How Do You Clean/Refurbish Aluminium?

[enigma]

i use to turn aircraft parts made of aluminium (was a cnc programmer) and when we wanted to bling up the ally we would dip it it thinners and wipe clear....max shine

if you have only stained thus piece thinners should remove that plus buff the shine.....alternatively you need to get an acid dip and polish...

[Gungeek]

Mr. Enigma, thanks but could you please be more specific about "thinners," there are a shed-load, I mean tanker-full, of different organic hydrocarbon compounds. Regards ... Geek

[enigma]

paint thinners,cellulose thinners take your pick, there slightly corrossive so will take oxidation off the metal hopefully taking your stain with it......

in fact if you can get tricoethylene thats ever better

btw trike is banned in this country it carsnogenic........but theres still plenty out there

[Gungeek]

Thanks, I am familiar with trichlorethylene, as I used to work in a paint factory. Cellulose thinners are more readily available, as are methylated spirits, acetone or white spirits. I have isobutyl alcohol - any good? Regards ... Geek

[enigma]

mmm......meths i dont think is caustic enough and therefore isobutyl alcohol is 2/3 meths so id stick wiv the other candidates.....atb

hope that helps ya m8

tim

[Gungeek]

Well, I've a good range of stuff to try; Wadpol, Autosol, Silvo, paint thinners, etc., whereas I didn't have much of a clue before. I am, therefore, grateful to all contributors to this thread. This is the BBS working at its best. Signing off for tonight now. Regards ... Geek

[Retracted_Yeti]

If you want to get ali major clean, drop it in a weak solution of sodium hydroxide, works every time, even removes anodising!

Cheers.

Roy.

[hareng]

Just what i was going to mention yetti. A very mild form is drain cleaner so will take longer.
If you were localish you could have dropped it in my hydrochloric acid for a couple of minutes, fizzes like alka seltzer

[Excypher]

one word, brasso

yeah so the name suggests its only good for brass, but ive tried and tested it on hundreds of applications! and it sure is good!