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Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
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for Metal Finishing 1989-2025
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Aluminum anodite
Q. I'm trying to polish a 02 suzuki GSXR 1000 Frame, The problem is that the metal is coated with an aluminum anodize I've been sanding for along time because this stuff is hard to break through. Is there any chemical known to remove the anodize coating ? Once the coating is removed I'll use a buffing wheel with brown and white compounds then top it off with Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] then walla finished
Robert w Manvell- Iselin, New Jersey
2003
A. Many acids and alkaline solutions can remove an anodized layer, but most will severely attack and roughen the aluminum substrate. Suggest locating an aluminum anodizing company [try the Jobshops link below] and have the anodize professionally stripped in either a) hot chromic-phosphoric acid solution or b) deoxidizer solution. These solutions are relatively safe for the aluminum alloy.
Ken Vlach [deceased]- Goleta, California
Finishing.com honored Ken for his countless carefully researched responses. He passed away May 14, 2015.Rest in peace, Ken. Thank you for your hard work which the finishing world, and we at finishing.com, continue to benefit from.
A. Why not just trying a different grade of sandpaper? I'm doing the frame on my 03 GSXR-750 and I started out with 100 and I just working my way through the 100, 220, 320, 400 all the way up to 1500 ... Let me know how it turn out for you, and if you would like I can send you a pic of the bike.
Gerald Harris- Port Arthur, Texas
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