I’ve got an 09 SX Trail frame with what looks like copper coloured clear lacquer finish, the lacquer is chipping away in places exposing the bare aluminium underneath. I want to strip the frame down to the bare aluminium and leave it in bare alu finish but I want to do the job properly so any advice from anyone who has done this with successful results would be much appreciated.

how much money do you want to spend?

how much effort do you want to put in?

If you take the frame to a local powder coaters or car paint place they should be able to give it a chemical dip or point you in the right direction of where to get it done. they would probably also tell you where you could get it polished afterwards.

The alternative is long hours with nitromors, wirewool, wet & dry then polishing compound and pads.

Bead blasting, or glass (can’t remember which!) would leave a dull finish ready for polishing. Wet-n-dry would be the best DIY alternative, but very time consuming. I have a stripped 1991 Cannondale frame, the previous owner did it with Nitromors and gallons of elbow grease.

Beadblasting would leave a finish that’s very hard to polish IME. A chemical dip would make life much easier.