W116 window and door trim strips dull

[BAR]

See my posting, incorrectly placed in mechanicals, regarding 3M's new product.

 

[SEL_69L]

I am the guy who origionally suggested the "2K" treatment for anodised aluminium trim strips. Comes about from a comment by John S that he used WD40 on a 450sel he once owned. The brightening effect lasted about a week. So I figured how I could make that permanent. I experimented with spay can clear coat laquer. DON'T sust spray it on the trim, you will stuff the adjoining paint if you do! The trick is to spray some of on a rag, and CAREFULLY wipe that on the alloy trim.
For those who don't know me, I have a sky blue 6.9 parchment uphols, body 5309 with allegedly 152000 k's, I have had it for 9 years now. I dont live too far from Styria.

 

[SEL_69L]

editting

 

[SEL_69L]

I am the detailer who was in Canberra a couple of years ago, I go by the handle on this forum by the name of SEL_69L. John S mentioned WD40, which brightened the alloy trim nicely, but soon faded again as it slowly evaporated. That got me thinking. Why not try something more permanent? IDEA! How about clear topcoat? (The 2K previously mentioned.) Do NOT just spray it on! You will wreck adjoing painwork! So! spray some on a rag and CAREFULLY wipe that over the alloy trim. Works a treat. Unfortunately, you cannot hide physical damage. Clear topcoat laquer in a spraycan is readily available from AutoOne, etc. Interestingly, this is probably similar the stuff that that is mentioned in the 6.9 owners handbook that that owners are exhorted by Mercedes to use, to maintain alloy brightwork .

 

[SEL_69L]

I'm the said friend of Styria. As my handle suggests, I have a 6.9, plated "SEL 69L". John S said to me some years ago that he had used WD40, which is fine, but it eventually evaporates, and the dull finish re-appears. This got me to thinking "How could I make the treatment more permanent?" Voila! Clear coat from a spray can! DON'T just spray it on the alloy trim - it could wreck the adjoining paint or clear coat over metallic finish. Answer:- spray some on a rag, and CAREFULLY wipe over the alloy trim. This treatment will not restore damaged trim but it will largely eliminate the dull finish on the alloy trim; you will certainly get a very greatly improved finish. If you want to restore undamaged trim to appear as new, the trim will need to be removed from the car, polished with AUTOSOL alloy polish, water blasted to remove excess polish, wiped with a clean rag, then sprayed from the clearcoat can as reccommedned on the can. I have done this with the intake grille at the base of the windscreen. I gave this item three coats of clear coat, then buffed it as you would do with normal paint finish. It is harder to wipe clear coat on this item in-situ.

 

[Styria]

Well, let the ARCHIVE feature come to the assistance ! No real solution, but at least plenty of discussion. I will also dig out additional threads in order to amalgamate this topic. Furthermore, I did speak to an experienced guy just the other month, and he was kind enough to provide me with a source in Sydney that will actually re-anodise the strips for you. It is a two stage process, but I am going to dig out contact details. Regards. Styria

N.B. Some old, but never forgotten names, among this lot of contributors.
BTW, pressure pack CLEAR should be avoided - it does not work as it discolours quite badly into a golden coloured shade.

 

[motec 6.9]

Oh by the way the trim is not anodised.

 

[motec 6.9]

Ok not quiet correct but this is how you remove dull covering .A lot of trim pieces on older cars were made of aluminium that was anodized. Anodizing is an effective way to create a hard, weather resistant surface that will last a number of years without tarnishing. Eventually, however, the metal surface becomes stained and scratched and looking generally dull, so much so that it either needs to be replaced or cleaned.Unfortunately, anodized surfaces don't clean well. In fact, if you scrub or polish such a surface all you will get is a shiny drab-looking finished product. In order to properly clean and polish aluminium you have to de-anodize it.

Sounds difficult, doesn't it? After all, the anodizing process requires acid baths, cleaning steps and electric current, not to mention timing equipment and dyes (for those coloured surfaces like brackets, etc.) One would think, therefore, that de-anodizing would require the same materials, only in reverse order.
That would be nice and effective, but it turns out that aluminium is one of those metals that can be chemically de-anodized. All you need is the right chemical, and you can find it in your grocery store. The "magic" chemical is sodium hydroxide, and it is the active ingredient in drain cleaners (Drano). It comes in liquid and crystal form and we find the dry crystals are the most effective (and least expensive.)
All you need to de-anodize your piece of aluminium is a shallow pan large enough in which to lay it. You'll need warm water, rubber gloves, eye protection and, of course the drain cleaner. Fill the pan with enough warm water to cover the piece and then add enough drain cleaner to do the job - we find that 1 tablespoon of cleaner to one gallon of water will de-anodize a couple pieces like headlight bezels.
Mix the cleaner thoroughly in the water and place the aluminium piece in it. Make sure there's air movement over the pan, since the vapours can be a bit caustic. Watch the bubbles form on the aluminium and lift it out every minute or so to remove the accumulated "smut." Smut is the chemical residue that forms during the de-anodizing process and you want to remove it periodically to expose the surface to the chemical. If the process is going too slowly you can add more cleaner.
After a few minutes you will see that the piece is a uniform, flat colour. Stains and blemishes should have disappeared, leaving only scratches. Take the piece out and rinse thoroughly with fresh water. Dry it off and inspect for any residual anodized spots, which show up as darker surface finish. If there are any, immerse the piece in the chemical for a little longer and rub them out. Rinse and dry again.

Now you can sand your piece with 800 grit paper to remove scratches and then buff the surface to a bright shine. It will remain a soft surface unless you anodize it again, but that takes equipment and a little experience. We find that keeping a coat of wax on the piece prevents tarnishing and staining. Also, you can spray the piece with clear lacquer or enamel to protect it in harsher environments.

Kent to the rescue http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2kWu9mdLtc
All else fails a good alloy polish and buffer my one tonner has polished alloy tray and was a show car needed buffing every month to keep shine. http://www.polish-up.com.au/categor...HAZEz-xAFzXxYBE-VVjNp9PQlGeymCXbgwaAgTC8P8HAQ Some say this works have not used it myself http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mercedes-Al...ightness-/161205373528?_trksid=p2054897.l4275

 

[Oversize]

There was another VERY long thread on this topic..... Let me do a search!

 

[Oversize]

Yep! Told ya...

http://www.topklasse.org/forums/showthread.php?t=1774&highlight=anodise

 

[motec 6.9]

This is the post. I hope this helps as a former show car had a polished tray so I spent a lot off time polishing it. I did it every month without fail.

 

[Oversize]

Still no real solution after all these years...