Easiest way to remove anodize

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libram

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So I read a lot about how to take off the anodized layer from OE trim and there are lots of ways. Some people say they just sand it.......tried that my hands hurt. Lots of forum members have used oven cleaner, tried that now my driveway has an etched spot the anodizing is 50/50 and i'd have to sand again but my hands hurt. Then I got smart, anodizing is an electrochemical process, therefore a similar process should be just as easy.

Enter the lye method, it sounds scary to call it a seriously caustic solution but that's what it is and it deserves respect but WOW it works and its easy.

Find one of two forms of lye, either powdered lye like red devil from ACE hardware (this is nasty stuff be careful) 

or

even easier go to a home improvement store and find a drain de clogger that says it will burn skin, to dilute with vinegar if contacted and generates its own heat (this is liquid lye)

This stuff will eat steel, and a lot of other things but guess what it wont eat, PVC plumbing pipe and using a piece and a cap and properly pvc welding it you can make a nice long small bath for your trim, even curved trim (just have to do it in 2 sections).

safely secure your chem tube to something and fill halfway with water, put a small amount of the lye in, like 1 oz per gallon or so, slowly fill with water again to near the top but not even to it.

Drop your trim in and the bubbling begins, keep checking on it every few minutes until it looks like bare aluminum, kinda dull.

Just a couple things to remember

USE GLOVES good ones, thick latex or vinyl

dilute any bubble over with water ( I just used a light spray from the hose as it was happening)

rinse your parts thoroughly after you pull them out before you touch them

what to do with the solution after you're done? Guess what its still drain cleaner, pour it down your drain and help clean out your pipes or make really weird looking soap.

severely dilute any spillage of the lye, solution, or bubble over with lots of water, at that point its pretty harmless.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
So I read a lot about how to take off the anodized layer from OE trim and there are lots of ways. Some people say they just sand it.......tried that my hands hurt. Lots of forum members have used oven cleaner, tried that now my driveway has an etched spot the anodizing is 50/50 and i'd have to sand again but my hands hurt. Then I got smart, anodizing is an electrochemical process, therefore a similar process should be just as easy.

Enter the lye method, it sounds scary to call it a seriously caustic solution but that's what it is and it deserves respect but WOW it works and its easy.

Find one of two forms of lye, either powdered lye like red devil from ACE hardware (this is nasty stuff be careful) 

or

even easier go to a home improvement store and find a drain de clogger that says it will burn skin, to dilute with vinegar if contacted and generates its own heat (this is liquid lye)

This stuff will eat steel, and a lot of other things but guess what it won't eat, PVC plumbing pipe and using a piece and a cap and properly pvc welding it you can make a nice long small bath for your trim, even curved trim (just have to do it in 2 sections).

safely secure your chem tube to something and fill halfway with water, put a small amount of the lye in, like 1 oz per gallon or so, slowly fill with water again to near the top but not even to it.

Drop your trim in and the bubbling begins, keep checking on it every few minutes until it looks like bare aluminum, kinda dull.

Just a couple things to remember

USE GLOVES good ones, thick latex or vinyl

dilute any bubble over with water ( I just used a light spray from the hose as it was happening)

rinse your parts thoroughly after you pull them out before you touch them

what to do with the solution after you're done? Guess what its still drain cleaner, pour it down your drain and help clean out your pipes or make really weird looking soap.

severely dilute any spillage of the lye, solution, or bubble over with lots of water, at that point its pretty harmless.
I have tried the oven cleaner route.  I'll have to try your method now. Thanks for sharing.

 
So I read a lot about how to take off the anodized layer from OE trim and there are lots of ways. Some people say they just sand it.......tried that my hands hurt. Lots of forum members have used oven cleaner, tried that now my driveway has an etched spot the anodizing is 50/50 and i'd have to sand again but my hands hurt. Then I got smart, anodizing is an electrochemical process, therefore a similar process should be just as easy.

Enter the lye method, it sounds scary to call it a seriously caustic solution but that's what it is and it deserves respect but WOW it works and its easy.

Find one of two forms of lye, either powdered lye like red devil from ACE hardware (this is nasty stuff be careful) 

or

even easier go to a home improvement store and find a drain de clogger that says it will burn skin, to dilute with vinegar if contacted and generates its own heat (this is liquid lye)

This stuff will eat steel, and a lot of other things but guess what it won't eat, PVC plumbing pipe and using a piece and a cap and properly pvc welding it you can make a nice long small bath for your trim, even curved trim (just have to do it in 2 sections).

safely secure your chem tube to something and fill halfway with water, put a small amount of the lye in, like 1 oz per gallon or so, slowly fill with water again to near the top but not even to it.

Drop your trim in and the bubbling begins, keep checking on it every few minutes until it looks like bare aluminum, kinda dull.

Just a couple things to remember

USE GLOVES good ones, thick latex or vinyl

dilute any bubble over with water ( I just used a light spray from the hose as it was happening)

rinse your parts thoroughly after you pull them out before you touch them

what to do with the solution after you're done? Guess what its still drain cleaner, pour it down your drain and help clean out your pipes or make really weird looking soap.

severely dilute any spillage of the lye, solution, or bubble over with lots of water, at that point its pretty harmless.
I have tried the oven cleaner route.  I'll have to try your method now. Thanks for sharing.
did 2 drip channel moldings completely clean in about a half hour with no cramps. will post pics of completed rails after polish (there is sanding involved but at least not to remove the coating)

 
So I read a lot about how to take off the anodized layer from OE trim and there are lots of ways. Some people say they just sand it.......tried that my hands hurt. Lots of forum members have used oven cleaner, tried that now my driveway has an etched spot the anodizing is 50/50 and i'd have to sand again but my hands hurt. Then I got smart, anodizing is an electrochemical process, therefore a similar process should be just as easy.

Enter the lye method, it sounds scary to call it a seriously caustic solution but that's what it is and it deserves respect but WOW it works and its easy.

Find one of two forms of lye, either powdered lye like red devil from ACE hardware (this is nasty stuff be careful) 

or

even easier go to a home improvement store and find a drain de clogger that says it will burn skin, to dilute with vinegar if contacted and generates its own heat (this is liquid lye)

This stuff will eat steel, and a lot of other things but guess what it won't eat, PVC plumbing pipe and using a piece and a cap and properly pvc welding it you can make a nice long small bath for your trim, even curved trim (just have to do it in 2 sections).

safely secure your chem tube to something and fill halfway with water, put a small amount of the lye in, like 1 oz per gallon or so, slowly fill with water again to near the top but not even to it.

Drop your trim in and the bubbling begins, keep checking on it every few minutes until it looks like bare aluminum, kinda dull.

Just a couple things to remember

USE GLOVES good ones, thick latex or vinyl

dilute any bubble over with water ( I just used a light spray from the hose as it was happening)

rinse your parts thoroughly after you pull them out before you touch them

what to do with the solution after you're done? Guess what its still drain cleaner, pour it down your drain and help clean out your pipes or make really weird looking soap.

severely dilute any spillage of the lye, solution, or bubble over with lots of water, at that point its pretty harmless.
I have tried the oven cleaner route.  I'll have to try your method now. Thanks for sharing.
did 2 drip channel moldings completely clean in about a half hour with no cramps. will post pics of completed rails after polish (there is sanding involved but at least not to remove the coating)

Instant Power at home depot is what I used and is lye.
 
That's some useful info there, thanks for sharing. I want to refinish some extra rear light pieces. I tried the oven cleaner, but a waste of time and sanding these is a real pain..... literally!

Geoff.

 
I will note that lye, water and aluminum will produce flammable hydrogen gas and will in the wrong proportions eat the aluminum.  Don't soak parts longer than necessary and don't leave them unattended.
 Good info there too, kinda important!

 
I will note that lye, water and aluminum will produce flammable hydrogen gas and will in the wrong proportions eat the aluminum.  Don't soak parts longer than necessary and don't leave them unattended.
And don't smoke while doing this.

 
Aluma-Brite is cleaner available at truck stops and parts stores that cater to semi's. At about 15.00 gal. it works great But you need to respect it as it has hydroflouric acid in it. FOLLOW SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS! It will remove anodize easily

 
I think all of the solutions mentioned are related to the lye. A good container for long parts is the vinyl gutter for you home. You can cap the ends and make what ever length you desire.

We did lots of aluminum trim for Ford. We made ever aluminum grill for Ford for the pickups and vans from 60's until about 73 when they went plastic. We made GM and Dodge also. The anodizing tanks were nasty things. Everyone was glad when they left. The racks were made from titanium to keep from getting eaten up. The roof in that area had to be replaced a couple times. There were some big tall radio towers near our plant and we had to pay to paint them a couple times the exhaust fumes rusted them. If there was a down draft when women were walking into work and had hose on the fumes would melt them. Peoples noses bled on the line like all the time. That is why it has pretty much gone away. You can also do hard anodizing usually black would look cool for the trim and you could not scratch it.

When they pulled the tanks out leaks had gone into the ground under the slab and had eaten the dirt out they put truck loads of concrete back in the voids that were found. The EPA drilled test wells all around the pant and monitor still today. They still have the lime pond running that killed all the acids. If they shut it down they have to go through an EPA clean up and would have to dig half way to China and send dirt to hazardous storage.

Anodizing is crazy nasty stuff and so is getting it off.

BTW did you guys not ever use Drano to fill hydrogen balloons to float and shoot as targets. Take a two or three liter bottle put the Drano in and add water and stretch a balloon over the neck of the bottle and it will blow up the balloon. People use to get burn when using in their sink and light a cigarette.

Lye soap is good for your skin, lol, they say. You make it from your ashes from burning wood.

David

 
the original post was about the lye david, in small quantities when done outdoors and watched carefully its a pretty easy thing. In large quantities yes absolutely its killer, that's why no one does that anymore :) With a pretty safe setup though (I trust the PVC more than gutters bc the pvc is rated to be immune to lye) it can save hours and hours of tedious work on removing anodize. Putting it on is also easy, if you see easy as working with water/battery acid/electricity/caustic fumes/ and volatile reactions easy :) I'll stay away from anodizing but lye solution is within a thoughtful persons ability to use and dispose of without eco harm.

 
Drano crystals are the best and fastest at removing anodizing. just dip part in Crystal and water bath and pull out bare part.

 
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