Stripping Ano/Protecting Aluminum

[ThePixelGuru]

So I'm thinking of sanding off the ano on an Autococker body and polishing it, but I've got a couple questions. First, though I can probably find how to do this by searching, if anyone's got any advice/instructions/tips/whatever on how to do this properly, that'd be great. I don't have a dremel, and I probably won't get one, but I don't mind doing stuff by hand.

Second, I realize that raw aluminum won't hold up as well as ano - after all, that's kinda why the ano's there... Is there a good way to protect it, either by coating it in something or by cleaning it regularly? I don't have a ton of money to drop on this, so clear ano's out unless I can do it _really_ cheap... unlikely.

Last, on the top of the lower tube (where the hammer rides over the seer) there's a small mark where the ano's stripped down to the raw metal, courtesy of FreeFlow's tungsten hammers. Is it better to strip the inside of the tube totally and polish that out, or should I just cut my losses and leave it rather than risk ****ing it up further?

Thanks for reading, folks. Tell me something useful! Peace.

[BigEvil]

Oven cleaner takes anno right off. Just use caution when working with it. (gloves, well ventilated area, ect)

Get something like a disposable roasting pan, put the gun in it, (apart of course) and soak it for a little while in easy-off. Then just scrub the anno of with a sponge. You can use 0000 steel wool and Mothers Metal polish to shine it up.

[Surestick]

As above, also...
You can protect tolerance sentsitive parts where the anno won't show but you want to keep the same tolerances w/candle wax. Just drop the part into a pot of boiling water & the wax melts off & floats away.
I've tried the same trick with hot-glue but it makes cleaning the pan after next to impossible.

As far as protecting the part - raw aluminum will oxidize over time & get dull, especially when it gets sweat on it. It's easy to polish away with a rag & some polishing compound, the stuff for mag wheels works fine. You can protect the part & have the shine last longer with some wax - pledge is fine, easy to get and lemon fresh! ;-)

[ThePixelGuru]

So, as far as that lower tube and the rest of the inside of the body's concerned - should I just not touch it in order to try and keep the tolerances tight, or would it be better for the hammer tube to be a hair large but polished rather than gouged?