How do you go about removing the anodization(?) from aluminum trim pieces? What do you polish them with, and what do you seal it with, so it will stay bright? I've removed some scratches from a signal light bezel; but broke through to the raw aluminum. It polished-up pretty well, but looks totally different from the rest of the piece. Thanks for your help, Brett

 

Try at your own risk. I was told on another board for a totally different hobby to use oven cleaner on anodized aluminum to remove the coating.

 

I've never used oven cleaner but I used good ole grunt work with sandpaper and went down to 400 grit and used a sewn cotton wheel on a bench grinder with a rouge for alum. and a coat of mothers alum. mag wheel polish. constant battle trying to keep it shiny. Or you could look into reannodizing and they strip it.

 

This is from another list I'm on, but just as valid here. This stuff works great, provides EVEN coverage because you submerge the parts and it's re-usable.

Phil

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It's a chemical solution that looks like powdered detergent. ( Sodium
Hydroxide ) You mix a small amount with water and then soak your aluminum
part in it for about 10 - 15 minutes, sometimes longer. During that time
the part will start to react with the solution and the hard anodized
surface on the part will dissolve into the solution. (the solution starts
to fizz and bubble)
After you feel it's all gone, you rinse the part off with clean
water and the part will have a very dull, but smooth appearance. Then you
polish it just like you would any other piece of aluminum that you'd want
a nice finish on. This is also a good time to work out any dents or
scratches you need to fix. You can use buffing compounds, Wenol, Mothers,
etc. Then you have the option of either applying some kind of clear to
protect it, like POR-15's "Glisten PC". Eastwood has a clear also, but
it didn't hold up well when I tried it on some trim for another project.
Some people opt to just keep the aluminum shinned up and waxed
periodically, with Mothers, Eagle wadding polish, semichrome polish,
Wenol, Zoops, etc. If your car's not out in the weather all the time that may be
OK. If it's going to see weather it might be best to cover it.
This little jar will make several gallons of solution. If you
save it in jugs you can keep it for years. I have some several years old
that is still strong.
Good luck, Phil
( 63 1/2 Galaxie - 64F-100 4x4 )

 

BIGGUT

I just recently went through the same thing on my 65 grill. If you take a look at my gallery you can see the results.
Here is what I did; it was a lot of work.

I started by trying chemicals with no luck, (Ford puts on a good anodize coating). I used a 3M scotch bright wheel on a 6” end grinder a polished off all of the anodizing. It left behind a nice smooth surface to work with. Next I used a cotton rouge wheel and some aluminum rouge. I finished with a second rouge wheel and finer aluminum rouge.

I first went with the POR15 Glisten pc but had bad luck with the prep they recommended, it tarnished the aluminum and I had to polish out again. I used the clear coat package from Eastwood and it came out pretty dam good if I say so myself.

No matter what get ready for a lot of work. I have somewhere close to 40 hours in my grill.

Good luck