RE: Polishing Bright Anodizing

[Steven Charette <stevec@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Paul,
	Been wanting to follow up on this, thanks for the reminder!

	I purchased some sodium hydroxide drain cleaner (lye) from an
industrial supplier and mixed up a batch and it works GREAT.  Downside is
that now I have a 5 gallon bucket full of caustic solution that I will have
to neutralize eventually (vinegar works).  Bear in mind that this stuff is
EXTREMELY caustic and will produce painful burns on exposure.

	I've been working on headlight bezels and submersion in the solution
removes the bright coat in 15-20 minutes.  I try to remove the part every  5
minutes or so to rub it down and expose fresh coating as the reaction seems
to slow once the surface material is softened.  I've found that the part
needs to be fully submerged - longer parts will have a mark at the
submersion line that I haven't been able to work around.

	Once the part is free of bright coat I wash it thoroughly to remove
any traces of the solution (be sure to get into cracks and folds) and after
drying can straighten any dents and polish.  Any metal polish seems to work
well and I'm headed out to the shop this weekend to try the buffer (hand
polishing is starting to feel like exercise... Yikes!).  Parts look like new
once polished up, and after painting the black/argent areas I'm going to try
clear coating with a polyurethane spray.  Many folks I've talked to (Joe
Suchy for one) just shine them up and wax them once a year, and they look
great.

	This is kinda fun - it's something that can be done in spare time,
doesn't cost much, and really improves the appearance of the vehicle - I'm
doing all my cars.  I'm building a long tank out of plastic eaves trough for
long trim pieces (fender trim for instance) and am looking for a large
Rubbermaid type storage container for grilles, etc.

	Have fun but be careful - read all safety material and review the
Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)before handling the material (you may want
to read it before ordering).  Keep kids and animals far away.  Use a full
face shield and rubber gloves, and a protective apron is highly recommended.
Once you get this stuff on clothing it has to come off Pronto.  Have
neutralizing material on hand and be sure you know how to use it before
starting, and this can be done safely.

SC

-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Lennemann [mailto:pjlenn@xxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2010 8:06 PM
To: 1962to1965mopars@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Polishing Bright Anodizing


We discussed removing anodizing from trim awhile back.  But I don't remember
talking about polishing it.  What I'm specifically wanting to do are the two
large trim panels that straddle the license plate on the back of my Sport
Fury.  These are cast aluminum and are bright anodized. 
 
Can I use some very fine compound on a buffing wheel?

Paul L.
'63 Sport Fury
440/727
http://www.1962to1965mopar.ornocar.org/ml-lennemann63.html


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----
Please address private mail -- mail of interest to only one person -- directly to that person.  I.e., send parts/car transactions and negotiations as well as other personal messages only to the intended recipient, not to the Clubhouse public address. This practice will protect your privacy, reduce the total volume of mail and fine tune the content signal to Mopar topic.  Thanks!

1962 to 1965 Mopar Clubhouse Discussion Guidelines:
http://www.1962to1965mopar.ornocar.org/mletiq.html and http://www.1962to1965mopar.ornocar.com/general_disclaimer.html.