10 replies to this topic

[sugarnspike613]

I just got my 4th order, and I started unbagging some of the black AA, but noticed that several of them are really dull.

I rubbed them between my fingers a bit, and they brightened up a little, but nothing like the rings from my previous orders

Is there something I can do to shine them up without damaging the anodized coating?

Thanks
--Dani

[sugarnspike613]

Somebody emailed me back and said something about just wiping them with my thumb...but there's 300 to a bag. They also said something about tumbling them on their own...but I don't own a tumbler.

Suggestions?

[calisandra]

I would hesitate to tumble them or any AA rings actually, do you have one of those hand crank salad spinners? I would probably try washing them and them using something that it get the excess water out, or just spreading them out on a towel and drying would probably work for that too. the black and machine cut colors do tend to be have more of a mat finish particularly when you see them next to the new shiny saw cut colors. I just got a bunch of5/16 16G black and they seemed fine, not shiny but not overly dull either, you could try contacting TRL maybe it was a batch problem?

[Bernice Daniels]

1st off you are talking about the machine cut AA not the saw cut. Yes rubbing them with your fingers will make them shinier and take the matte off. I have only ever seen this on black and very infrequent batches. Last batch I got I tested tumbling with just the rings themselves for a short period and it worked.
If you need really shiny you should get the saw cut - the machine cut will never be as shiny in AA as it's a different type of anodizing.

[sugarnspike613]

Apologies, I was talking about the machine cut black.
I know they're not super-shiny like the machine cut ones...and after looking again, they don't seem to be even as shiny as the coloured machine cut ones...but some of them were really really dull

It's not that I need them shiny, it just seems that the new ones I got weren't quite as shiny as the older ones I had.

I don't have a tumbler, so I guess I'll have to sort through them by hand.

[Brimley's Mom]

Wash them with blue Dawn in a salad spinner and then lay them out on a towel to dry. It might save you some picking.

[sugarnspike613]

Wash them with blue Dawn in a salad spinner and then lay them out on a towel to dry. It might save you some picking.

Alrighty, will pick some up next time we go grocery shopping. Can't hurt to have around.

Edit: I went to go get some, and we were all out at work!

Edited by sugarnspike613, 01 May 2012 - 12:51 PM.

[Chimney Duck]

I've started to wash all my rings in hand dish detergent in a bowl, mix them up real good, then keep rinsing them out until no more bubbles appear, then put them on paper towels to dry. At one point, I used a strainer, but I'm not sure where my non-food strainer is. . .

Anyway, for the most part you just need to wash them, you don't need to tumble them.

[sugarnspike613]

I've started to wash all my rings in hand dish detergent in a bowl, mix them up real good, then keep rinsing them out until no more bubbles appear, then put them on paper towels to dry. At one point, I used a strainer, but I'm not sure where my non-food strainer is. . .

Anyway, for the most part you just need to wash them, you don't need to tumble them.

What kind of detergent do you use?

Dad says I could just use our Costco one...but I think it's citrus...

[Movak]

Using a citrus detergent is a bad habit to get into. Citrus cleaners are a mild acid and may leach colour from anodized rings. It may also etch non-anodized rings. There have been issues with using orange Dawn, as that is there citrus version, while blue or green Dawn work fine. Just use a non-citrus grease cutting formula.

Movak

[sugarnspike613]

Using a citrus detergent is a bad habit to get into. Citrus cleaners are a mild acid and may leach colour from anodized rings. It may also etch non-anodized rings. There have been issues with using orange Dawn, as that is there citrus version, while blue or green Dawn work fine. Just use a non-citrus grease cutting formula.

Movak

Thank you for telling me something I already knew =)

The fact that I mentioned "but I think it's citrus" means that I understand the fact that citrus cleaners and rings don't mix. I have read the blue Dawn thread, and someone in here already suggested that I use blue Dawn.

I'm sorry, I was having a bad day.

Edited by sugarnspike613, 23 May 2012 - 07:24 PM.