How do you strip anodized aluminum?

[Diggerdog]

Other than elbow grease and sandpaper is there a stripper or paint remover that will remove the layer of anodized aluminum off of a piece of aluminum. I have heard that oven cleaner will work. Anyone with any experience at this. Thanks.

 

[mete]

Anodizing is a thick layer of aluminum oxide built up electrically, then sealed with a wax. You can do it mechanically .You could send it out to a plater to dven cleaner IIRC is like drain cleaner containing mostly NaOH [lye ]. This will attack the aluminum as will any alkaline solution.Stick to mechanical !

 

[STR]

Bead blast that baby. Strip it down and do each part separately.

I love a bead blast look on handles and clips. This Stinger of mine used to be black. Not anodized for a finish but I've stripped anodized titanium and aluminum also using my bead blaster and glass beads and they will look similar to this when finished.

BTW, Dirk AKA OUPA, did the New Zealand Pau Shell inlay on this one and it is a righteous job too. I love this knife. I got it in a trade all scratched up. So the only solution was to tear it down and bead blast it. Now the scratches cannot even be seen.