Removing anodising from Campag rims

[frank.youngman]

I am making up a pair of new wheels using NOS Campagnolo Atek rims.I have been running the rear,which is polished silver, for a couple of months now and its been fine.I have today collected the only other NOS Atek I could find,which is the black anodised version,32H, which I want to use on the front.

These are for my Cannondale 3.0 series,which is my workhorse,so I could just put up with mis-matched rims,however obviously I would prefer that the front is polished silver to match the rear.

I have read the threads on removing anodising and have gleaned that Oven pride will remove anodising,and you can then polish the rims.

Questions I have are these.Has anyone ever done this to a Hardox anodised rim,and when the rim was polished how good was the finish?

Thanks for any help you can give me,I am in two minds here.

 

[Rampage]

Is the other one definately polished? It's likely to be clear anodised.
Easiest way to tell is see if the rim surface conducts electricity with a multimeter.

 

[frank.youngman]

The siver rims definitely conduct electricity.The catalogue description is a "polished finish".When you polish an old rim which has been tarnished in storage,you get a black deposit which I believe is aluminium oxide.When I try the same test on a Mavic 231 which is silver anodised there is no conductivity.

The reason I am hesitating before attempting to remove the hardox finish is that this is a genuine NOS rim and there are not many about (there is a sticker on the rim packaging with the bike shop name and their original price,£18.50!)I don't want to damage or weaken the rim but at the same time it seems a bit naff to run a black rim on the front and a silver one on the rear.

Looking at what you do at Intrincycle,have you any advice or is this something you could help with professionally?

 

[oliverracing]

This thread here sums up how to remove the anodising pretty well - but it will weaken it a bit

 

[Rampage]

Yes it sounds like it isn't anodised then. I take you measured electrical conductivity not on the braking surface which will wear the anodising away nor via the eyelets?

Rims are a bit big for me to do I'm afraid.

 

[Rampage]

I forgot to say that if it has steel eyelets then stripping them may discolour them.
Try a little bit first.