Strip Show...

[AngryScientist]

Winter project in progress...

[AngryScientist]

To be Continued...

[.RJ]

Looks nice, following

[Veloo]

Cool!
What's that you're soaking it in?

Was thinking about doing this to a 105 crank on Facebook Marketplace.

[.RJ]

I use oven cleaner for this, but anything with Lye should do the trick. I stripped a dropper post for this one.

[dgauthier]

Originally Posted by .RJ

I use oven cleaner for this, but anything with Lye should do the trick. I stripped a dropper post for this one.

Nice looking post. It's the quality of the polishing job that makes all the difference.

[.RJ]

Originally Posted by dgauthier

It's the quality of the polishing job that makes all the difference.

I used mothers metal polish. I really didnt spend much time on it - maybe 15 min? Probably needs to be disassembled and redone after a year.

[onomic]

Following this as well. I just picked up a cheap pair of DT Swiss hubs painted white for my winter project. I would like to strip them and polish them up. Never done anything like this before but should be fun to try.

[dlui]

does the lye solution attack the base metal or just the anodizing?

[.RJ]

Originally Posted by dlui

does the lye solution attack the base metal or just the anodizing?

Should be just the anodizing.

I have heard shimano doesnt love the idea of this, maybe because of the corrosion and splitting apart issues with their road cranks. I wouldnt worry though.

[benb]

Looks cool. So once you do this it tarnishes and you have to periodically re-polish?

What was Shimano doing back in the day when all the parts just looked like this to keep it from tarnishing?

I can see it not working on a dropper due to it sliding and rubbing but for a crank is there a way to clear coat it?

Heh.. does the GRX still have bonded cranks anyway? I thought Shimano used to make hollow cranks out of a single casting.. they used to make a big deal out of it, and they didn't split.

[windsurfer]

Originally Posted by .RJ

Should be just the anodizing.

I have heard shimano doesnt love the idea of this, maybe because of the corrosion and splitting apart issues with their road cranks. I wouldnt worry though.

Not recommended unless you know what you are doing...
Lye will etch the aluminum, that's why it comes out of the solution with a matte finish. It will also decorate alloying precipitates. NaOH etch is commonly used to soften tool marks on aluminum and give a matte finish before heat treating

[AngryScientist]

OK, all the ano is gone now. Time to shine it up.

[jamesdak]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

OK, all the ano is gone now. Time to shine it up.

I can't wait to see how they turn out!

[Elefantino]

Originally Posted by jamesdak

I can't wait to see how they turn out!

Me too, although I must confess I was a bit disappointed when I clicked on this thread and saw crank arms.