Cleaning up pedals

So, I wanted this Univega bike to be kind of retro 1980's/classic looking. All silver, non-aero brake levers centerpulls etc.

So when it came to pedals, I had to think carefully. Platform pedals would have been cool.



But, I'm planning on riding this bike for longer than 2 miles, and I dont like wearing platforms for much longer than this. Even with the addition of toe clips, I dont like it.

I have used Look pedals for years as well as Speedplays, but I felt like both of these wouldnt have preserved the look I was going for. Even though Looks were made in the 80's I guess I wanted this bike to have a more classic look. Plus, Looks are so bulky and un-elegant.

What I chose was a pair of SPD-R pedals, Wellgo R4's actually. They are silver, clipless, and minimal. Although they were made in the 90's, I actually think they will fit this bike well.

I bought a pair off of eBay for $10 shipped with cleats, score! They were scratched up as to be expected.

By using just 000 steel wool I was able to remove the anodized coating and with a coat of Brasso on top of that, they really shine. Check out the before and after:



I would have used the Oven Cleaner trick, but there are so many small nooks and crannies, I was afraid it would take much longer (and it would have). Additionally, I was concerned about removing the spring loaded plate and never being able to put them back together.

The 000 steel wool worked well and was a good lesson, you dont always need oven cleaner to remove anodized coating

Polishing Aluminum

So, Ray Dobbins did a good write-up about how to polish aluminum parts on his site. I started with his directions and have done quite a few parts now. Below is what I've learned.

He writes that the oven cleaner can pit the aluminum after 3-5 minutes. I have not had this experience. Typically what I do is spray down the part, let it sit for 3-5 minutes and then take some 000 steel wool to it. Then I look at what areas are still anodized and spray it again. Typically, I do this about 4-5 times. To get it all off. Thus far I have not had any pitting on any of the parts I've done.

I have found removing clear/silver anodizing the toughest to remove. Maybe because its more difficult to see what areas are still anodized or maybe its the chemical composition of that color versus black (which seems easier).

You know your done when the part is fairly dull, almost gray. You'll think at this stage that you made a mistake and wasted your time.

Next, if the part has a lot of scratches, gouges, dings, nicks etc, pull out some fine sandpaper and sand out these imperfections. The steel wool (in the next step) will get out any fine scratches from the sandpaper. The level of perfection you want in your final results is largely dependent on how much time you spend in this stage. If you want the part perfect, make sure all gouges are out in this step.

The next step I do is polish with #000 steel wool and Brasso. After I feel comfortable with the results of this step. I pull out the Simichrome and a soft cloth and rub the part down further. The part should sparkle like new.

You could use a buffing wheel as Ray Dobbins advises, but I dont have one. And although this process takes a some time and a strong arm, the results comes out pretty good.

Above photo is the cranks I did today, drive side is an example of what the non drive side used to look like.