Aluminium frame touch-up

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Martian Tom
Posts: 14
Joined: 1 Aug 2022, 7:54pm

Aluminium frame touch-up

Post by Martian Tom »

My trusty Specialized is doing fine for 19 years old. The frame, inevitably, has picked up plenty of scratches, marks and chips in that time. I want to try to do something about it. I like the brushed aluminium finish and don't want to paint it. I was wondering if there is any product I could use to clean it up a bit. There must be some sort of protective coating on it, so an alternative might be to strip that off and try using wet or dry paper in increasingly finer grades to go over the frame and remove all the defects, then cover it again with protection tape or some other type of coating.

Has anyone got any suggestions for the job, please? 8)
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Chris Jeggo
Posts: 577
Joined: 3 Jul 2010, 9:44am
Location: Surrey

Re: Aluminium frame touch-up

Post by Chris Jeggo »

Touch up with clear nail varnish?
tim-b
Posts: 2091
Joined: 10 Oct 2009, 8:20am

Re: Aluminium frame touch-up

Post by tim-b »

I'd be surprised if it's clear-lacquered bare aluminium, it's possibly anodised first
I'd do the absolute minimum rubbing down and touch-up as Chris suggests or you risk damaging what's there
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Martian Tom
Posts: 14
Joined: 1 Aug 2022, 7:54pm

Re: Aluminium frame touch-up

Post by Martian Tom »

Thanks for the advice, folks.

I'm sure it will be anodized. It's just that there are some areas where the chipped lacquer has got quite dirty. I wondered if there is any way of cleaning the frame up before varnishing over the chips. There are a few things suggested online. Baking soda mixed with water. Vinegar. I'll try some, maybe using some low-grit paper with light rubbing on some of the really marked areas. Someone suggested Solvol Autosol, but I don't think that would do anything. I've only ever used soapy water before.
wirral_cyclist
Posts: 1024
Joined: 17 May 2010, 9:25pm
Location: Wirral Merseyside

Re: Aluminium frame touch-up

Post by wirral_cyclist »

Martian Tom wrote: 13 Aug 2022, 4:54pm maybe using some low-grit paper with light rubbing on some of the really marked areas. Someone suggested Solvol Autosol, but I don't think that would do anything. I've only ever used soapy water before.
I assume by low you mean small, as in fine, which is lots of grit which is sort of high grit ;-)
Definitely fine grit or you'll have a bigger problem of gouges. Solvol is probably too fine.
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