Author Topic: How to raw your aluminium parts and re-anodize.  (Read 16498 times)

Offline Paradoxium

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How to raw your aluminium parts and re-anodize.
« on: May 17, 2009, 04:41:46 AM »
To raw your aluminium parts of the colour, buy some caustic soda. Its available in good department stores and cleaning stores in powder, flakes or crystal form. Soak them for an hour or so and check the progress. Tip out the first mix and start a clean one as the colour contaminates the brew. Its very important to keep this stuff away from your skin and especially eyes, its extremely toxic.

Keep a check on your parts and soon it will be raw aluminium. Then rinse it off and start polishing it up with car cut n polish and rags or similar. Once clean and shiny, its time to begin.
A member here "Flat-on-me-arse" found this link. Good luck.  :mellow:

http://www.light-reviews.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=186

Offline Levi

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Re: How to raw your aluminium parts and re-anodize.
« Reply #1 on: June 02, 2009, 07:56:30 AM »

http://www.bikeguide.org/forums/showthread.php?t=180556


Originally Posted by G 
1. This is a cool write up and it is great that you are interested in this kind of thing and had a go.

2. DONT DO IT. As mentioned by the OP f*cking about with acid is NOT a good idea, f*cking about with acid and voltages is a very BAD idea, f*cking about with caustic solutions (oven cleaner) is NOT a good idea. Your health is worth way way way more than a blotchy bit of colour on a bike part.

3. DONT remove anodising with caustic solutions. You are NOT going to be able to control it well enough and it IS eating away at the part, destroying tolerances. If you want to strip decorative anodising then just polish it, the oxide layer wont build up that fast and polishing it will be constantly removing it (on a small part). If you want good anodising then polishing will always improve it anyway.

4. Dispose of your sh*t responsibly. The planet is getting enough chemical waste poured onto it from peoples domestic drains as it is, there is no NEED for any of this crap to go down your drain. (While you are at it you can stop using bleach and phosphates and all that other marketing bullsh*t in your daily-lives too).


G.

Offline Paradoxium

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Re: How to raw your aluminium parts and re-anodize.
« Reply #2 on: June 02, 2009, 08:29:55 AM »
Hmmm. Well I have successfully achieved this before, the anodization removal that is, not the actual anodizing. I will do it again too, but I work with chemicals, so have a bit of experience.
My stuff turned out perfect. I have yet to try home anodizing though.

Maybe this how to is not such a good idea for the general public. I can delete this how to. What do you think Levi?
« Last Edit: June 02, 2009, 11:30:21 AM by Paradoxium »

Offline Levi

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Re: How to raw your aluminium parts and re-anodize.
« Reply #3 on: June 02, 2009, 08:52:34 AM »
I would let it stay since there are a lot of questions about it.
people need to watch out, be safe and think about the environment.
we only have one earth and i have kids who will need it more then us  ;D
 :beer:

Aaron Frost

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Re: How to raw your aluminium parts and re-anodize.
« Reply #4 on: July 24, 2009, 04:45:48 PM »
I think the best way to go about doing this is to leave it to professionals. I fully agree with Levi on this one. Besides, normally you would not do just one part. Take your product to a metal finisher who specialize in the anodizing process. There will be a min lot charge that should range between $50.00 to $75.00 USD with a normal 2 week turn around time. Hope this helps.

Offline The Brown Sound

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Re: How to raw your aluminium parts and re-anodize.
« Reply #5 on: December 04, 2011, 05:23:27 PM »
Looking into this myself. Worried the caustic soda will f'up my part (by eating away too much at it) What is the likelihood of that? It's for a stem if that helps. Also would it be wise to pay someone to de-anodize this? If I can do it for cheap and have a great looking product after, I'd rather but I want it to look polished after. Do I have to add clear PC after to prevent rusting? Thanks -
 
I'm like the brown LL Cool J.

Offline mattyhixx

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Re: How to raw your aluminium parts and re-anodize.
« Reply #6 on: January 02, 2012, 08:33:22 AM »
Looking into this myself. Worried the caustic soda will f'up my part (by eating away too much at it) What is the likelihood of that? It's for a stem if that helps. Also would it be wise to pay someone to de-anodize this? If I can do it for cheap and have a great looking product after, I'd rather but I want it to look polished after. Do I have to add clear PC after to prevent rusting? Thanks -

 I really cant see it screwing up your stem. your more than likely going to be standing there watching it, so just take it out every once in a while and have a look. The only way i can see it ruining your part is if you fall asleep or forget it while its soaking.
 Now to achieve a nice good polish you will need a bench grinder with a buffing wheel and a couple sticks of jewlers rouge (buffing compound) one course and one fine.
 Although if you dont have any experience polishing metal and you are expecting a really nice finish, save yourself a lot of agrivation and have a professional do it. Good luck!

Offline DaddyCool

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Re: How to raw your aluminium parts and re-anodize.
« Reply #7 on: June 15, 2012, 02:17:34 PM »
Hi,
to be honest I did not think about the environmental aspect. But if toilet cleaner works as well, can this be so much polluting? I mean you use it frequently anyway...