Topic: cruddy aluminum cleaning Q?

[Don R]

 I'm aware of vapor blasting but it's not available around here. I can pressure wash and soda blast but am getting lazier at my age, what else is there to clean up some F brake hubs, sprocket drives, front hubs and Aluminum 750A rims? These parts had a less than spectacular life but I'm planning some serious re-cycling.
  Ideas?
 
 

[Honda3]

I'm aware of vapor blasting but it's not available around here. I can pressure wash and soda blast but am getting lazier at my age, what else is there to clean up some F brake hubs, sprocket drives, front hubs and Aluminum 750A rims? These parts had a less than spectacular life but I'm planning some serious re-cycling.
  Ideas?
 

Lava. But not too hot.

[jgger]

I think that the folks that make naval jelly also make an aluminum formula.

[Honda3]

I think that the folks that make naval jelly also make an aluminum formula.

Yeah i have some. they use it on airplanes and whatnot. Really good stuff. I will dig it out tomorrow and take a pic of it.

[Don R]

Cool, new to me.

[Keith]

I picked up a cheap Harbor Freight soda blaster. That should clean up hubs and other aluminum nicely. Here are my carbs after soda blasting..a huge improvement over how they were before blasting.

[Honda3]

Im having another bout of insomnia, so I was able to dig out the polish I was talking about:

https://www.amazon.com/Aircraft-Tool-Supply-Aluminum-Met-All/dp/B07NF1F1Y6

[jgger]

That is different than the stuff I was thinking about, yours is a polish. The stuff I was thinking of is a cleaner, as goop,brush it on, let it work then wash off. Alumajelly sticks in my mind. I saw it at a True Value Hardware store.

[jgger]

This is what I was thinking about, I have not tried it though.

[Tracksnblades1]

I'm aware of vapor blasting but it's not available around here. I can pressure wash and soda blast but am getting lazier at my age, what else is there to clean up some F brake hubs, sprocket drives, front hubs and Aluminum 750A rims? These parts had a less than spectacular life but I'm planning some serious re-cycling.
  Ideas?
 

Wicked Products (available at class 8 truck centers i.e. Peterbuilt) some say the best.

Their aluminum metal polish will mirror big truck tanks and wheels with minimal effort.

Mothers is good, but requires 4x time with a buffer to get the same results as hand with the Wicked.

Diamond is quick and easy too. I think it's a Freightliner offering.

My F hub had clear over polished aluminum from the factory which had yellowed.

[calj737]

Any decent foaming "wheel cleaner" for aluminum rims, followed by stainless steel brushes, and then ScotchBrite. The cleaner degreases, the stainless does a great job at breaking up and removing the oxidation initially, then the ScotchBrite helps with "polishing".

If you do get them really clean, you can use a product SharkHyde (http://www.sharkhide.com/sharkhide_metal_protectant.htm) to help protect and maintain the ally. This product is used in marine environments to help keep ally tubing on boats, trailers etc protected and clean.