Update: Anyone here ever used this stuff?

I don't remember how, but I stumbled across this website and judging from the pictures this stuff looks like it could be better than sliced bread. I'm thinking about giving it a try but I hate like hell to spend $33.00 for a gallon of this crap if it doesn't work. Also looking at the MSDS report it looks like it might just be phosphoric acid. I sent an email to the company and I'm waiting for a reply. From the looks of the Guzzi cover in the picture this stuff could save a lot of work. I just hate to be the schmuck who shells out $33.00 for a gallon of snake oil. I was just wondering if anyone has ever used this stuff before. Here is the website. www.orisonmarketing.com/corrosion/aluminator/aluminator.html

and here is the pic


Post edited by: The Gringo, at: 2008/01/24 09:11

Hey Gringo, I looked at the product, still don't know anymore than I did after reading your question except one thing. It seems as if the price is around $18/gal or $7/quart. For $7/qt I might give it a try.


Ok I now see what you mean about the price, by the time you add shipping it brings it up to around $28/gal

Post edited by: ronjones, at: 2008/01/16 13:51

If I could find it locally for $7 I would give it a try too, however once you add the shipping to it it makes more sense to buy the gallon. For that, I'm looking at spending $33.00. I don't mind spending the money if it works as good as it looks like it does. I just don't want to spend $33.00 and wind up going back to my current method of wetsanding and then buffing. If this stuff will etch it clean again without having to sand it, I wouldn't so much mind using some Mothers to make it shiny again.

del

Well I got a response from them as follows.

Thank you for your inquiry. The web site gives you about all the information we have. The product is more than phosphoric acid, but the rest is confidential and not required to be listed on the MSDS. The cover on the web site was actually cleaned using Aluminator and a very light scrub pad and only took about 2-3 minutes. We have had mixed results with older motorcycle parts because of the different alloys, so you might want to buy a quart to test it on several different parts.


Regards,

Customer Service
Orison Marketing, L.L.C.
800.460.2403
Commercial Web: < www.orisonmarketing.com/ >
Gov't/Military Web: < www.orisonllc.com/ >

They are located at:4801 South Danville
Abilene, TX 79602

Anybody here from that area want to pick some of this stuff up to try before I gamble 33 hard earned bucks on it?

Hmm, they did not seem to positive about the product working every time, but at least it was honest sounding

" The product is more than phosphoric acid ..."

My bet is it's phosphoric acid with additives to get it to cling and surfactants to help water wash off the residue.

Still at that price it's not out of line with the regular metal prep that we use in our shop.

KZCSI

*This product is a buffered "safe" acid based aluminum brightener, designed for clean, unfinished (bare) aluminum. Not all aluminums are the same. Many things are manufactured with different alloys and even coatings mixed into the aluminum which, in effect, can block Aluminator.

Aluminator is not a "cleaner", it is formulated for etching aluminum surfaces and removing oxidation, road film, scum, diesel smoke, and water marks. The quick penetration and etching action reduces the need to rub, buff or agitate the surface being brightened.

These 2 statements seem to conflict each other. Ist one says it is for clean aluminum, second one conflicts the 1st?

Well I broke down and sent them my money. I couldn't help myself, I just kept looking at that picture and thinking if this stuff will make a nasty old cover look that good in 2 or 3 minutes I gotta give it a try. Once it arrives I'll let everyone know if this is the holy grail of re-habbing old Kaws or just more snake oil:angry: . I'm really hoping this stuff works good, lord knows I have enough aluminium parts around here to clean.

I was thinking of doing the same thing, but since you jumped first, I will sit back and wait

rdgrnr wrote:

*This product is a buffered "safe" acid based aluminum brightener, designed for clean, unfinished (bare) aluminum. Not all aluminums are the same. Many things are manufactured with different alloys and even coatings mixed into the aluminum which, in effect, can block Aluminator.

Aluminator is not a "cleaner", it is formulated for etching aluminum surfaces and removing oxidation, road film, scum, diesel smoke, and water marks. The quick penetration and etching action reduces the need to rub, buff or agitate the surface being brightened.

These 2 statements seem to conflict each other. Ist one says it is for clean aluminum, second one conflicts the 1st?

They don't conflict: the first one is a warning thatit only can work on clean, unfinished aluminum. Then adds, coatings or other formulas of aluminum may not allow it to work.

The second statement is puffing, says it is not a cleaner but actually "etches" the surface.... which is a benign way of saying it EATS the top layer of aluminum away and hopefully exposes a lower layer that is better looking than the top one which is worn from age.

That's the way I read it too Bountyhunter. In the past I've tried using some spray-on mag wheel cleaner that I picked up at the local Autozone and was less than pleased with the results. Years ago a buddy of mine gave me some low acid wheel cleaner that they used to clean Mercedes wheels and that stuff was amazing. My thinking on this stuff, is that since this company makes alot of chemicals for the military and aviation use this stuff probably is what I'm looking for.

The most time consuming part to these old bikes for me is getting them to look good, getting them to run is the easy part. In short if it was shiny when it was new, I want it to shine now but on each bike I buy I know that I'm looking at a tremendous amount of labor and time to make that happen. If this stuff will get rid of 25 or 30 years of builtup "patina" in short order I'll be one happy camper.

I can hardly wait for this stuff to arrive, but when it does I plan on trying it out on some parts that I really don't care much about first to see how it is going to perform. I'm thinking it should get here early next week and I'll let you all know how well it does or does not work.