How well does the stripper work, and how long does it last?

[acidrain]

Hello all, I have been using sodium hydroxide as a stripper, and have had very good results... it's cheap, and strips ano pretty quickly, but needs to be constantly monitored, and that can be time consuming.
I'm considering going to the commercial stripper available from Caswell, but it's pretty expensive, and I just want to be sure it will perform as expected.
So my questions are addressed to those that use the anodize and chrome stripper:
Is the product heated, or used at room temperature? Is 40F to 50F too cold?
Can you leave the parts in for extended periods of time without fear of pitting or other nasty side affects?
How long does it last? Does it get smutty, and can the smut be filtered, or is the ano desolved into the solution, and therefore not maintainable?
Is there an alternative that I'm not aware of?
When the parts come out, is the polished surface intact?
Any info/oppinion is greatly appreciated.

[sswee]

Unless Caswell has changed the formula since I bought mine, the package was labeled sodium hydroxide. It works good. I believe it can be made more aggressive through heat but I have always used it at room temp. Sometimes meaning low 50's. If I remember correctly, I got enough to mix 4.5 gal. last June and it still works the same as it did when I mixed it.

It took about 15 minutes on the hardest anodize to strip. Usually 5 to 10 on the average. I haven't left a part in over 30 min. but no problems with the part because of it. I don't know what hours would do. It will effect shine. The longer in, the less shine the part will have. I use it for rework and color changes. The Violet DS pulley in the photo album was a color change. It was in stripper for 18 min. and 4 min. in Deox/Desmut then anodized. No buffing.

My 5 gal bucket has only slight residue in the bottom. I haven't tried to filter it. The only maintenance I have done is to keep a lid on it when not in use. It stays clear unless there is a part in it and it's foaming.

I am not familiar with another alternative other than the drain cleaner I was using. I feel more comfortable using this than the drain cleaner due to the fact I don't know what else is in the drain cleaner designed to eat blockages.

I think it's worth the money for the amount of time it's lasted and the knowledge that it is designed for doing what I am using it for. The results of its use are consistent enough to project the approximate time needed for its use. Hope this helps. Any thing else, just let me know. SS

[acidrain]

Thanks Sswee, but I wonder if it's the same material... The "Anodize and Chrome Stripper" available on the site is packaged to make 3gal, is $41.80, and the blurb states "will not attack aluminum".
From what I'm learning, sodium hydroxide disolves both the anodize coating, and the aluminum, so I have to think maybe the product you're using has been replaced with an acid that specifically removes only the ano (at least I hope for that kind of money).
Anybody else?

[sswee]

If that's the case and you get some let me know how it does. I've left hanging wire in the drain cleaner to clean for reuse and forgotten them only to come back to short pointed wires too short for anything. SS

[mti11988]

I recently purchased a kit. I received two bags of NEW! Anodize and Chrome Stripper with it. The label says Sodium Hydroxide. With that said this stuff WORKS. I mean works Right NOW!! The manual says to leave it in for between 30 seconds and 10 minutes. It also says that this stuff attacks aluminum very aggressively.
I have had to strip a few parts. A part with 0.85 square feet of surface area was stripped for three (3) minutes and came out CLEAN. It had a 1 mil coating on it before stripping. The larger plates were left in for 10 minutes. They were very smutty when they went in. Most of the smut rised off in the rinse bath. A small amount stayed in the stripper tank and has settled to the bottom.
Bill

[Pronking]

i have a bucket of Caswell stripper made up that i have been using heavily for the last 2-3 months to strip various paintball marker parts and it works great for me. it is really hit or miss on timing. some ano's will come off in 1 minute some i have to leave in for 10+ to get some of the stubborn spots.

My only thing is my stripper solution is pretty much black at this point, im assuming due to the large amount of anno i have stripped from many parts most of them being black or very dark colors.

my .02
PK

[acidrain]

Yeah, I checked with Caswell, and they confirm it's sodium hydroxide (thier product), and it WILL eat aluminum.
I don't think I'll be trading in my $4 can of red devil lye for a $41.80 bag of job specific ano stripper anytime soon.
The funny thing is, guys over at the paintball forums are always coming on saying not to use drain cleaner because it eats aluminum. But then again, they are always dis'ing on us home anodizers too. I can't wait to clue them in.

[mcaswell]

That's not exactly what I said - assuming you're the gentleman I chatted with today. I said that it's a sodium hydroxide BASED product, and that it will attack aluminum if you left your part in the solution for a long time (say 3-4 times longer than was required to strip the anodize)

Our stripper is MUCH, MUCH safer than lye to the base metal.

[acidrain]

Originally Posted by caswell

That's not exactly what I said - assuming you're the gentleman I chatted with today. I said that it's a sodium hydroxide BASED product, and that it will attack aluminum if you left your part in the solution for a long time (say 3-4 times longer than was required to strip the anodize)

Our stripper is MUCH, MUCH safer than lye to the base metal.

OK, thanks for that info.
I was hoping to find a material that does not need any monitoring.

[Sid03]

I use the caswells stuff. I heat it. Removes ano pretty quickly. I always monitor.....and parts that have complex milling I will scrub the areas that I know will be the last to have the ano removed withg a toothbrush to help the ano removal.