hi

got a polished Azonic KZ-1 and i was wondering how to properly take care of its finish. it's got its share of dings and scratches and I'd like to know if there is anyway to buff em out?

of course, leaving them there like battle scars is fine with me too hehe

thanks!

I don't know if your frame is anodized or not. If it's not, then using aluminum polish (like Mother's or Blue Poly or Simichrome) purchased at the autoparts dealer will let you buff the frame and keep it like a mirror.

If the frame is anodized, the metal polishes will still brighten the frame up, but your polishing may "rub through" the anodized layer of the aluminum tube, which can be thin sometimes. This is not really a crisis, but means that the bike will grey or corrode more in the now un-anodized sections than where the anodizing remains intact.

I used to ride an unanodized Easton-tubed frame, using the 7000-series aluminum that oxidizes or corrodes more readily than the more common 6061 aluminum. It was no problem to keep it corrosion free and bright, merely by polishing the frame every once in a while.

hi

got a polished Azonic KZ-1 and i was wondering how to properly take care of its finish. it's got its share of dings and scratches and I'd like to know if there is anyway to buff em out?

of course, leaving them there like battle scars is fine with me too hehe

thanks!...clear anodized, there is a difference. Scratches will more likey need wet sanding with extremely fine grit emery cloth and/or 0000 steel wool, and the dings you might as well live with. Once you've done this, you can just touch up as needed by polishing. A simple, effective , and affordable way to polish, is with Never Dull. Never Dull is used by Boeing to keep the aluminum on aircraft touched up, it's basically cotton wadding (like mattresses have) impregnated with metal polish. The texture of the wadding can help polish out fine scratches. After rubbing a while, the wadding's acids in it's polish start stripping the surface metal and blackening it, what is left is a dark haze that you buff out with a clean cloth, no paste, no mess. It also keeps well and lasts a long time in it's tight fitting can.