Looking for a good stripper...

Paint stripper, that is!

I've sanded down the aluminum aka bars for my Hobie Adventure-to-AI conversion, and have removed almost all of the paint that was on the outside. Unfortunately, there is a lot of paint on the inside of the bigger tubes, and I'd like to remove that too, as I plan to anodize them. I don't see any way to do that by sanding, due to the shape of the tubes.

I've tried a couple of strippers, but they both seem to be useless. Is there any sort of chemical stripper that would work, without damaging aluminum?

Aircraft Remover, used to get it at the auto part store.  Spray on foam in an aerosol can, would strip really thick powder coat no problem.  As with any other stripper….make sure you’re wearing adequate protective equipment, cover any exposed skin and only use in a well ventilated area.  Very caustic, will burn your skin and irritate lungs if you don’t take proper precautions. 

Submerge it in acid ..

Are u gonna polish it ? Before anodized?

Aircraft Remover, used to get it at the auto part store.  Spray on foam in an aerosol can, would strip really thick powder coat no problem.  As with any other stripper….make sure you’re wearing adequate protective equipment, cover any exposed skin and only use in a well ventilated area.  Very caustic, will burn your skin and irritate lungs if you don’t take proper precautions.

It seems that as of 2019 or so, the chemical that makes aircraft stripper work was banned for use in such products. I discovered this after I tried some (from auto parts store) and it did nothing. Citrustrip worked better, but still can’t remove most of it.

Aircraft Remover, used to get it at the auto part store.  Spray on foam in an aerosol can, would strip really thick powder coat no problem.  As with any other stripper….make sure you’re wearing adequate protective equipment, cover any exposed skin and only use in a well ventilated area.  Very caustic, will burn your skin and irritate lungs if you don’t take proper precautions.

It seems that as of 2019 or so, the chemical that makes aircraft stripper work was banned for use in such products. I discovered this after I tried some (from auto parts store) and it did nothing. Citrustrip worked better, but still can’t remove most of it.

brake cleaner

Try Dot 3 Brake fluid or Chem-Dip. Soak for a day or two and they will come out clean as a nuns tit.

Try Dot 3 Brake fluid or Chem-Dip. Soak for a day or two and they will come out clean as a nuns tit.

I read that online and watched a couple videos. It looked pretty amazing, so I tried it. Nothing happened. Must only work for some types of paint…

Ok, so they must be powder coated. Try Permatex or CRC Gasket remover.

Ok, so they must be powder coated. Try Permatex or CRC Gasket remover.

Pretty sure it's not powder coated, but I'll try anything at this point. I'll let you know how it works out...

Tried CRC gasket remover, but it didn’t seem to do much. I’ll try again, but it doesn’t look like it’ll be the answer.

Will acetone strip paint from aluminum?

If u can jam a rod inside,
Get a good piece of  long rod, cut a groove thru the middle and make a sanding flapper wheel, wrap it kinda like a cartridge roll.. … connect to ur hand drill and just go at it.

If all else fails, take them to your local Chrome plating shop. They can do it for you or at least give you some tips.

If u can jam a rod inside,
Get a good piece of  long rod, cut a groove thru the middle and make a sanding flapper wheel, wrap it kinda like a cartridge roll.. … connect to ur hand drill and just go at it.

Thats a good idea!!! A Cloth backed paper should work well (harbor freight). an a wire clothes hanger should be stiff but bendy enough!

I’ve thought about the flapper wheel. That would easily clean the ends of the tubes (before the bend), but beyond the bend they also taper, so it’ll be difficult to do much towards the closed end.

Call me crazy but at this point I would wonder why I want to anodize the inside of a tube.  Will not just the exterior and maybe 5” into each end provide protection from the elements or are we talking rust and regret in the long run?