How difficult is it to remove heel rub from cranks?

I have a new set of cranks that have some heel rub....cranks are not damaged in anyway....just would look nicer....i got a quote from a metal polisher and that wanted £48 [that included VAT and return postage but not outward postage].....can't seem to find any metal polishers' in Cambridge[shire].

Could buy some 0000 grade steel wool and a mild mild /gentle polish/cleaner [pre-lim?] and some elbow grease....i don't have access to any machinery.....Any better suggestions?

isn't Tel into this sorta thing?

UTFS

Just put some dusters on the heels of your Sidis, chuck Brasso on em and go for a spin.

Jobsagoodn.

drive your bike through a carwash m8

UTFS

I found that but as i don't have the gear suggested and was wondering if there was an approach i can use sans power tools

I found you can either live with it, or strip the anodising completely and repolish, as detailed in that thread. The scuffing is the anodising wearing off, there is no repairing anodising.... AFAIK

Spotter did his cranks with different grade of sandpaper, chromosol and elbow grease.

You don't even have a drill though?

I found you can either live with it, or strip the anodising completely and repolish, as detailed in that thread. The scuffing is the anodising wearing off, there is no repairing anodising.... AFAIK

Spotter did his cranks with different grade of sandpaper, chromosol and elbow grease.

You don't even have a drill though?

I don't have a drill and been doing some reading and feel...this would be easy to cock up.

£56 is a lot to get a set of cranks look really good.....but then again.....i could buy your cranks and sell these on.......decisions.....times like this my OCD comes out!

The left of mine has a little heel rub....

you can use caustic to destroy the anodising then a quick sand and polish them up. have a scan of motorbike forums for a detailed how to

If you get them professionally polished they'll eventually discolour/rub again with use anyway.
If you want them to look tip top and stay that way you may as well learn to polish yourself. The grades of paper and some polish(I like Peek) will set you back about a tenner. Then stick some good tunes on and polish away for an evening.
It's thereputic, easy and pretty absorbing.

It just depends on how you value your own time. Look up 'shiny bits' on CP, that took ages but made me happy..... Emery cloth to remove anodising, fine sandpaper, Autosol, hard work, achievement.

And put some Helicopter Tape on them once you've got them polished, to stop it happening again.

A couple of links for you: 1) and 2).

I can do these for you Leon if you send me some pics of just how bad they are.

Does anyone have an idea how logos are printed on cranks? For example on sugino 75 and campag c-record

Does anyone have an idea how logos are printed on cranks? For example on sugino 75 and campag c-record

Campagnolo C-Record cranks had stamped,engraved logos before moving to laser etch them.

Just simply use some 1200 grit sandpaper. it wont scratch into the anodizing. use plenty of water, warm with a bit of washing up liquid.

I suggest not removing the anodizing and going down the route of wet and dry sanding and polishing as any stones thrown up when riding will quickly damage the arms far worse than if the anodizing was there. Also its almost impossible to get a good clean finish when lacquering as it will peel and yellow pretty quick and doesnt adhere to polished surfaces. I regularly strip and polish lever/bars/stems as they dont see much abuse but as for cranks your far better off leaving the anodizing on and gently using 1200 grit sandpaper. Hope this helps

Heres some photos of some bars/stem levers and cranks that iv done by hand. It is possible to get a good clean finish but like i said, re-lacquering is an issue.

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I suggest not removing the anodizing and

Back in the old days alloy cranks were did not get eloxial (electrolytic oxidation) treatments. One used to just shine them up with Semichrome to a high "mirror" shine. The trick was to finish them off with some cornstarch. Part of maintanance was to not just replace the grease in hubs--- grease back then would often go bad and racid-- but also to polish everything up to a high gloss.

The look is, however, quite different from later cranks. No only have the design patterns changed but also the selection of alloys. Many are much harder than they used to be and less suitable to high shine polishing.

This thread just saved me a tonne of time, thanks!