Automag polishing question!

[AutoMaggot]

Can one polish the rail, like you can a body?

[Tunaman]

Polishing rail

Yes you can. Just strip the anno off first with draino or something with lye or light acid in it. Hope this helps

[FactsOfLife]

mix a solution of lye(drano works) of about a cup to a gallon of water. mix enough to completely cover your part(s). Soak for about 10 minutes, checking it for runoff of the anno. With RUBBER GLOVES AND SAFETY GLASSES ON, pull the part out and run clean water on it for about 5 minutes to be sure all the solution is off. Lye is extremely caustic and can burn your skin and melt your eyes easily. Nasty stuff. You can use an old toothbrush to scrub the part while you're rinsing it, this will help get into the cracks and crevices in the part. You'll see if the anodising is coming off or not. If it is, you're good to go. If not, soak it again for 5 minutes at a time repeating until the anno is off. Try not to soak it for too long. When you strip anno you're actually changing the dimensions of the part somewhat. Be patient and do small steps. You can always take more off. It's real hard to put it back on...

[marley618]

After you strip the anno do you have to put a sealent on the body rail, or are you good to go?

[FactsOfLife]

wash it thoroughly in soapy water and polish it like any other aluminum. at that point it will be raw aluminum. Anodising chemically alters the surface material of the aluminum through electrical and acidic interaction. Stripping it does neither. When you're done polishing, put some carnuba wax on it to seal it and help protect it from oxidation.

[ToothpickonOEF]

can you do the same thing to a vert. adapter, and where can you get carnuba wax????

[athomas]

The finished raw aluminum won't be as hard as the annodized finish. The annodizing produces a hardened oxidized shell on the surface of the aluminum. When you strip it, that protective shell will be gone. The aluminum will be easy to scratch even if the shine is protected by wax.

If you're willing to try stuff on your own, you can clear annodize the part yourself. That way it'll be protected.

Do a search on AO for the procedures. I think it is listed on Warpig as well.

[FactsOfLife]

best place I've seen for home brew anno is Caswell Plating. Mike has a website there and a forum for asking all kinds of questions. The guy knows his plating stuff...


Mike Caswell's Plating website