# Remove Anodizing?



## Legbacon (Jan 20, 2004)

I am thinking of stripping the anodized finish off of my RF Atlas stem. I have a raw aluminum frame now and I think it would look good. Anyon done this? How? Any downside?


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## TwiceHorn (Jun 18, 2014)

I would think bead or media blasting would be the only viable option and then you'd still probably have some residual bits.

Would you intend to polish it? Do you have some sort of clear finish on the frame?


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## Legbacon (Jan 20, 2004)

The frame is bare, unfinished aluminum, and I would like the frame to match.


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## Cornfield (Apr 15, 2012)

There's lots of videos on how to remove anodizing on the interwebz.

I've done it, it's no big deal. ****'ll buff out.


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## TwiceHorn (Jun 18, 2014)

Certainly, you could try some abrasive media (sandpaper, or more likely some form of Scotchbrite "conforming" media), but it would be tedious as all get out and your surface finish will probably be uneven. Using a Dremel would make it worse, I think, unless you are a pretty skillful grinder.

An acid bath might be another option, but would require serious thread masking and would probably do bad things to the strength.


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## mtnbiker4life (Sep 19, 2005)

I've done it several times........remember the anodize process both removes and adds to the surface. If there are critical features on the part you're want to strip then you will want to let a professional shop do it. If the original anodize was sealed then you might have problems with a DIY process. I prefer using a walnut media in the blast process because the surface finish is perfect if you want to polish the part.


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## TwiceHorn (Jun 18, 2014)

mtnbiker4life said:


> I've done it several times........remember the anodize process both removes and adds to the surface. If there are critical features on the part you're want to strip then you will want to let a professional shop do it. If the original anodize was sealed then you might have problems with a DIY process. I prefer using a walnut media in the blast process because the surface finish is perfect if you want to polish the part.


Yeah, Im a little surprised at the effectiveness of the ez-off method. There are different grades (depths?) of anodizing, and I might assume that Race Face uses a pretty heavy duty grade compared to automotive hose fittings and the like. I might be a tad reluctant to expose a stressed part like a stem to an acid or alkaline stripping.


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## Legbacon (Jan 20, 2004)

The last thing I want to do is compromise the strength. I may experiment with some old parts first. Gotta make sure because there is no going back.


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## mtnbiker4life (Sep 19, 2005)

TwiceHorn said:


> Yeah, Im a little surprised at the effectiveness of the ez-off method. There are different grades (depths?) of anodizing, and I might assume that Race Face uses a pretty heavy duty grade compared to automotive hose fittings and the like. I might be a tad reluctant to expose a stressed part like a stem to an acid or alkaline stripping.


Type I or II anodizing will add upto 2.5 microns but what can make it harder to remove is if it's sealed after anodizing. This process closes the pores of the aluminum which protects the finish.


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## noapathy (Jun 24, 2008)

Travis Bickle said:


> The last thing I want to do is compromise the strength. I may experiment with some old parts first. Gotta make sure because there is no going back.


That, or it could look like $hit. Since it's aluminum if you leave it too long it could corrode and leave it pitted or discolored.

Copied this from the interwebs about oven cleaner.

A common ingredient found in many 'off the shelf' oven cleaners is sodium hydroxide more commonly known as caustic soda. This product is a very high alkaline that can cause a lot of damage if not used in accordance with instructions.

Just a few of the associated problems caused by mis-use of caustic soda based products are:


Burns to the skin
Irritation to eyes
Damage to nostrils and lungs
Removal of paint
*Corrosion of certain metals*
Dulling of glass
Rotting of rubber
Distortion of elements
Removal of 'self-clean' coatings including 'non-stick'.

Also, what's that guy in the video doing painting that fitting without masking it off and no primer coat? If he were a real "pro", he'd re-anodize/powder coat it black anyway. It's not that hard if you've got the tools.

TLDR, I agree with mtnbiker4life.


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## TwiceHorn (Jun 18, 2014)

While I agree with using caution and that ez-off may make it look like poop, all we're dealing with here is corrosion. Anodizing is corrosion. Controlled, attractive, and stable corrosion, but corrosion nonetheless.

So it's not corrosion itself that bugs me, but a highly oxidizing or reducing environment (acid or caustic) could set off some structural problems in a highly shaped stressed part like a stem. I guess the real worry is stressing the part in a corrosive environment, but still.


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## Legbacon (Jan 20, 2004)

If I try this it will be on an old stem from the parts box, but after this I am less keen.

Thanks.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

TwiceHorn said:


> While I agree with using caution and that ez-off may make it look like poop, all we're dealing with here is corrosion. Anodizing is corrosion. Controlled, attractive, and stable corrosion, but corrosion nonetheless.
> 
> So it's not corrosion itself that bugs me, but a highly oxidizing or reducing environment (acid or caustic) could set off some structural problems in a highly shaped stressed part like a stem. I guess the real worry is stressing the part in a corrosive environment, but still.


Oxidation is a degradation of aluminum through an electro-chemical process commonly known as corrosion. And corrosion will bring material to its most stable state (oxide).

Anodizing is an electro-chemical process that converts the metal surface into a decorative, durable, corrosion-resistant, anodic oxide finish.

So, what are you saying?


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## noapathy (Jun 24, 2008)

TwiceHorn said:


> While I agree with using caution and that ez-off may make it look like poop, all we're dealing with here is corrosion. Anodizing is corrosion. Controlled, attractive, and stable corrosion, but corrosion nonetheless.
> 
> So it's not corrosion itself that bugs me, but a highly oxidizing or reducing environment (acid or caustic) could set off some structural problems in a highly shaped stressed part like a stem. I guess the real worry is stressing the part in a corrosive environment, but still.


Pretty sure he wants to have a decent looking stem since the idea was to match the frame. I doubt he'd be leaving it long enough to make structural damage a concern.


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## TwiceHorn (Jun 18, 2014)

Cleared2land said:


> Oxidation is a degradation of aluminum through an electro-chemical process commonly known as corrosion. And corrosion will bring material to its most stable state (oxide).
> 
> Anodizing is an electro-chemical process that converts the metal surface into a decorative, durable, corrosion-resistant, anodic oxide finish.
> 
> So, what are you saying?


Same thing as you. Anodizing is corrosion. You can remove it mechanically or chemically,. Chemically involves more corrosion. I don't care if he wants to corrode it. But corrosion does contribute to fatigue failure; usually when the part is stressed in the corrosive environment. Still, I think the more you corrode a part, the more likely you are to create or cut loose a defect that turns into a crack.

It so happens that aluminum oxide is a stable form of corrosion, meaning it doesn't fall off and expose more elemental or alloyed aluminum to corrode, unlike, say iron rust, which is not stable. But whether it's stable or not, the more corrosion a part undergoes, the more likely it is to fail. Iron rust is bad because it's unstable and corrosion continues until the base iron or alloy is destroyed. Aluminum oxide doesn't do that because it's stable and stays put and halts corrosion. But chemically removing anodizing is exposing the part to further corrosion. In the final analysis, it probably doesn't make a big difference, but in theoretical terms it is increasing the likelihood of failure.


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## Guy.Ford (Oct 28, 2009)

...


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## riyadh (Feb 13, 2015)

I did this yesterday with caustic soda. I may have left it in too long as now my bolts don't bite. Luckily it was only odi locks for the grips.


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## dreys (Jan 21, 2014)

Or you can always "cheat" and get aluminum-like paint at Home Depot and pain the stem. It will look decent, without compromising the strength.


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## TTTURNER (May 13, 2009)

I've used Greased Lightning multipurpose cleaner to remove anodizing from some fishing reel parts. It works fast. Don't leave parts in the cleaner very long because it will pit the surface. I left the second batch of parts in too long, and they were a lot tougher to polish.


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## 127.0.0.1 (Nov 19, 2013)

dreys said:


> Or you can always "cheat" and get aluminum-like paint at Home Depot and pain the stem. It will look decent, without compromising the strength.


look decent ?


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