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Evening all, I've some tired-looking M770 silver cranks, and have had a little read about giving them a polished finish.
My issue is that all of the info I can find is regarding SLX, in America, and they're all using drain cleaner to remove the paint. Anyone on here any experience doing this?
Also, if anyone's got any pictures of the process, or end result, stick 'em up!
Ta, Ben.
🙂 old xtr cranks
[url= https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8438/7776594260_90cab96156.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8438/7776594260_90cab96156.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/cRc5xo ]P8131496[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/people/22534490@N00/ ]Richard Munro[/url], on Flickr
They're gorgeous. Very jealous! Although you're braver than me using alloy chainring bolts on a SS.
Sure there was an old thread on here from quite a while back on this subject, have you done a search?
If they're anodised you'll need caustic soda to strip, autosol to polish. Will last a little while but without any protective lacquer it will dull over a couple of weeks or so
Done 10 years now. Deores. Gets used through the winter, in bog and crap. Gets polished twice a year and has a bit of helitape to stop scuffing from winter boots. Polish them right and they stay shiny.
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Here are my Saints, I brought them cheap to build up a play bike...
http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/11321170/ (sorry can't get photos on here!)
Process...
Step one: Removing the Anodizing
You need to buy some Caustic Soda (used to clean drains), got mine from Wilkinsons for about £3-£4, your looking for the 100% stuff. You add it to water stir it up and submerge the parts, in this case crank arms. Leave them in until the anodizing has all dissolved off, took mine about 20-30 mins. Caustic Soda is a very strong Alkaline and VERY nasty stuff, make sure you wear rubber gloves and eye protection following all safety instructions on the bottle! Once the anodizing has come off you need to ensure the parts are rinsed thoroughly with cold water.
Step Two: Polish
For this you'll need a couple of things, wet & dry sand paper and a tube of Autosol, I got both from Halfords. I got a mutipack of wet & dry with something like an 800 grit, 1200 grit 1500 grit 2000 grit. I started with the 800 grit, wet it and just polished away, once polished as much as possible move on to 1200 grit and repeat, then follow suit getting finer and finer. Once you've worked through all of the grades of wet & dry they will be quite clean/shiny but to get the mirror finish apply the Autosol with a rag (following instructions) then buff off and hey presto! I would add that some of the yanks on here just use finer and finer wet & dry, one guy mentioned 4000 grit, you can do this instead of using Autosol but I'd already go some and love the stuff!
It takes bit of effort and lots if elbow grease but makes a shitty knackered set of cranks look like new! Good luck and post some picks up if you do it and let me know how it goes!
PS I searched on here and Pinkbike to find out how to do it so thought I'd share the love!
Very blingy.
Does anyone know if M770's will be anodised, or just normal paint?
Also, do the whole driveside, including spider, or leave the spider coloured?
Ben.