To CR'ers:
1. Although Chuck Schmidt's test
"take Semichrome or Mother's aluminum polish and rub the part. If the polish turns black you have unanodized aluminum."
is the best method, the surface of anodized parts is also electrically non-conductive. A resistance check on a non-anodized part usually gives a short circuit reading.
2. I haven't had NR silver front derailleur bodies anodized because of the risk of not being able to mask off the steel pin at the hinge.
3. I don't know the effect of having anodizing solution get between the hub cup and shell. I've had cups pulled after they wore out, and although there was corrosion at the back inside face of the cup, there was no problem in removing the cup itself. I don't recall if there was any sign of solution getting in between the cup and the hub shell. If there was, it was certainly minimal.
So in regards to Peter T. Geurds' question "So by using wax to seal the openings in the hub no harm is done?"
I suspect that the cup is masked off enough to prevent problems. You might be able to inspect a masked cup pre anodizing if the anodizing house was tolerant enought to let you look.
Incidentally, I was told that the ratchet ring of Campy 1997ish cassette hubs is screwed into the hub shell. I have heard a story of one person up in the San Francisco Bay area who removes both the cups AND the ratchet ring before anodizing (what a nightmare!) but from my perspective, it is unnecessary to do either.
regards,
Andrew Gillis (it's foggy in Long Beach, CA and I have a cold!)