Removing anodizing?

[ola_martin]

I have a pair of good Excel rims, but the anodizing has gone ugly/matte/chipped.
I want to polish the rims, but soon found out that the rest of the anodizing needed to come off first.

I don't have any proffesionals around, and sending them far off, waiting and paying for everything and then have to polish, it will be better to just buy a new set. But I'd like polished rims, and without the coloured logo...

 I have heard that it can be done at home, can anybody help out on how??

I tried once before myself, with caustic soda, it boiled all over, and the RM swingarm turned black with SEVERE pitting. Don't want that to happen again, so any advice would be great...

Thanks!

[yamaico]

Hi ola_martin,
On my rims I use Ezy-off Oven Cleaner in the red can with yellow writing (heavy duty). It's the high strength stuff and I do them twice and leave it on for about 20 minutes each time. The rim turns black but you just rub it off with a scotchbrite and then start buffing.
Pete.

[YZ250H]

A product called Alibrite from supercheap works also.  Be careful with it though as it is pretty nast stuff 

[firko]

On my rims I use Ezy-off Oven Cleaner in the red can with yellow writing (heavy duty). 

I'm with Pete on this one oven cleaner's pretty good and caustic based garage floor cleaner has worked for me as well.

[ola_martin]

Thanks, everything in Norway is so enviromental-friendly and non-dangerous that it's pretty much useless, but I'll see what I can find..

[oldyzman]

caustic soda mixed up with a drop of water to a paste, apply with a brush - we used it on our BMX bikes
Brett

[ola_martin]

Thanks for the tips, couldn't find good enough ovencleaner, so I ended up using mild caustic soda, worked perfect.

[Big Bird]

Wow!  Nice work.  Can't wait to see full photos of this one!

[OverTheHill]

wow that looks good but the old caustic soda trick reminds me of a 'trick' 'not to do'. Showing my age but back in the "60's i thought i'd give my B33 crankcases a real good clean up [weekly rebuild haha] with caustic soda in 'just boiled' water. Dad used caustic to flush the milking machines after each milking [also flushed afterwards with clean hot water of course!!--anyway] So dropped the cases in the big bucket with probably to much caustic & it basically 'went mad' [stand back she might blow]. Left it for a while but when it all quietened down & i pulled out the cases [gone very black--my works bike look] the big problem was the main bearing holes had been eaten oversize so did a [terrible trick] & soldered the outside of the bearings to get a tight fit back in the hole. Did that lots actually but had to be careful or the bearing got crushed & too tight to revolve or out of shape & revolve in lumps etc.
Bit of a slow learner 'me', was never going to tell this story [embarrassing]. had a spare head for my old LTF250 suzy quad that was 'so' coated with burned on oil & dirt i thought i'd give it a real good clean up so put it in the log fire, kept an eye on it through the glass door while watching tv, next time i looked 'It Was Gone'--pulled out two valve seats & valve guides---bugger. Always lessons to learn, albeit could be expensive.----should i push 'post' mmm too late she's gone!!