Cleaning up Aluminum

[limp]

So some of you know about my " other " project.... Its a 65 corvette going on a restomod frame with a LS1/TKX...
My resto frame ( made by Corvette Correction out of Texas) uses the
C4 suspension and the rear end... Its mostly all aluminum... My suspension came off of an 85 parts car I purchased and it is really dirty and heavily corroded......
I want to clean the parts without scratching, removing parts numbers, or damaging them.. I have been looking at options and found a soft copper wire wheel on Amazon for my grinder... I tried it out today and it worked so well I wanted to pay it forward.....
Hope this helps others.....
These are rear C4 suspension parts called " dog legs " .... The clean one was just a dirty as the " before " one....

 

[limp]

After using the copper wire wheel I sprayed some Napa Aluminum brightener on part of the clean dog leg.... Its the left side in the pic... Surprising the difference there also ....
I plan on cleaning them up with Acetone or Lacquer Thinner and painting them with some clear paint......

 

[nickyb]

Good to know!

 

[AeroCoupe]

@limp - can you post the link to the wire wheel on Amazon?

 

[rednotch]

Too early lol didn't read you all ready used the aluminum brghtener lol

 

[General karthief]

That before pic looks like a wrench I found on a beach off the Gulf of (whatever they call it this week)

 

[limp]

That before pic looks like a wrench I found on a beach off the Gulf of (whatever they call it this week)

I started out soaking these in my Solvent tank, using Brillo pads, and red Scotchbrite.... Brillo pads would work with ALOT of work and ALOT of brillo pads.. A very nice surprise how well this copper wire wheel worked...

 

[limp]

@limp - can you post the link to the wire wheel on Amazon?

I can't attach a link without it including my account.....
Search, 5 inch copper wire wheel on Amazon..... 10 buck.

 

[AeroCoupe]

That worked. Is this it?

Amazon.com: 5 Inch Copper Wire Wheel Pure Brass Brush for Bench Grinder Metal Polishing for Deburring for Adhesion Replacement Accessories XIAOYING : Industrial & Scientific

Buy 5 Inch Copper Wire Wheel Pure Brass Brush for Bench Grinder Metal Polishing for Deburring for Adhesion Replacement Accessories XIAOYING: Wheel Brushes - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

a.co

 

[limp]

That worked. Is this it?

Amazon.com: 5 Inch Copper Wire Wheel Pure Brass Brush for Bench Grinder Metal Polishing for Deburring for Adhesion Replacement Accessories XIAOYING : Industrial & Scientific

Buy 5 Inch Copper Wire Wheel Pure Brass Brush for Bench Grinder Metal Polishing for Deburring for Adhesion Replacement Accessories XIAOYING: Wheel Brushes - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

a.co

Thats it..

 

[Blackhawkxx]

Did you have any problems mounting it as is has a 16mm hole? One of the reviews made me look.
"Needs bushing to mount up on 1/2” shank".

 

[86HO5.0]

Curious to see Star San would work well? It's a home brew sanitizer that cleans the .... out of everything it touches. Corroded copper looks shiny and new in no time.

 

[nicholase]

Looks good! I've used those wheels at work to refurbish brass and bronze hardware. They work great. The only issue is those bristles fly off and get everywhere. I always wear a smock or coveralls because they get imbeded in your clothes. They also break apart into little peices of copper dust. Thats why the wheel gets smaller as you go. That brass dust is EVERYWHERE. So a mask is a really good idea.

I didn't realize how bad the dust was until we were doing it in a dark environment with a shop light (subway tunnel). I could look around and see the copper dust glittering in the air all around us against the illumination from the shop light. We all wore masks after that.

 

[KRUISR]

The linked brush/wheel is a brass brush for cleaning copper. Just to clarify.