Getting old Aluminum looking good

xnationalwrench 6/18/2012 11:19am
6/18/2012 11:19am Edited Date/Time 6/18/2012 6:56pm
On aluminium you can go to a transfer truck detail shop and get some acid that they use on wheels and on trailers they use to haul liquids. This is what we used on Thor swingarms (letting them soak for a short time then brushing it off and rinsing with water). We have also used "NEVER-DULL" a wadding to work on small parts like hubs or brake backing plates.
newmann
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newmann 6/18/2012 1:02pm
6/18/2012 1:02pm
The cast aluminum parts can be tricky. Some of the phosphoric acid type cleaners will actually darken the cast pieces. It will also dull the zinc coatings on spokes and bolts. If you are disassembling them and have access to a blasting cabinet you could try soda blasting or a glass bead media to clean them up. Lots of different glass media available, some will pit and chew up the metal pretty bad while others will clean without etching the surface.

If using an acid solution, try an out of the way spot first.
pete24
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pete24 6/18/2012 1:18pm
6/18/2012 1:18pm
soda works ok but glass bead and then tumble, you will have to remove all the bearings and only glass bead the parts seen by the eye then u gotta run a tap threw all the holes and clean everything real good,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,but you did say a Newmann resto so you were expecting that
ehr400
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ehr400 6/18/2012 4:52pm
6/18/2012 4:52pm
Thanks guys for the response. What kind of glass media would you recommend ? I wanted to stay away from acids like newmann stated. I might even try a fine grit sand to try to replicate that sand cast look on the engine cases and calipers. I will post some pics of what I am starting with.

1997 CR 125, 15-20 original mint bike. Had a garage fire and the bike suffered alot of smoke damage as well as hard water stains.

BTW I lost 10 years of my racing history along with alot of autographed posters and mx history stuff. Also a bike and a complete KTM 380 mx motor I was building for my modern frame SX 380 KTM.

The Shop

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T-Fish
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T-Fish 6/19/2012 8:34am
6/19/2012 8:34am
xnationalwrench wrote:
On aluminium you can go to a transfer truck detail shop and get some acid that they use on wheels and on trailers they use to...
On aluminium you can go to a transfer truck detail shop and get some acid that they use on wheels and on trailers they use to haul liquids. This is what we used on Thor swingarms (letting them soak for a short time then brushing it off and rinsing with water). We have also used "NEVER-DULL" a wadding to work on small parts like hubs or brake backing plates.
Being in the milk hauling field, I have access to this acid. I will say that it's extremely impressive stuff. I don't think there is an easier way to do such a job.
ehr400
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ehr400 6/19/2012 3:50pm
6/19/2012 3:50pm
xnationalwrench wrote:
On aluminium you can go to a transfer truck detail shop and get some acid that they use on wheels and on trailers they use to...
On aluminium you can go to a transfer truck detail shop and get some acid that they use on wheels and on trailers they use to haul liquids. This is what we used on Thor swingarms (letting them soak for a short time then brushing it off and rinsing with water). We have also used "NEVER-DULL" a wadding to work on small parts like hubs or brake backing plates.
T-Fish wrote:
Being in the milk hauling field, I have access to this acid. I will say that it's extremely impressive stuff. I don't think there is an...
Being in the milk hauling field, I have access to this acid. I will say that it's extremely impressive stuff. I don't think there is an easier way to do such a job.
What kind of acid is it? My good friends are dairy farmers so I think they use the same stuff to clean their systems.
xnationalwrench 6/19/2012 5:35pm
6/19/2012 5:35pm Edited Date/Time 6/19/2012 5:41pm
TECHNICAL DATA SHEET
Description: HYDRO-CHEM’S AB-1 ALUMINUM BRIGHTENER is an aggressive cleaner that whitens and brightens aluminum. Used for keeping semi-trailer rails and tractor fuel tanks clean and bright. Also used on other aluminum products such as pontoons and aluminum trailers.
Advantages:
Description: HYDRO-CHEM’S AB-1 ALUMINUM BRIGHTENER is an aggressive cleaner that whitens and brightens aluminum. Used for keeping semi-trailer rails and tractor fuel tanks clean and bright. Also used on other aluminum products such as pontoons and aluminum trailers.
Advantages:
ehr400
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ehr400 6/19/2012 6:25pm
6/19/2012 6:25pm
xnationalwrench wrote:
TECHNICAL DATA SHEET Description: HYDRO-CHEM’S AB-1 ALUMINUM BRIGHTENER is an aggressive cleaner that whitens and brightens aluminum. Used for keeping semi-trailer rails and tractor fuel tanks...
TECHNICAL DATA SHEET
Description: HYDRO-CHEM’S AB-1 ALUMINUM BRIGHTENER is an aggressive cleaner that whitens and brightens aluminum. Used for keeping semi-trailer rails and tractor fuel tanks clean and bright. Also used on other aluminum products such as pontoons and aluminum trailers.
Advantages:
Description: HYDRO-CHEM’S AB-1 ALUMINUM BRIGHTENER is an aggressive cleaner that whitens and brightens aluminum. Used for keeping semi-trailer rails and tractor fuel tanks clean and bright. Also used on other aluminum products such as pontoons and aluminum trailers.
Advantages:
Who sells that stuff?
T-Fish
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T-Fish 6/19/2012 8:11pm
6/19/2012 8:11pm
xnationalwrench wrote:
On aluminium you can go to a transfer truck detail shop and get some acid that they use on wheels and on trailers they use to...
On aluminium you can go to a transfer truck detail shop and get some acid that they use on wheels and on trailers they use to haul liquids. This is what we used on Thor swingarms (letting them soak for a short time then brushing it off and rinsing with water). We have also used "NEVER-DULL" a wadding to work on small parts like hubs or brake backing plates.
T-Fish wrote:
Being in the milk hauling field, I have access to this acid. I will say that it's extremely impressive stuff. I don't think there is an...
Being in the milk hauling field, I have access to this acid. I will say that it's extremely impressive stuff. I don't think there is an easier way to do such a job.
ehr400 wrote:
What kind of acid is it? My good friends are dairy farmers so I think they use the same stuff to clean their systems.
I will try to look and see what "brand' this stuff is labeled under. I think it would be very unlikely that they would have this stuff around, and they most definitely wouldn't be using it to clean anything that is in contact with raw milk.

Like xnationalwrench mentioned, we use to to keep the outside of the tanks. If you apply it to polished aluminum, it will turn it white and you'll need to polish it again. I bought an '07 YZ125 a couple months ago, sprayed it on the frame and just rinsed it off. I'm not bullshitting you that it looked just like it did right off of the showroom floor. I will see if I have anything aluminum laying around here I can take before and after pictures of for you.
E-man811
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E-man811 6/20/2012 7:37pm
6/20/2012 7:37pm
Send the parts out to be Vapor blasted. It will be far cheaper, easier, less expensive and less time consuming than experimenting with all the different chemicals and methods. I've been there. Trust me. What Newman says is dead on. You're not dealing with plain aluminum and many of the chemicals will darken or stain the parts that you are working with.

Vapor blasting is is a very fine round glass bead in a water slurry with a detergent in it, accelerated by air pressure.
MCfan4life
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MCfan4life 6/28/2012 2:02am
6/28/2012 2:02am
On my 96 I bead blasted mine and then had them turned in a lathe to remove the cast marks:

BEFORE


AFTER


I then painted them satin black as per the factory Honda's of 96/97. Of course you are going to paint them black just like the factory bikes aren't you Wink




Full rebuild thread HERE
kevkx125
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kevkx125 1/5/2014 8:35am
1/5/2014 8:35am
Hey ehr400 sorry to hear about your fire. Its always a bummer to lose a bit of your history. Good luck with your restoration.
Cmiller493
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Cmiller493 1/5/2014 1:23pm
1/5/2014 1:23pm
Acid Wash, WD40 and Metal finishing pad (maroon scotchbrite), Mag wheel cleaner, SOS Pads. There are numerous ways but acid wash and wd40/scotchbrite are my preferred methods. Just make sure you remove all bolts before you acid wash and wear a breather mask and gloves.
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rallendude 1/5/2014 7:19pm
1/5/2014 7:19pm
Erik, if you want to test the acid, go to the Hardware store there in Brookwood. On the next to last isle to the right you'll find two grades of acid wash for big trucks. I bought a gallon of DuraGloss. I'll never be without the stuff. If was awesome for cleaning up the bare aluminum stuff on a KX250f I bought. I mixed it 50/50 with water and scrubbed. Then I rinsed very well and rewarded with my normal bike cleaning solutions.

Be sure to test it first on the cast parts. It turns mag stuff dark grey. There is a much harsher muriatic acid there on the same isle if you want to test that kind of stuff.

If you don't rinse well and scrub with regular cleaner it will make white specs all around corroding stuff. Don't get it on the steel bolts you want to reuse. It will make them rust.

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Spagina767
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Spagina767 8/24/2014 4:34pm
8/24/2014 4:34pm
Eagle 1 mag wheel cleaner, for sure. It will make aluminum darker if only rinsed off. If you pressure wash it off, it will brighten it. It will also take zinc coating off steel, so only do it on aluminum parts not a whole bike the lazy way. It will make radiators look beautiful.
deltadestroyer11 8/29/2014 12:34pm
8/29/2014 12:34pm Edited Date/Time 8/29/2014 12:35pm
xnationalwrench wrote:
TECHNICAL DATA SHEET Description: HYDRO-CHEM’S AB-1 ALUMINUM BRIGHTENER is an aggressive cleaner that whitens and brightens aluminum. Used for keeping semi-trailer rails and tractor fuel tanks...
TECHNICAL DATA SHEET
Description: HYDRO-CHEM’S AB-1 ALUMINUM BRIGHTENER is an aggressive cleaner that whitens and brightens aluminum. Used for keeping semi-trailer rails and tractor fuel tanks clean and bright. Also used on other aluminum products such as pontoons and aluminum trailers.
Advantages:
Description: HYDRO-CHEM’S AB-1 ALUMINUM BRIGHTENER is an aggressive cleaner that whitens and brightens aluminum. Used for keeping semi-trailer rails and tractor fuel tanks clean and bright. Also used on other aluminum products such as pontoons and aluminum trailers.
Advantages:
I agree, Alumabright is the way to go!!
Spray it on then imeadiatly rinse off, maybe let sit for a few ehort seconds if the aluminum is heavely stained..

But normaly you spray on and imediatly rinse off. Makes grungy aluminum look brand new again..

Repeat if neccasary..
jchek779
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jchek779 8/31/2014 5:42pm
8/31/2014 5:42pm
queen of spodes wrote:
Are there any vapor blasting companies in the southeast area?
I just had some vintage parts vapor blasted by Motoblasting in Charlotte. John the owner is a former SX/MX wrench and seemed like a good guy. Really fair price too. I'm stoked with how nice the parts came out. Look up Motoblasting on Facebook for contact info.

queen of spodes 8/31/2014 8:11pm
8/31/2014 8:11pm
Mickolobe7 wrote:
White Diamond

http://youtu.be/Nr7G3-76IzQ
Don't want she shine that produces. I have a similar product I use to clean up my nickel plated pipes.. turns the surface dark, then wipes to a beautiful shiny finish like in the video you linked.

Cases, calipers, hubs, ect, those need to show a clean, matte aluminum finish.

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