how to finish Tarozzi fork brace?

Hi guys I just got a tarozzi fork brace for my 76 KZ900. I test fit it the other day and it seems real nice, although the finish is weird. It is cast aluminum with some sort of crappy finish on it- it's like a chalky dull blackish. My fingers were all dirty after test fitting. Anybody know what to do with this thing?

I don't know for a fact what the finish is but I thought it was anodized. The surface finish is "as cast" which is rough, so maybe there are anodize dye chemical remnants that collected in the pores of the metal?

Media blast it! Silica, Aluminum Oxide, Glass Beads. I love glass beads. There are about 12 grades of beads measured in microns.
I glass bead everything I work on!

media blast works great, but if you don't have the equip., the anodizing can be stripped with Easy Off oven cleaner and sanded and polished like ordinary aluminum. Pretty sure these Tarrozi clip ons had the same finish

DSCN0903 by Sean Barney , on Flickr

I think Tarrozi does a "hard anodize" on their parts which is much tougher than regular anodization but it usually only comes in a dull black color depending on the alloy.

Vapor blast is another option RestoCycle has done a bunch of stuff for me.

Online quote form and samples: www.restocycle.com/

Some of mine:




Here's an XL head with amazing results, this thing was nasty

Restocycle is a member here who goes by Noblehops AKA Nils

Was just talking to him yesterday.. Nice guy / straight shooter

Dave

Street Fighter LTD wrote: Restocycle is a member here who goes by Noblehops AKA Nils

Was just talking to him yesterday.. Nice guy / straight shooter

Dave

Yessir! Niles has been a pleasure to do business with, I will be shipping off a pile to him again soon.

Oh and don't be afraid to send just a few small parts, he can add it into a larger project.

DoctoRot wrote: I think Tarrozi does a "hard anodize" on their parts which is much tougher than regular anodization but it usually only comes in a dull black color depending on the alloy.

The Tarrozi fork brace is not hard anodize. The coating is thin like regular anodize, not thick like hard anodize.

So the coating that is on there is very chalky and like I said, left my hands dirty after handling. I guess there is no easy way to just paint or powdercoat over it, since it is brand new? I suspected it does not have a surface that would give very good adhesion to anything the way it is. I was just hoping someone would tell me otherwise. Basically I need to just strip that finish off somehow and then refinish it like any other aluminum?

KZ802 wrote: So the coating that is on there is very chalky and like I said, left my hands dirty after handling. I guess there is no easy way to just paint or powdercoat over it, since it is brand new? I suspected it does not have a surface that would give very good adhesion to anything the way it is. I was just hoping someone would tell me otherwise. Basically I need to just strip that finish off somehow and then refinish it like any other aluminum?

Powder coat it. I'd bead blast first though.

Give it 20 minutes in phosphoric acid (home deopt metal etch) and wash it thoroughly with a used scotch bright pad, then wipe it with alcohol If you want it black appliance epoxy is awesome for etched aluminum.