Remove the Anodizing from an Ultegra 6650 Crank?

[Hawker]

I love the looks of my Ultegra SL 6550 crank but I wish it were silver.

Is there any sensible/reasonable way to remove the gray anodizing and buff it out to silver? This does appear to scratch rather easily so in this case maybe that's means it wouldn't be that tough?

[kramnnim]

I've always heard that oven cleaner would do it...

[martinrjensen]

Oven cleaner definitely works. note: keep an eye on it. Let it soak for about 15 minutes then wipe it off with a scouring pad.
ADDITIONAL NOTE: I let a quill stem soak in oven cleaner overnight once when I forgot it and ruined the part. Deep pits in it.
Then you will have to buff it. It may take a little time and elbow grease but you will get it all off.
I'm a little undecided about whether or not it's best to try and coat it with some kind of clear as I have had mixed results.
On some components it seemed to get some dulling or corrosion (just surface corrosion) under the clear within a month or two and I had to take the clear off and buff it again. I may just try waxing the buffed part and leaving it. I think that once you buff it, you will have a really nice looking high maintenance item. I'm not saying that this is bad, because it doesn't take too much to keep it looking shiny, but it should be a consideration.
I wonder if powder coating clear on it after buffing it up would be an option? This is just a question. I (personally) don't think that the heat they use in powder coating would damage the aluminum but I'm not an expert in the field. I believe that the powder coat temp is around 400 degrees F and I do know that Aluminum melts at around 1200 degrees F.

[Hawker]

Thanks guys, it sounds like it might be doable but I would hate to ruin a good component if I botch it. And yes Martin, I think clear coat out of can will eventually chip or start to turn a bit yellow. I might be better off just buffing and keeping it waxed. However I know from motorcycle parts that to keep it looking good waxing and buffing becomes a life-long effort.

[Tonger]

This is a lot less than what I paid for mine.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Ultegra-FC-6650-50-34T-10-Speed-175mm-Road-Crankset-175-/270784792892?pt=Cycling_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3f0c08093c

It almost makes the oven cleaner not worth the trouble.

Tonger

[zmudshark]

Just make sure you use oven cleaner with lye, not the eco-friendly stuff. You can just use straight lye, too. That's what removes anodizing.

Protect your eyes especially, and exposed skin. It can blind you.

Too long will pit the metal, as mentioned. I would follow up with 1000-2000 grit sandpaper, then a few minutes on the buffing wheel.

[Hawker]

Tonger, thanks...but this is a strange one. I have heard of silver versions of this crank but never seen one anywhere in the U.S. Unfortunately, I need 170mm or I would be all over this. Thanks for the heads up.

Steve

[dave thompson]

I've seen many silver Ultegra compact cranks on EBay, keep watching.

[Hawker]

I've seen many silver Ultegra compact cranks on EBay, keep watching.

Dave I don't doubt you but that has sure not been my experience. I've been looking non-stop for a couple of months for an Ultegra SL 6650 Compact with 170mm arms on CL and Ebay...they don't seem to show up all that often. And until today, I have never seen a silver one (not a compact anyway), only Gray.

Guess I'll continue to watch for one and Big Foot as well.

[dave thompson]

They must go in cycles. I wanted the Ultegra Ice Grey compact crankset and found nothing but silver models for months on end. I wound up buying three grey cranks from Bikewagon on EBay. Perhaps you should contact them and see what they say about the potential for getting the silver cranks you want.

[stackie]

I believe 6600 SL is gray and the plain old "heavy" 6600 is silver.

Jon