Removing the black (anodised) coating on alloy components

[dodgy]

A friend of mine works in a bike shop, years ago they absent mindedly left a customer's chain set in a bowl of muc-off, next morning it was silver.

They had to buy a new chainset for the customer, but the newly silvered one was otherwise undamaged.

 

[dan_bo]

Rub it on your inner thighs for a couple of weeks. Seems to work on my black anodised seatposts.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Once you've removed the black by whatever means, you will be left with naked aluminium that will polish up nice and shiny and within hours lose its lustre. It has to be anodized again to get that chrome finish.

That's OK, I just don't want ....


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIW9sL-Yf6Q

 

[Profpointy]

I'd thought about that .... but apart from not 'doing' ebay, I'd get bugger all for the black bits compared to the price of comparable shiny bits which are generally more expensive that their black counterparts in te first place.

In the Planet-X sale I got some black handlebars for £10 but in sliver they were £25. Same with stems, £25 new in Silver and half that price in black.
So I figure that as I have a stem and some cheap black bars I could spend precious shoot-telly watching time with something er ... more therapeutic!
If I could borrow a Dremel of a mate and a small polishing wheel I reckon it wouldn't take long. Most of the bars will be covered in tape so I dount have to do them all.

I'd use a bigger polishing mop than a dremel - maybe a 4" or so in a power drill, or better, a 6" mop installed in a proper bench grinder.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Well, I know how to do this now .....

Followed-up by some vigorous masturbation with a Brillo-pad et voila Bob Sherunkle!

I didn't do the stem 'cos it looks long at the mo, I'll wait for a test ride and decide from there.

 

[jonny jeez]

Well, I know how to do this now .....

View attachment 130591


Followed-up by some vigorous masturbation with a Brillo-pad et voila Bob Sherunkle!

I didn't do the stem 'cos it looks long at the mo, I'll wait for a test ride and decide from there.

Could you not achieve the same look in a few minutes with a tin of silver spray paint?...its not exactly smooth.

 

[Levo-Lon]

Id go with the finer grade flap wheels and then a polishing mop..

i spent about 3 month doing stainless bull bars for land rover..horrible dark grey to fabulously shiney mirror finish in 3 stages..alloy will polish up lovely ,you could clear coat or just wax it..

 

[Fab Foodie]

Could you not achieve the same look in a few minutes with a tin of silver spray paint?...its not exactly smooth.

The metal is not smooth under the black, in reality it's a nice even matt silver finish. I could wet and dry, but it doesn't need it.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Id go with the finer grade flap wheels and then a polishing mop..

i spent about 3 month doing stainless bull bars for land rover..horrible dark grey to fabulously shiney mirror finish in 3 stages..alloy will polish up lovely ,you could clear coat or just wax it..

I thought about that, but it's good enough for the mo.

 

[User482]

Caustic soda followed by polishing works very well (I've done a seatpost, cranks, bar & stem), but the stripped surface goes dull very quickly and looks a bit rubbish. If you can't be bothered to polish it regularly I'd go with TMN's suggestion.