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SLX Cranks - DeAno'd and polished

40K views 31 replies 23 participants last post by  huntergatherer 
#1 ·
Decided I'd give it a whirl (Since I'm waiting for my Niner frame to get here).

It turned out pretty sweet IMO. I used caustic soda and water. Scotch Brite pad, and Mothers aluminum and mag polish, and a Mothers ball on the drill. Took under an hour. I did NO sanding.

Don't really know how silver cranks will look on my new white Air 9, so I may sell em.

 
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#12 ·
I think the SLX cranks look better than XT or XTR, whether anodized or not. I've also heard that they are just as light -- the main weight savings in the more expensive cranks is in the chainrings. Those polished silver ones look great, and silver looks good on any color bike.

You could spray a clear coat on them to help keep them shiny. They'll eventually get scuffed up and oxidized anyway, but a clear coat will delay that somewhat.

These used to be shiny polished too.
 

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#27 ·
aware this has been covered a bunch, but just bent a chainring and while am waiting for new Blackspire stuff thought I'd give this a shot...before I dunk my M615 Deore in a bucket, are we really sure the new '14 cranks aren't just painted :confused: They do not appear to anodized...maybe the drain cleaner will remove either :confused: The spider appears to be finished differently like maybe powdercoat :confused: at any rate, if anybody has any horror stories, please share :cool:

that first picture dont belong there...sorry
 

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#15 ·
Thanks for the tip, Addam. I did the same with my SLX cranks. I found some Roebic brand heavy duty drain crystals (100% sodium hydroxide) at Lowe's and slowly stirred 4 tablespoons into a gallon of lukewarm water (not hot, not cold). I stirred the solution with a wooden dowel and added the crank arms (sans all hardware). Nothing seemed to happen for the first 1-2 minutes, so I added a 5th TBSP, probably unnecessary, because then it started to bubble and fizz... you could see some kind of chemical reaction beginning. I carefully stirred the parts and immediately the wooden dowel was literally wiping the gray annodizing off the cranks to the bare metal !!! WOW, this stuff works FAST!!

After 5 minutes I removed the crank arms, let the excess solution drip off (there was literally smoke coming off the parts as I suspended them... ) then I placed in a smaller rinsing container, where I rinsed the parts for a few minutes in warm water. Then I wire-brushed off the annodizing... it came off like it was nothing!!! In a few minutes the annodizing was GONE. I did the same for the other crank, and rinsed everything thoroughly. Next I sanded with a fresh Scotchbrite pad, which produced a darkish residue, but then polished into a nice luster (like brushed aluminum).

Next I buffed on my bench grinder using a cotton wheel and yellow all-purpose rouge. This put a mirror like finish on it. Finally I polished with Mothers Mag cleaner (presoaked pads). The whole job took about an hour. Just be really careful with the caustic soda... Make sure to wear sealed safety goggles and chemical gloves, and slowly add the CRYSTALS TO THE WATER, NOT the other way around. Avoid splashing... If you follow a few safety rules, it's really simple... but get this stuff on you or your clothes and it's nasty.... I read lots of safety stuff on it before attempting it.

Finally I neutralized the bath with a few tablespoons of vinegar when I was finished, after which a poured it down the drain of my utility sink.

Here is how they look now... I LIKE!!!

 

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#18 ·
sorry to resurrect this, but how does the shine hold up?

Im thinking about doing this to my slx cranks, but im worried that after a few months they will start to oxidize. What were your experiences with this? how did you prevent it if needed?
 
#26 ·
Yup, they look sweet :thumbsup: Got me thinking maybe I'll do the same to my old M760 XTs I have, that are partially polished due to heal rub. Polished cranks before, but did it the hard way using oven cleaner, steel wool and sand paper, this seems a lot easier with great results.
Done today


You like?
 
#29 · (Edited)
Will this work for these?

Not sure if these are ano-d or painted but was going to try the procedure mentioned in this thread. They're Deore cranks. Bicycle drivetrain part Bicycle part Gear Crankset Auto part


UPDATE:

Bloody-hell. They are painted, rather powder coated. I purchased a can of aerosol paint stripper from Home Depot after trying the drain cleaner approach. DC won't touch the powder coat at all. This was basically an all-day project mostly just letting the paint stripper do it's thing. Near the end I used a barbecue brush and stainless steel Scotch-Brite pads to get the remaining paint/powdercoat off. It took a fair amount of elbow grease and patience to work into the nooks and crannies to chase most the paint. I couldn't get all of it and I really don't care at this point. On a positive note, the stainless SB pads actually leave a pretty decent polished surface behind, enough that I won't need to wet sand the cranks. Anyway, thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread. Here the are:

Metal Bicycle part Steel Silver Tool
Bicycle part Hardwood Metal Wood stain Tan
 
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