restoring old SR simplex 5 speed stuff

[jimcav]

i have a friend who just got an old browning with simplex shifters and FD/RD(5speed) and SR cranks, good shape but surface pitting/discoloration on the cranks and FD/RD/Mafac racer brakes. DT shifters are oddly great. anyway, has anyone tried to restore such? do you take it to someone to sandblast?
thanks
jim

[Ken Robb]

I think fine steel wool and patience or maybe blasting with walnut shells or other gentler stuff. The catch is that once the anodizing is gone you have to keep polishing the alloy frequently because it will have much less resistance to corrosion.

I took a brass wire brush in a Dremel to a small pit on a satin alloy stem. It left a pit-less but noticeably different place on the stem. The pits looked better. :crap:

[jimcav]

I think fine steel wool and patience or maybe blasting with walnut shells or other gentler stuff. The catch is that once the anodizing is gone you have to keep polishing the alloy frequently because it will have much less resistance to corrosion.

I took a brass wire brush in a Dremel to a small pit on a satin alloy stem. It left a pit-less but noticeably different place on the stem. The pits looked better. :crap:

sounds like best to leave it alone unless you can completely disassemble each part and get it re-anodized
thanks
jim