<VV> Aluminum Base - Removing anodizing?

[Tony Underwood]

At 09:59 PM 2/13/2007, rt66vairs at aol.com wrote:
>Mike,
>
>It sounds like you didn't get the anodizing off of the aluminum completely.
>
>I've had mirror like results with both aluminum and stainless trim parts.
>Gettum shiny and clearcoat the hell out of 'em.
>
>They last a long time
>




Yep, cheaper than anodizing even if you do the anodizing 
yourself.    I've stripped, buffed, and clearcoated aluminum and it's 
fine.   I've also "brite-dipped" anodized (but slightly dulled) 
aluminum trim and then clearcoated it afterwards and that worked out 
nicely as well.

"Brite-dip" is a nitric acid bath that removes oxidation from 
anodized aluminum trim without damaging the coating or the aluminum 
underneath.   Interestingly enough, nitric acid is some nasty stuff 
that attacks steel, iron, *And Skin* with a vengeance... do NOT get 
this stuff on you or you WILL regret it.   It will digest your hide 
and make it slough off in crumbly yellowish-green flakes like a bad 
horror movie.    However, it doesn't bother aluminum at all, instead 
it cleans it up and makes it shine.    :)

After the brite-dipping, the work is thoroughly cleaned with fresh 
water and then clearcoated, comes out nice, GREAT for headlight rims 
that don't shine quite right anymore.

All you need to do is find a place that will sell you nitric 
acid...  which likely won't be that easy what with its being rather 
dangerous stuff and nothing to fool around with.   Always be careful 
when working with mean and angry acids, and nitric acid is 
*mean*.     And don't put anything but aluminum in it.    Bad things 
could happen otherwise.



tony..