# Polishing old parts- Part II



## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

A picture is worth a thousand words and I was real bored last night....

Here is an old Cinelli stem that had the black anodizing starting to wear off. I put the stem in a Tupperware tub(sorry honey, I don't know what happened to all your Tupperware  ) filled with water. I haven't put the Lye in the tub yet.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

Pour in some Lye


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

After 5 minutes in the Lye, results start to show. You can use a toothbrush to remove excess anodizing


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

Stem after being washed off with soap and water. Note the finish is dull.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

Stem after about 5 minutes of polishing


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

Finished product. This is not the same stem but it looks the same. The total time was about 20 minutes...


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## No Strings (Oct 19, 2004)

Dave Hickey said:


> Finished product. This is not the same stem but it looks the same. The total time was about 20 minutes...


You've got to start your own bike company; truly great information. Now, what do you do to make rims looks better?


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

No Strings said:


> You've got to start your own bike company; truly great information. Now, what do you do to make rims looks better?


You could strip the rims too but I would worry about the brake surface. I don't know how brake pads would react to bare aluminum..


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## wasfast (Feb 3, 2004)

*Bare AL and brakes*



Dave Hickey said:


> You could strip the rims too but I would worry about the brake surface. I don't know how brake pads would react to bare aluminum..



Most of the new rims have machined brake surfaces, done post anodizing so it's probably not a big deal.


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## Spirito (Nov 26, 2001)

So that's where all them black Cinelli stems have gone - your erasing the 80's, just wanted you to know that 

ciao


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

Spirito said:


> So that's where all them black Cinelli stems have gone - your erasing the 80's, just wanted you to know that
> 
> ciao



I know..I know.... I really like the black Cinelli stems but they look like sh!t when the black starts to wear off.... I have a stockpile of Cinelli stems.....IMHO, one of the better looking pieces of 80's equipment....Now, if I can find more Giro bars... I only have 1 more bar and I have a new project in the works....I'm breaking with tradition. This bike is going be yellow and blue....


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## Spirito (Nov 26, 2001)

just winding you up - actually 1A's look very cool in black as the clamp bolt in silver just pop's real bright. 

blue and yellow huh? hmmm - what next campy? 

ciao


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## orbeamike (Nov 20, 2004)

Dave Hickey said:


> Finished product. This is not the same stem but it looks the same. The total time was about 20 minutes...


Dave,
What do you use as a clear finish to keep the polished parts shiny?


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

orbeamike said:


> Dave,
> What do you use as a clear finish to keep the polished parts shiny?


If it's a high wear/contact part such as crankarms, I'll use clear automotive laquer in a spray can. If it's a stem or seatpost, I'll just use wax... 

I just used this techique on an old blue anodized Vitus frame. The frame is now all polished aluminum covered in clear laquer. I'll post pics of the complete bike soon


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## aosty (Apr 9, 2004)

Thanks for the tip! How much lye did you use for that stem?


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## Maybeck (Sep 30, 2004)

*what I did this weekend*

I'm building up a 70's Gios on a tight budget, so it's sweat instead of NOS when it comes to parts. Here's some really tatty NR cranks after a trip to the Red Devil and a lot of filing and sanding. Hard to capture in the photo, but I swear they are shiny!<P><img src=http://uci.net/~brennan/nrcrank.jpg>


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

Maybeck said:


> I'm building up a 70's Gios on a tight budget, so it's sweat instead of NOS when it comes to parts. Here's some really tatty NR cranks after a trip to the Red Devil and a lot of filing and sanding. Hard to capture in the photo, but I swear they are shiny!<P><img src=http://uci.net/~brennan/nrcrank.jpg>


Wow... Those look better than new.. Fanstastic job


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## Cory (Jan 29, 2004)

*agree--bare alu is no problem for brake pads*



wasfast said:


> Most of the new rims have machined brake surfaces, done post anodizing so it's probably not a big deal.


All four of my bikes (plus three sets of extra wheels) are either bare alu or are old enough that the anodization has worn off the braking surfaces. No problems.


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

One point you might want to emphasize -- lye is nasty stuff and can burn your hands, eyes, etc. Make sure you wear rubber gloves and eye protection, and be careful to keep it off your clothes unless you want holes in them.


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## jhamlin38 (Oct 29, 2005)

To get a "jeweler's polish" on some components, or even for a bare aluminum frame, try nevr dull then follow with Cape Cod. 
I used never dull on rims, and braking actually improved some. It just seems to be smoother, and not "grabby".


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## mbaha (Jul 2, 2007)

Dave Hickey said:


> If it's a high wear/contact part such as crankarms, I'll use clear automotive laquer in a spray can. If it's a stem or seatpost, I'll just use wax...
> 
> I just used this techique on an old blue anodized Vitus frame. The frame is now all polished aluminum covered in clear laquer. I'll post pics of the complete bike soon


Dave-

Do you pictures? I am thinking about doing stripping and polishing a frame this weekend. How did the clear automotive laquer hold up?
thanks


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

sorry, that frame is long gone.....It works like a charm though.....


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## BentChainring (Jun 23, 2005)

Just a heads up... The reason Lye removes the anodizing is because it chemically attacks the Aluminum. I would be a little worried about Intergranular Attack and a subsequent reduction in fatigue life of the part... How many stem's have you dont this to DH? Do you sand before polish at all?

Just a wandering metallurgist who likes to spoil parties :thumbsup:

nK


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

BentChainring said:


> Just a heads up... The reason Lye removes the anodizing is because it chemically attacks the Aluminum. I would be a little worried about Intergranular Attack and a subsequent reduction in fatigue life of the part... How many stem's have you dont this to DH? Do you sand before polish at all?
> 
> Just a wandering metallurgist who likes to spoil parties :thumbsup:
> 
> nK



Hey Bent...glad to see you wandering out of the Lounge.. . I've been doing this for years with no ill effects..... The parts are in the Lye for only a few minutes and then are washed off... As for sanding, I've never need to do it..at times I've used an old toothbrush in cracks or crevices..but never needed to sand before polishing


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## BentChainring (Jun 23, 2005)

Dave Hickey said:


> Hey Bent...glad to see you wandering out of the Lounge.. . I've been doing this for years with no ill effects..... The parts are in the Lye for only a few minutes and then are washed off... As for sanding, I've never need to do it..at times I've used an old toothbrush in cracks or crevices..but never needed to sand before polishing


Yah, I even posted on MTBR :yikes:

This is just the overly conservative Rocket Scientist part coming out. We hear news of ANY kind of IGA (intergranular attack) and our pucker factor goes through the roof. Remember, when my spoke broke on my road bike and I had it imaged at 150X? yah... im strange..

Bike parts are so overbuilt it may not be a problem, at least for a long time. I ask if you sand, because a light sanding over the entire surface may remove any IGA.... depending on how much you sand. 

nK


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## Dalis12 (Jul 6, 2008)

since red devil lye is no more do you know of any way to get it in small amounts. only way i can find it is in at least 2 lb quantities but mostly in much higher quantities. any suggestions?


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## J T CUNNINGHAM (May 27, 2007)

In Canada, try GILLETT'S LYE.

Originally made by the people that brought out MAGIC BAKING POWDER

and ROYAL YEAST CAKES. 

(Never eat the lye more than twice - the first, and the last.)


Regards,
J T


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