Materials Required
John writes: You will want to remove the anodizing before polishing, powder coating, or painting your trim.
I use a 7 foot length of 2 inch PVC pipe as a container. One end has to be capped. I put 4 capfuls of lye into the pipe and add water about ¾ of the way full. I then add 2 or 3 pieces of trim (it is important to have ALL paint removed as well as rinsing off any paint remover).
Let the parts soak for an hour.
If the anodizing isn’t completely removed, rinse the part and soak for a while longer. After the anodizing is removed from the part, it will look very dull.
I then sand the finish with 320 to remove any scratches or pitting. Then it is just a matter of using increasingly finer compounds to get the finish that you want.
I am using Zoopseal (available a Summut or Eastwood) to seal the now shiny aluminum, but I think that having it powder coated in a clear finish might be better in the long run.
Note that if your anodized finish has scratches in it, that will be reflected in scratches and some pitting of the aluminum underneath. That will require more sanding before polishing.
Also note that some parts un-anodized in just over an hour, some took six hours. You will also have to clean out the container of the sludge that forms every once in a while.
 Original Anodized Parts Polished |
Side Trim Ready for Lye Bath |
 Foam Indicates Working Process |
 Foam Indicates Working Process |
