Having tried to research a means of polishing the anodized aluminum, I have not found much other than sand off, polish and re-coat. Anyone have any luck with this horrible trim. I am not sure yet whether it can be improved at all with a cleaner that does not remove the anodize??
Aluminum trim polishing
- Thread starter 66furys
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Anodized aluminum is a great alternative to polished stainless steel.
It can be sanded off, BUT then you have to refinish it (somehow) with new anodizing or similar. You CAN polish it off with much time on a stationary buffing wheel machine, but you basically have to "burn" it off, so sanding is better and quicker. Just like sanding a fender, you start coarse and go finer until you get the mirror-like finish which might be desired.
In our Mopar car club, in the earlier 1990s, a few members sought to polish out their windshield moldings on a A-body car. It got to be much more than they bargained for! Plus the polished result was "too shiny" and did not look right. Nobody knew that anodizing was that tough.
In a recent thread in here on removing the coating, apparently new methods work quicker.
On the '72 Chryslers, they added a "micro-cracked" anodize which had more sparkle to it, due to more light reflection from the micro-cracks, apparently.
Perhaps there are some industrial anodizing operations in your region who might provide some answers to your questions? Only thing might be that they are geared toward industrial applications rather than the thinner-gauge automotive molding items. Might be like chroming, they charge by the batch rather than the piece?
CBODY67
It can be sanded off, BUT then you have to refinish it (somehow) with new anodizing or similar. You CAN polish it off with much time on a stationary buffing wheel machine, but you basically have to "burn" it off, so sanding is better and quicker. Just like sanding a fender, you start coarse and go finer until you get the mirror-like finish which might be desired.
In our Mopar car club, in the earlier 1990s, a few members sought to polish out their windshield moldings on a A-body car. It got to be much more than they bargained for! Plus the polished result was "too shiny" and did not look right. Nobody knew that anodizing was that tough.
In a recent thread in here on removing the coating, apparently new methods work quicker.
On the '72 Chryslers, they added a "micro-cracked" anodize which had more sparkle to it, due to more light reflection from the micro-cracks, apparently.
Perhaps there are some industrial anodizing operations in your region who might provide some answers to your questions? Only thing might be that they are geared toward industrial applications rather than the thinner-gauge automotive molding items. Might be like chroming, they charge by the batch rather than the piece?
CBODY67
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I have stripped the anodizing off of my trim, re-polished, then clear coated. Has looked great and stayed the same for many years now.
That is quite a list of cars.....incl a hemi?? Wife had a 70 charger SE with the 440, and I almost bought a 69 roadrunner that was in the white.....blasted body and frame, and pieces. But, decided just too much at my age. But, cant imagine a list like you have/had.
I've stripped anodized trim with oven cleaner. Go buy the nastiest stuff you can find and spray it liberally. Let it set, but try not to let it dry.
Wash off with hose. It will look dull and kind of crappy when done, but the anodize will be gone.
Don't sand it... You're going to make 100 times more work than you need to.
I use a Harbor Freight buffer and buy supplies from Polishing - Page 1 - Caswell Inc Don't waste your time and money trying to use a drill... They have some "how to" guides and there's books available too. I used to have a good PDF guide, but it must have gotten lost in the shuffle...
The trick is using the correct wheels and compounds with wheels dedicated to certain compounds. Hang on to the part... Anyone who has done this and says they never launched a part across the shop is lying.
When done correctly, it looks as good (or better) than new. It does require some protection, like a good coat of your favorite car wax.
BTW, you can also do the stainless steel this way... Just no need to strip anodizing (obviously). Just can't do plated SS, but I haven't seen plated SS on cars since the 50's.
Wash off with hose. It will look dull and kind of crappy when done, but the anodize will be gone.
Don't sand it... You're going to make 100 times more work than you need to.
I use a Harbor Freight buffer and buy supplies from Polishing - Page 1 - Caswell Inc Don't waste your time and money trying to use a drill... They have some "how to" guides and there's books available too. I used to have a good PDF guide, but it must have gotten lost in the shuffle...
The trick is using the correct wheels and compounds with wheels dedicated to certain compounds. Hang on to the part... Anyone who has done this and says they never launched a part across the shop is lying.
When done correctly, it looks as good (or better) than new. It does require some protection, like a good coat of your favorite car wax.
BTW, you can also do the stainless steel this way... Just no need to strip anodizing (obviously). Just can't do plated SS, but I haven't seen plated SS on cars since the 50's.
My buffer... If I had to do it again, I might buy the larger version as that swings a larger wheel. The larger the wheel, the faster the speed at the periphery of the wheel. I do use 8" wheels on mine, but it doesn't like it and gets a bit warm.
All the aluminum trim on my car has been buffed... That is the wheel well and rocker trim. The upper belt line is SS and that has also been buffed.
All the aluminum trim on my car has been buffed... That is the wheel well and rocker trim. The upper belt line is SS and that has also been buffed.
Yea... unfortunately, not today... just cleaned 6" of snow off the driveway...
Closest I have been is Watkins Glen for racing....helping a friend for the antique cars racing in the streets. But, at least it is not Rochester or Buff.....I flew into Rochester years ago, in the snow. Six inches on the streets, and they drove like on pavement.......interesting.
It's been a very mild winter here... We've had about 3 1/2 feet this winter... About a 1/3 of usual and normally we get more than Buffalo or Rochester, but not this year...
We all drive in it like that...
This wasn't today...
Retired auto tech
New Member
Got our first real snowfall of this winter on Sunday and Monday. Very strange winter with most temps way above normal except for the second week of January with temps down to -51C and windchill to -60. Way below normal. I started with the stainless steel repair. Straitening, filing, sanding and polishing went easier than I had anticipated. Metal is thick and if you screw up it can be gone over again. Went from 6" wheels on my grinder to start then got smart and bought an 8" buffer. With the grinder the wheels are to close the grinder and stand, figured this out when I had a few pieces wack the stand just as I finishing them up and had to back sanding them out again. Even old dogs have to learn new tricks the hard way. Now as for the aluminum however, that is a whole different ball game. Tried the polishing thing first. Takes forever and really gets the metal hot. Tried oven cleaner with mixed results. Currently the small 6" piece of the grill from around the headlight bezel is somewhere off in the corner of the garage. (It didn't even have the decency to fly like a frisbee just fluttered across the room) It seems the professionals do a reverse anodizing process to remove it . Have a small plating setup for zinc and cadmium plating that I haven't set up yet and will look into if I can use this to strip the aluminum.
I think the issue with oven cleaner is they've weakened the mixture to keep the fumes etc. down. The last I did it, it took a couple tries to get it all off, but it worked.
Easy-Off in the yellow can was the one to use. I haven't looked for it lately... and I use the cheap stuff for general heavy degreasing (like a rear end for example).
You might want to look into a mixture of lye and water. It's the lye in the oven cleaner that does the job. You could use a piece of plastic rain gutter to soak long pieces.
Retired auto tech
New Member
Yea, thank's for the info. I think I'll see if the can has a percentage or something of the lye in it and look for something stronger.
493mike
New Member
There are some products available for anodize removal and I had luck with them. I fasten long pieces of trim to 1x3/4" boards of correct length to control and support trim for buffing.
Mike
Mike
And those products are???
I’ve actually had fairly good luck polishing anodized trim with Mother’s.
It will clean the anodized aluminum trim (like the headlights surrounds in my 73 Roadrunner). It will remove any stuck on road film and light surface oxidation without removing the anodized finish. I use just my hand pressure and no buffer for acceptable results.
Both head light doors and the trim at the base of the grille are anodized aluminum. They will tend to get white and opaque with weather and time. But both come back nicely with some gentle cleaning and hand polishing. But it takes time and patience.
It will never look like new. But it will look a lot better. Mother’s also has some wax in it to protect your work for a few months.
The above was from a car meet at a local park yesterday. I use the car (along with my others) on at least a weekly basis. I had just polished the above parts (along with the stainless and chrome).
The trick I’ve learned for any polishing is to work it well into the rag or wipe so you don’t end up getting it into the cracks, joints or surrounding trim. I work it in well onto the surface until there is just a haze left on the part and then polish with a very dry rag or paper/rag painters towel.
Works well on the other metal parts too.
It will clean the anodized aluminum trim (like the headlights surrounds in my 73 Roadrunner). It will remove any stuck on road film and light surface oxidation without removing the anodized finish. I use just my hand pressure and no buffer for acceptable results.
Both head light doors and the trim at the base of the grille are anodized aluminum. They will tend to get white and opaque with weather and time. But both come back nicely with some gentle cleaning and hand polishing. But it takes time and patience.
It will never look like new. But it will look a lot better. Mother’s also has some wax in it to protect your work for a few months.
The above was from a car meet at a local park yesterday. I use the car (along with my others) on at least a weekly basis. I had just polished the above parts (along with the stainless and chrome).
The trick I’ve learned for any polishing is to work it well into the rag or wipe so you don’t end up getting it into the cracks, joints or surrounding trim. I work it in well onto the surface until there is just a haze left on the part and then polish with a very dry rag or paper/rag painters towel.
Works well on the other metal parts too.
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Here is an older thread. Aluminum door sill restoration?
While I now have a buffer I used a drill and compared to what is was at the beginning I'm happy enough. I took off the anodizing and left it with Mothers wheel wax. I rewax 1x a year. Kind of like power washing once you get working you kind want to do it all.
While I now have a buffer I used a drill and compared to what is was at the beginning I'm happy enough. I took off the anodizing and left it with Mothers wheel wax. I rewax 1x a year. Kind of like power washing once you get working you kind want to do it all.
493mike
New Member
Google is your friend.
Mike
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