Removing paint from cranks

bails87

I've got Truvativ Stylo crankset on my bike, but it's looking pretty scuffy after 2 years, mainly due to the black paint wearing off where my heels catch.

So I was thinking of stripping the paint off and having them 'bare'. If I decide against it I've already got primer, paint and lacquer so I could repaint them if I wanted.

But, before that, what should I use to strip the paint off? Any tips on doing it? Anything I can use to polish it up again afterwards?

Cheers

joshtp

various grades of wet and dry if it's ano'd (most likely) or if it's painted you could try paint stripper followed by the wet and dry....


start with something course and work to a very fine (1800 or something) paper, wet all the time, to achieve a polished look... or finish with a slightly more abrasive one using circular motions for a brushed look.

andrewjoseph

is it paint or is it anodised?

bails87

Fairly sure it's painted.

bails87

I'd assumed they were painted, anyone disagree?

joshtp

hmmm, hard to say... looks like it's not anodizing, but somehow not paint either... pretty weird... I'd suggest it must be paint of some kind...

bails87

Thanks, any idea what paint stripper is a good bet?

andrewjoseph

I've yet to see painted cranks, all my shimano, raceface and truvative cranks, and other bits, are anodised.

My cranks look similar to that too, it doesn't bother me, one or two rides after repainting, the cranks are going to be scratched again.

.blitz

If your cranks are painted, a blob of Nitromors in an inconspicuous area will soon have the paint bubbling away and you will be able carry on and strip them. Wire wool dipped in paint stripper can be used to remove any stubborn sections.

However if the Nitromors just sits there and does nothing, your cranks are probably powder coated or anodised. I have a Truvativ Stylo stem and seatpost on the Chucker and they are definitely not painted.

toontra

My cranks look the same. I'm pretty certain it's not paint or I'd have got the thinners on it ages ago. I assume it's some sort of anodising. Doesn't really bother me TBH.

bails87

Hmmm, maybe it's anodised then. I hadn't thought about it tbh.

I think it looks similar to this Deore one though.
Which went from:

to

myopic

^...what, you rubbed the rings away with wire wool?!!!

joshtp

wow, good finish on them deore ones... I'd use some fine wet and dry and finish with wire wool

bails87

As a follow up to this, I bought some paint stripper and it did nothing. So they're either anodised or I bought paint stripper that doesn't work.

CBA with sanding them down, so I'll leave them as they are.

Incidentally, anyone want to buy some paint stripper?

blablablacksheep

anodised im pretty sure, paint just wouldnt work with the metal and the conditions that bikes go though.

may be wrong but i think you will have to get some pretty strong stuff to remove it

bails87

blablablacksheep wrote:

anodised im pretty sure, paint just wouldnt work with the metal and the conditions that bikes go though.

may be wrong but i think you will have to get some pretty strong stuff to remove it

It turns out anything like drain unblocker or oven cleaner with caustic soda/sodium hydroxide will remove anodising, tada:


I put it in a bag with drain cleaner (with 15% sodium hydroxide) for about 10 minutes at a time, most of the anodising just fell off when I touched it with a scouring pad/steel wool, there were some bits that were tough and needed to be left a bit longer and sanded.

Then I sanded it with increasingly finer grades of sandpaper, then cleaned with "Silvo", gave a rub with a clean cloth and sprayed it with clear lacquer. It's come out pretty well I think.

Anonymous

Best way of stripping them would have been to cover them in fish oil, and let a cat have at them. The cat's sandpaper-like tongue would have made short business of them.

bails87

yeehaamcgee wrote:

Best way of stripping them would have been to cover them in fish oil, and let a cat have at them. The cat's sandpaper-like tongue would have made short business of them.

I might start a stripping business......ahem......a barrel of cats and a ready supply of fish oil is all I'll need!