Stripping Pacemaker and Crown lens boards

[Jim C.]

A quick and easy DIY -
Aftermarket Pacemaker and Crown graphic stamped aluminum lens boards are
usually available on eBay but they're anodized black.
While the black is nice, OEM silver looks better, the black anodizing is easily
stripped off with lye based degreasers, there are threads in metal working
forums that suggest oven cleaners but all I had on hand was ZEP degreaser ( home depot ).
Other brands are Castrol Super Clean , and Greased Lighting.

I gave it shot and it strips the anodizing off very nicely. I wanted to keep the black
on the inside so I only sprayed it on the outside, total time was under 5 min with
some scotchbrite coaxing of the return areas which seem to have a bit thicker anodizing.
I did remove a tiny bit of the anodizing on the inside from transferring the degreaser
off my gloved hand. A through rinse under a faucet with some more scrubbing with a fine
scotchbrite pad and they're ready to be bored after drying.

A final FYI - strong alkalis will etch or even dissolve aluminum, do not apply and walk away,
I stripped two lens boards in under 15 min.

First application of ZEP degreaser


Scrubbing with a trimmed down chip brush.


Final result.

[EdSawyer]

Is superclean lye based? I have used on car parts in the past, great stuff, very powerful.

[Jim C.]

afaik, all the purple degreasers have sodium hydroxide (lye) in them, ZEP degreaser seems to be a generic version
of Castrol Superclean, the ingredients are the same.

[IanG]

The Graflex OEM silver boards I own are either anodised or painted. I'd use Hammerite smooth silver paint or get then anodised silver.

Ian

[EdSawyer]

Thanks Jim!

-Ed

[AtlantaTerry]

After reading the original posting I was thinking it would be wise to protect the inside with tape to be sure none of the black came off when touched by accident.