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  for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Stripping anodized aluminum

I have a sail mast that over 20 years of sun and elements has stripped the black anodized color from the steel - except for an unsightly strip around the boom where a canvas bag covered and protected it! I want to achieve uniformity by getting rid of the black color in that 2 foot stretch around the mid-section. Helpful suggestions would be appreciated. (Sanding has not "touched" the coloration.) I thank you in advance for any assistance you might offer.

Michael Tachenko
hobby related - Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
2006

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Anodized coatings are aluminum oxide, much like the aluminum oxide in sandpaper. Indeed they are hard to sand. And if you were successful, you would ruin the corrosion resistance. In theory you could perhaps get the black out through intense exposure to ultraviolet light (which is what caused the other black dye to fade). But practically I think you should consider painting a band or design on the aluminum in this area.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2006