"Fogged" aluminum on swing arm

I have a 1987 VFR700F2 that I am restoring.

Here's the dilemma.

The frame and Swing arm assemblies look "fogged". The aluminum has what looks like a coating over it and it looks smeared. The aluminum surfaces are just dull.


Can this be reversed without polishing the frame or swing arm?


How and what to use to return to original luster.

Thank you for any / all input.

Rick

 

Aluminum can be anodized to give it a nice luster, not sure what Honda does in the factory.

 

If they can clean up and refining aluminum wheels to look new, I don't see why they cannot do the same for your swing arm. Check with a wheel repair shop and see what they have to say. I suspect they may clean it up by blasting it with a medium such as walnut shells to clean it so as to not damage the metal. Then a clear fining like the wheels, maybe just a little thinner coat.

 

Check into member NobleHops vapor blasting service www.restocycle.com

 

When I chromed everything on my 86vfr750f I had to remove all the clear coating, I sanded for weeks then when I had enough I took everything to the chromer and he dipped everything. It was a bitch to get the clear coating off for me and I even tried different varnish remover's nothing worked. I am sure there is a better way I'm just not sure what that way is. Before I started this I asked around since I do paint cars but everyone I spoke with said to try this and try that, I felt like I was on a wild goose chase. And what I did try left the aluminum with a White haze that is why I went with chrome instead of polished.

 

Unless you are really knowledgeable about removing and refinishing aluminum, I would tend to leave this work to a professional. I have no doubt that Speed found the ordeal frustrating. Many people may have great thoughts on how to do this but I suggest very few actually have experience. I can honestly say, I do not.

 

I just read this over for the first time. Looks like this might be the answer. The process will not work on powder coat or epoxy finishes but I doubt that the parts in question, if original, are finished in either of these finishes. But they do say they can remove these as well through another process at an additional expense. Seems like what needs to be done can probably be done for a couple hundred plus shipping. That saves one hell of a lot of stripping, scraping and polishing in my mind.

 

The clearcoat on the frame and swingarm has failed. This is seen on cars including Hondas and Mercedes-Benz.

It will come off with a solvent stripper. Don't use the "safe" strippers. They are of the hydroxide variety. A mix of sodium hydroxide and aluminum produces hydrogen gas. besides which, they don't work worth a shit under 70 F and that other funny way some measure temperature.

Best to check with Nils at Noblehops aboot vapor blasting. What he does is specialized and in conversation he will tell you it's a go or no go thing. Straight shooter..

Frame members are alloy and tough stuff. A powdercoater except those of the boutique type should be able to media blast part like that with ease and get the right new coating applied.

That chemistry aboot sodium hydroxide and aluminum got chaged commercially years ago. The common name for sodium hydroxide is lye. Used to be that the most popular of the dry form drain cleaners was flake lye with a small percentage of aluminum pellets. Effective for cleaning drains but not whilst smoking. Seems a few smokers got singed when the hydrogen went off.

Yep, I know aboot the other stuff with the soda bottles..

 

Media blasting takes many forms. Steel hulled ships with coat on coat of all manner of paint and coatings on them are blasted with slag from mines. Track blasters used to scarify concrete use old nuts, bolts and tailings from lathes and milling machines. Some media is natural like nut shells and ground up corncobs Other media is plastic of known weight, density and shape. The least invasive and for fine work including antiques, musical instruments ect., soda is used. (sodium bicarbonate aka baking soda) Likely some others that are new or not yet fully developed.

Back in the olden days frame coating included porcelain.

 

I had my friend spout off about being a chemist, he mixed some concoction that started on fire, at that point i just sat back and enjoyed a beer and also tried several types of media blasting, the corners still had clear coat in them and it seamed if we concentrated on them we might just start making the parts thinner and weaken it.
What was i to do ? My friend nearly set my garage on fire, my other friend had blasted this poor swing arm so much, my fingers were still sore. I made a choice ( the chromer )
It took the chromer all of about two minutes and the clear coat was gone.
But now i was left with a white haze. Etching, ah crap hints just chrome the damm thing.
Oh by the way the swing arm got so thin i bought another one and handed it to the chromer. Its all good now and in ten years from now i can deal with the chrome pealing lol
Have a nice day. I think i might go to wally world and pick up me and mr long some India pale ail. Can i send it threw the mail ?


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They are clear anodized. You have to sand and sand then start polishing. Did it on my 86 VFR700F2 swingarm. Was such a bitch did not do frame.

 

I'm beginning to think speed here is related to SOW. Middle America is still safe until the big one hits. Specific dates and times to follow.

 

And how is that


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Captain 80s may have hit the aluminum nail on the head. A failing anodized layer would be a bitch to remove. Then we go to Randy's advice, there are some DIY anodizing methods oot there but not for us amateur fast guys.

...and for speed who should look up from Genesis make an Exodus and look up "media". We could chimp in a buy him a C02 fire extinguisher in case his chemist friend starts displaying characteristics of pyromania. C02 extinguishers are nifty for putting oot chemical fires. Or, if media blasting is going on using sodium bicarbonate well shit, just toss that on the fire. It's also great for making buttermilk biscuits, DIY playdough for the varmints, crisping up chicken skins when they get flabby in the oven, adsorbing odors from stinky things like cat shit, reducing the Ph of home made salad dressing when ya get the vinegar/oil ratio ass backward and all manner of many things.

As one of the old Chinese guys once said," Better living through Chemistry" probably after reading one of those long ass web pages that tell how to do a 1001 things with almost everything.

 

I have to wait for word from above for both dates and times. If you mean being related to SOW, metaphorically by symbiosis is probably the better answer. The alternatives are biologically rare.