remove anno

[drewwho]

what are all the different methods to remove annodizing? want to pick the best method for my asa and rail and foregrip

[sjrtk]

Some people use heavy duty oven cleaner to remove anno. But I am not 100% sure of how well it works.

[Ratfink]

I have used the oven cleaner method and not had very good results. It doesn't strip evenly, leaving unstriped spots and if re applied, it tends to pit the aluminum, ruining the finish.

[sQuidvision]

Though I have never tried it I have heard of people having success using draino

[athomas]

You can use muriatic acid that you can buy at the hardware store. Its the same basic acid that is in most of these items such as draino or oven cleaner.

The key to anno removal is to keep a flow of liquid over the metal. I find it best to use a paintbrush and constantly wipe it across the metal part being treated. That keeps a buildup of sludge and air bubbles from preventing chemical reaction from continuing at these locations. It keeps the surface clean so the chemical reaction can occur continuously all over the surface of the item. With powder based or cream/spray based acids, you can't get an even coverage, which is why some areas don't get all the anno removed, while others have too much anno and metal removed. A liquid solution with even distribution of chemical gives the best results.

[Swampy]

^^^ wouldn't dipping be better?

[athomas]

^^^ wouldn't dipping be better?

Dipping is no good if you just let it sit. As the chemical reaction takes place, bubbles and other finished byproducts prevent further reaction. The problem is, that it isn't consistent over the entire surface due to the surface tension of the reaction byproducts. You have to create a way to remove the byproducts from the surface of the item being treated and replacing the depleted chemical with fresh. That is done by liquid currents moving across the surface of the item moving the chemical around or by brushing the reacted chemical out of the way to allow new chemical to come in contact with the surface.