about 10 or so minutes (varying amounts of time are needed depending on the thickness of the anodizing - for example, cranksets normally have thicker anodizing than, say, brake levers - at least that's been my experience with Campy NR and SR parts). The part will gradually turn grey or black depending on the type of alloy. Sometimes it will stay nearly white, but it will now be dull in any case. Take out of the remover bath, take some fine steel or brass wool and buff out/remove the gray or black residue under warm running water. It might also speed things along to use a little dish soap during this process.

** Don't leave it sit for hours! You will end up pitting your component and that's bad!!!**

Now you're ready for either a polishing wheel or simple hand polishing - it all depends what kind of final finish you're going for. When satisfied, put some automotive wax on the part to keep it protected.

Good luck!

DD

khatfull

That's a humbling sentiment but, really, I'm not worthy. There are folks here with other methods of getting the job done that are also quite worthy of the OPs consideration. I advocate one way to get it done: cheaply, with a minimum of investment, by hand. There are other methods that may be better and/or faster that the OP might find up his alley.

Dude, thanks a ton for this. I need to get some of this in the worse way. I don't mind using the Easy-Off but it isn't terribly cheap, it is messy, and while I have come close to ruining something unintended, that potential is always there.

frpax

khatfull

DD, just checked out the site, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw this!!!

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

^^New side business for you. Restoring Airstream Campers.

Corben

Thanks for your link khatfull! Excellent.

khatfull

^^^ You're welcome...just use what's there to figure out how you like to do these things. Seems everyone has a different technique.

Roll-Monroe-Co

Sorry, Keith. I hope that wasn't obnoxious. I was just being silly.

However, you must admit that you are among our foremost advocates and practitioners of a lustrous, mirrory finish, o knight of the blinding shine.

Roll-Monroe-Co

Corben-

I'm an example of someone whose example you should not follow. My first experience at this occurred, shall we say, at a time before Eve had eaten the apple from the tree of knowledge of oxidizing and anodizing.

I just thought my crankset was oxidized. So I got a tub of Mother's Billet Polish (awesome stuff, BTW) and a rag, and just started to buff. And buff. And buff. And buff. And buff. Four hours later, as my buffing hand fell off, I had managed to shine up most of one crank. It was right about then that I stumbled across an article of bikeforums post about anodizing, and I realized that I had indeed chosen a hard road. Yes, a more caustic chemical might in fact be in order. There are many ways to skin this cat.

Roll-Monroe-Co

So awesome. I saw one of these parked on a street in my town the other day. It was freshly polished. Sooo beautiful. Made me want to take a C&V road trip!

Roll-Monroe-Co

Which reminds me of my favorite C&V velomobile, the Alligt Alleweder...

khatfull

Not at all...it's all in fun I know, but we have some around here who'd probably find me more pretentious than they already do because of it.

Now THAT one I can live with

Drillium Dude 

Keith, don't those Airstreams just make your heart skip a beat? They need roof racks, though...

Update us with the results when you try the Anodizing Remover for the first time. Tell ya, you'll wonder why you ever bothered with the ol' Easy Off

Good luck!

DD