Thinking about removing the scuffed up anodising on my Ultegra 6700 (I think) crank arms.

Has anyone polished up a previously anodised crank set successfully and how do you best keep it bright?

Any pics welcome!

Put a wire brush wheel on my drill took it down to the bare aluminium then worked down to finer grades in wet and dry then down to scotch pad with autosol and lots of elbow grease for a mirror finish …took about 1.5 hours per side

[url=https://flic.kr/p/cRc5xo]P8131496[/url] by Richard Munro, on Flickr
Did it once still give it a buff every so often

fnar fnar

Nice postie rich …good job

The alloy bolts did not last long!

Postierich.

That, my friend, is bangin’!

I did the same to some old M960 cranks – still got them, but nobody makes rings to fit them anymore 🙁

[url=https://flic.kr/p/dxXedx]DSCF2391[1][/url] by Richard Munro, on Flickr

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/polishing-crank-arms-1

Some I have done in this thread.

nobody makes rings to fit them anymore

blackspire do and BETD might if enough folk subscribe /ask them

https://www.mountainbikecomponents.co.uk/middleburn/chainrings/xtr-960-64-102-146bcd-9-10-speed?

I made some offset dowels to fit104bcd rings on 960 cranks.

are you selling them/making more?

Here please if you make some more.

BETD did me some mirror polished middleburns, just lovely

also had polished xtr cranks like Rich, but I snapped mine

Heres some LX ones I did a while back.

This afternoon effort

https://www.flickr.com/photos/153286932@N05/38268563071/in/dateposted-public/

Try again!!!

Take out the hard work and get yourself some of this
http://gaterosplating.co.uk/Anodise-Stripper-and-Etch.php

Then polish with autosol metal polish at least.

Polished up some old Dura ace cranks for my parts bin mongrel mtb/roadie ss a few years ago, i took it too far by polishing everything though 😉

If you need a 32 tooth n/w chainring for the XTR 960 C/S try these guys.
https://r2-bike.com/WOLFTOOTH-Chainring-BCD-102-32-Teeth-for-XTR-M960

nobody makes rings to fit them anymore

If you need a 32 tooth n/w chainring for the XTR 960 C/S try these guys.
https://r2-bike.com/WOLFTOOTH-Chainring-BCD-102-32-Teeth-for-XTR-M960

Ok, let me rephrase that…..nobody makes affordable rings to fit them anymore.

£70 + £7 postage? Um, no thanks.

So I should probably be able to use some oven cleaner or caustic solution given how crap Shimano anodising/crank coatings are

On the SRAM I used oven cleaner. Washed off then dried with an old very oily rag. Light autosol with a kitchen pad and rubbed down with an old but clean tea towel.
Going to keep it more of a Matt finish rather than super shiny

Don’t think I’ve got time to start knocking these out on the lathe but here’s some pics if someone wants to copy the offset adaptors.

Are my pics visible? I’m getting a message saying I need to update settings

Nope, not working! Photobucket don’t allow linking to photos anymore.

THATs a lovely IF postierich!

What’s a better alternative to photbucket now then?

i lovingly polished up a slx HT2 set of cranks, then went for a ride with one of the pedals not tightened = threads came out = dead crank 😥

What’s a better alternative to photbucket now then?

I use Flickr – works ok as long as you’re not trying to use a mobile device.

Postimage.org like photobucket of old

Polished txt 960 with offset bushes

I could post a pic of some that were polished a couple of years back – they don’t look quite so good now. The oxide layer and some dirt = tatty looking cranks. No more/less tatty than any other wel-used and scuffed crank though.

Same as Jameso – polished just the outside faces of a good few sets of Saint cranks but couldn’t ever be bothered re buffing them. Life’s too short. I’m a bike rider not a cleaner 😉 They are all now oxidised apart from heel scuffs (which remain shiny). But still look better than just heel scuffed wear on the dark grey/black anodising IMO.

Polishing attachments for your dremmel and autosol (or equiv) make it a lot less tedious job.

Does look well nice if you’re more of an instagram type of rider 😉

Or if you don’t ride like a cack footed buffoon with an clubfoot. Never scuffed my cranks…but then I do spend ages with pedal spacers and getting the cleat position spot on. 🙂

And NEVER EVER remove your feet in the air on purpose or table/whip your bicycles, eh Tazzy?
We’re all special but we’re not all the same so let’s not make fun of each others little differences, eh? 😉

I’m amazed. I’ve read this whole thread in the expectation of the OP admitting that he was only jesting ….
But no. So let me get this straight, you people are spending hours of your leisure time and presumably some money polishing your cranks and the putting photos of the on the internet for others to admire?

I’m gobsmacked.

Still. I suppose it keeps the trails less busy.

Vive la difference.

I’m amazed. I’ve read this whole thread in the expectation of the OP admitting that he was only jesting ….
But no. So let me get this straight, you people are spending hours of your leisure time and presumably some money polishing your cranks and the putting photos of the on the internet for others to admire?

I’m gobsmacked.

Still. I suppose it keeps the trails less busy.

Vive la difference.
If only this forum had like buttons 🙂

I’ve used caustic soda to strip anodising from tatty old seatposts and cranks. It does work, but the finish dulls quickly.