Anodizing Removal

[Beamshot]

What is the best way to remove Anodizing? (Like on a Maglite)

 

[tx101]

Use a cleaning product that contains caustic soda
usually oven cleaner.
This is corrosive stuff so be careful.
Depending on how concentrated it is, it can strip anodizing fairly
quickly.
Cover the Mag with oven cleaner, leave it for 5 minutes
then under running water use a soft brush to brush away the foam.
If the anodizing has not stripped off, repeat.
Be carerful ,this stuff can also "corrode" the Al if you leave it on for too long

 

[TITAN1833]

Hope thishelps :twothumbs

 

[qwertyydude]

Greased lightning also works and is a little less corrosive than oven cleaners. Soak it in full strength for a few hours.

 

[TITAN1833]

Greased lightning also works and is a little less corrosive than oven cleaners. Soak it in full strength for a few hours.

Can you be more specific,as there are lots of different Greased lightning products. :thinking:

 

[Youfoundnemo]

mean green works well, put some mean green in a tub and put your parts in it, in 15 min, they should be deanodized

 

[greenLED]

This thread is the Encyclopedia Britannica of anodizing removal.

 

[Beamshot]

green LED, I saw that on post #82 of the link u posted you wrote about someone doing this to a 6P and an E2E. Wouldnt it harm the reflector of the E2E? Since i started thinking about this I have decided to try it on an E1E that i have put together from 3 different colored parts then polish it to a shine. I wasnt sure how to do the head because of the reflector. Would I be better off sanding it all off the head to keep from damaging the reflector?:thinking:

 

[kosPap]

there are also 2 good older threads. If i remeber to look them up in my archives at home I will post a link to them.

oops! it seems that the linked #58899 is one of them...

 

[jzmtl]

green LED, I saw that on post #82 of the link u posted you wrote about someone doing this to a 6P and an E2E. Wouldnt it harm the reflector of the E2E? Since i started thinking about this I have decided to try it on an E1E that i have put together from 3 different colored parts then polish it to a shine. I wasnt sure how to do the head because of the reflector. Would I be better off sanding it all off the head to keep from damaging the reflector?:thinking:

You keep the light as is wtih o-ring and everything, not taken apart. Spray oven cleaner on it, wait rinse off and repeat as necessary.

 

[Beamshot]

Thanks Again, The light looks great it just needs a good polishing! I used Greased Lightning and just had to sit back and wait.:thumbsup:

 

[greenLED]

Beamshot, glad you figured it out. For future projects, it's easy to mask off the areas you don't want to remove the anodizing from.

I've used modeling clay to seal off reflector cavities, for example. I don't remember if I ever used masking tape on windows and such.