getting anodising off parts....
 

hi guys, could any one tell me an easy way to get coloured anodising off parts? There's got to be an easier way than sanding it all off then polishing! Thanks in advance, Chris.

Easy Off oven cleaner takes it off. You will need to let it soak a little. But it works.

u can also try greased lighting, same thing, let it sit for a bit.

Just make sure you wear some good thick rubber gloves while you are handling the parts with the oven cleaner on it.

household lye works much better. it's faster, and you can mix up a solution of it large enough to submerse your parts completely. keep an eye on it. 30 seconds is usually more than enough time if you get it fizzing nicely. ;) :nod:

i've ruined some stuff with the oven cleaner because it couldn't get even coverage, and it took way too long.

you can often get a bottle of lye (dry crystals) wherever liquid plumber is found. (grocery store, hardware store)

much, much better.

I would take Seaball's advice. He is an anodizing expert.:nod:

I JUST did this over the weekend. I used Easy Off. It took about 30 minutes to strip everything. BUT Easy Off will leave a black coating on the aluminum after it strips the color off. So then I ended up sanding all of the black stuff off :(. Sooo for the other parts I used Easy Off and then soaked them in Simple Green overnight (mainly because it was late at night) and the next day the black residue wiped right off...no sanding. I have heard Greased Lightning strips as well and Easy Off but doesn't leave the black film but I didn't try that...

I am now in the process of polishing my bulkheads :D

i am also extremely lazy. therefore, my solutions are very sought after by today's youth. ;) :ha:

Edit:

It sounds like the lye solution would be a lot easier...I wish I would have tried that ;).

WOW! How many replies??! Thats the beauty of a forum like this! Thanks for the help guys, you are awesome!

Sodium Hydroxide (lye) dissolved in a water solution.

Use gloves, safety glasses, and some form of long sleeve shirt or apron. This stuff will burn your skin.

Be careful as this will also eat a little of the aluminum as well.

Have multiple containers of the NaOH solution as well as rinse tanks. The rinse water should be hot as well. Note: when you add NaOH to water it will get hot so use a container that will handle the heat.

Use a test piece NaOH, rinse, into a clean NaOH for a shorter amount of time, rinse in a second rinse container.

Remember, not too long as NaOH, oven cleaner, lye, etc will eat the aluminum parts. Its just part of the fact.

When you get done, the parts should have a matte grey look to them.

Hope this helps.

That's what I use and it works great. Much better than oven cleaner and doesn't pit the aluminum. Use about teaspoon of lye for a cup of water and stir it up to dissolve. If not strong enough just add a little more Lye.

Hey Wingman noticed your were a fellow English man! Cilit bang works a treat to get anodising off, i reuined a black cyclone years ago with the stuff.

Good luck

Hey Chris
Lye or sodium hydroxide is better none as CAUSTIC SODA, not a chemical compound you want to be playing with, i know because we use it at work and beleive me if you get in on your skin it will strip it straight off. make sure if you do use it you have a look at this first, http://msds.chem.ox.ac.uk/SO/sodium_hydroxide.html. Or if you can just use Cilit Bank "Bank and the job is done". You racing on Saturday night mate?

steve

Bang! And the anodising's gone!