Re: [CR]Horrible black stains on my brake calipers!

(Example: Framebuilders:Chris Pauley)

Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2006 09:33:49 -0700 (PDT)
From: Raymond Dobbins <raydobbins2003@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [CR]Horrible black stains on my brake calipers!
To: aldoross4@siscom.net, Tom Sanders <tsan7759142@sbcglobal.net>, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
In-Reply-To: <44c8d5fc.151.2d2c.1785337904@siscom.net>


The darker areas are where the anodization has come off. The only way to make the finish on the calipers even again is to remove all the anodization and then polish. You could then have them re-anodized, but I would just leave them nice and shiny!

Here's a link to my fledgling how-to-polish page - it's due for an update:

http://www.raydobbins.com/polishing/

Simple Green is the best cleaner I have tried, but as Tom has discovered, it will ruin an anodized finish if left soaking in it - I think even as short a soak as one hour in undiluted Simple Green is enough to start eating away at the anodization. And as Aldo confirmed, even mild cleaners can harm finishes if left soaking long enough. So in the absence of an ultra-sonic cleaner (which I've never tried, but I hear they're great), I think the best way for most of us is to use something like Simple Green, together with brushes and elbow grease. I use a variety of brushes (plastic, brass and steel), depending on the grunk/grunge involved, to clean parts.

Then there's the dishwasher, which Dale himself endorses, but I still haven't mustered the courage to try that. Even though Dale says there won't be any permanent residue that would cause domestic discord, I'm still worried.

Ray Dobbins Miami Florida

aldoross4 <aldoross4@siscom.net> wrote: I've had a similar experience with a pair of strap-loop Record pedals - left them a few days partially submerged in some dish washing liquid (Dawn Ultra) and the aluminum came out black where they were submerged. I took Simichrome to them... helped remove the black, but they're now two-toned, one section being more of a gray color.

I won't be using dish soap to soak aluminum parts anymore.

Aldo Ross Middletown, Ohio

----- Original Message Follows -----
From: "Tom Sanders"
To:
Subject: [CR]Horrible black stains on my brake calipers!
Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2006 10:14:39 -0400


> Yesterday evening I set a really filthy pair of old Record

> Calipers in a plastic container filled with hot water and

> a couple of household grease cutting detergents to soak.

> I checked them later and they were coming along just

> fine...so I thought. I figured that I would just leave

> them over night and finish them up in the morning.

> To my horror, this morning they had ugly black stains all

> over the aluminum arms and these stains are very

> persistent. They will come off (mostly ) with the>
application of some 0000 steel wool, but so does the

> anodizing beneath the stain.

> I suppose I could take all the anodizing off to produce an

> even finish (is there an easier way than Easy Off Oven

> Cleaner?) but I sure would like to figure out a way to

> make the black stain disappear. Anyone out there got any

> experience or suggestions for dealing with this problem?

> Tom Sanders

> Lansing, Mi USA