Anodizing Aluminum
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BennytheBlade
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Anodizing Aluminum
does anyone know how this process works and if its difficult to do? Im gonna look on the web some but thought I have access to some of the most diabolica...err, informed minds around, I thought I would ask here first.
Very funny, Scotty. Now beam down my clothes.
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Pushbutton
- King of Switchbladeland
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I read an article in Blade years ago by Mike Walker. I really am not good at remembering the whole process but I know it involved Electricity,Coca-Cola,some kind of acid or alkaline solution and the most important part was knowing what to do with all that stuff . Anybody else help Benny out? Oh yeah this was a long time ago so the process could be much simpler now.
PB
PB
Hello folks. I'm new here but from what I've seen so far, I'm in the "right" place.
Anodizing is not very hard to do, just time consuming. It involves several baths and dc current. I purchased the kit from Caswell Plating.com and have done a few pieces with excellent results. First the parts have to be cleaned well enough that water runs off or sheets instead of "balling up" on the surface. Then it goes into an acid bath of 50/50 batery acid and distilled water. In this bath, you have lead plate cathodes (-) and your part is the anode (+) and attached to a 12 volt battery or a battery charger. You let the current and the acid work for certain time, depending on how thick you want the film of anodizing ( for me it is 60 min.) When you detach the current and take the part (s) out of this, you dunk it in a solution of baking soda and distilled water. Then if you want it dyed, you have dye mixed with distilled water and heated to 140 degrees and you let it soak in that for about the same time as you left it in the acid/dc bath. Then whether dyed or "left clear" you have a sealing solution that you put it in and let boil in that for another hour. You then have an anodized part that will resist wear and is non-conductive. Simple!!
Steve
Anodizing is not very hard to do, just time consuming. It involves several baths and dc current. I purchased the kit from Caswell Plating.com and have done a few pieces with excellent results. First the parts have to be cleaned well enough that water runs off or sheets instead of "balling up" on the surface. Then it goes into an acid bath of 50/50 batery acid and distilled water. In this bath, you have lead plate cathodes (-) and your part is the anode (+) and attached to a 12 volt battery or a battery charger. You let the current and the acid work for certain time, depending on how thick you want the film of anodizing ( for me it is 60 min.) When you detach the current and take the part (s) out of this, you dunk it in a solution of baking soda and distilled water. Then if you want it dyed, you have dye mixed with distilled water and heated to 140 degrees and you let it soak in that for about the same time as you left it in the acid/dc bath. Then whether dyed or "left clear" you have a sealing solution that you put it in and let boil in that for another hour. You then have an anodized part that will resist wear and is non-conductive. Simple!!
Steve
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Pushbutton
- King of Switchbladeland
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Nifmaker welecome to the funhouse.Good to have you enter.
So your saying the colorization part is seperate from the andonozing part? I had heard during the electrical process you could add funky things and for some reason a can of coke was added and thats how Walker got those zipper patterns. So your way you have a andonized piece say a bolster or handles of just metal colored and then you brush a dye solution on it and bake it? I'm not doubting you here but it sounds like the finished product would look more laquered then like pure metal in some funky color. I have a few customs that are andonized titanium which is the hardest to do and they look just like bare smooth metal except they are colored. and I don't see where any after color was added. Maybe people just do it diffrently with no set guidelines. Interesting topic.
PB
So your saying the colorization part is seperate from the andonozing part? I had heard during the electrical process you could add funky things and for some reason a can of coke was added and thats how Walker got those zipper patterns. So your way you have a andonized piece say a bolster or handles of just metal colored and then you brush a dye solution on it and bake it? I'm not doubting you here but it sounds like the finished product would look more laquered then like pure metal in some funky color. I have a few customs that are andonized titanium which is the hardest to do and they look just like bare smooth metal except they are colored. and I don't see where any after color was added. Maybe people just do it diffrently with no set guidelines. Interesting topic.
PB
Benny,
Here is a brief description of the process: Anodizing is an electro-chemical process by which the surface of a metal material, commonly aluminum, is oxidized to form a porous and durable surface coating. The aluminum part, which becomes the anode, is submerged in a solution, commonly sulfuric acid, while a current is applied. The tank lining is commonly the cathode.
This is the opposite of electro-plating where the parts become the cathode (negatively charged) and positively charged metal ions in solution are deposited on to the metal surface to form a coating.
During the anodize process, the surface aluminum becomes oxidized (loss of electrons) and carries a positive charge. The aluminum quickly reacts with water to form aluminum oxide, Al2O3, and hydrogen gas. The aluminum oxide is the anodize coating. It is porous and may accept penetration by various color dyes. Apx. 1/2 of the coating thickness results in dimensional build up while 1/2 is penetration into the base material.
My advice would be to have it done commercially. It is inexpensive, and a professional anodizer is likely to have better process controls than any one of us trying it for the first time.
Jim
Here is a brief description of the process: Anodizing is an electro-chemical process by which the surface of a metal material, commonly aluminum, is oxidized to form a porous and durable surface coating. The aluminum part, which becomes the anode, is submerged in a solution, commonly sulfuric acid, while a current is applied. The tank lining is commonly the cathode.
This is the opposite of electro-plating where the parts become the cathode (negatively charged) and positively charged metal ions in solution are deposited on to the metal surface to form a coating.
During the anodize process, the surface aluminum becomes oxidized (loss of electrons) and carries a positive charge. The aluminum quickly reacts with water to form aluminum oxide, Al2O3, and hydrogen gas. The aluminum oxide is the anodize coating. It is porous and may accept penetration by various color dyes. Apx. 1/2 of the coating thickness results in dimensional build up while 1/2 is penetration into the base material.
My advice would be to have it done commercially. It is inexpensive, and a professional anodizer is likely to have better process controls than any one of us trying it for the first time.
Jim
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Pushbutton
- King of Switchbladeland
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PB,
I haven't heard of the "Coke" method, but I would think it would be dangerous. Pouring "soda" into the acid would in all likelyhood would cause a violent reaction. It could also contaminate your acid bath.
Anodizing titanium is a whole different ballgame. Different process altogether and a lot easier than anodizing aluminum.
The surface of the anodized aluminum part, if looked at under a microscope, would look like a honeycomb. It's this porus nature that lets the dye penetrate the surface of the part. Then when it's gone through the fixing or sealing process, the pores are closed , trapping the dye inside. It doesn't look "coated", it just looks like colored metal.
The coloring can be done in different ways. You can mask off areas using rubber glue, silicone sealer, clear paint, etc. Then soak it in the dye. Then when you boil it or steam it in the sealer solution, the masking media comes of leaving those areas silver or "clear anodized".
Another technique would be to soak it in a dye, say green, then take it out and using an eye-dropper with black dye in it, apply random drops on the surface giving it a camo look. You can also use felt-tipped markers and draw designs on the parts. The sky's the limit!!
Steve
I haven't heard of the "Coke" method, but I would think it would be dangerous. Pouring "soda" into the acid would in all likelyhood would cause a violent reaction. It could also contaminate your acid bath.
Anodizing titanium is a whole different ballgame. Different process altogether and a lot easier than anodizing aluminum.
The surface of the anodized aluminum part, if looked at under a microscope, would look like a honeycomb. It's this porus nature that lets the dye penetrate the surface of the part. Then when it's gone through the fixing or sealing process, the pores are closed , trapping the dye inside. It doesn't look "coated", it just looks like colored metal.
The coloring can be done in different ways. You can mask off areas using rubber glue, silicone sealer, clear paint, etc. Then soak it in the dye. Then when you boil it or steam it in the sealer solution, the masking media comes of leaving those areas silver or "clear anodized".
Another technique would be to soak it in a dye, say green, then take it out and using an eye-dropper with black dye in it, apply random drops on the surface giving it a camo look. You can also use felt-tipped markers and draw designs on the parts. The sky's the limit!!
Steve
Rats,
There's probably a lot of ways to achieve an anodized finish, but All I know about it is in the manual I got with the kit. Just because I haven't heard of or tried other ways, doesn't mean that they won't work.
If there are others out there that have done their own anodizing with different techniques, please give some input. Then maybe we can try different things to get different effects.
Steve
There's probably a lot of ways to achieve an anodized finish, but All I know about it is in the manual I got with the kit. Just because I haven't heard of or tried other ways, doesn't mean that they won't work.
If there are others out there that have done their own anodizing with different techniques, please give some input. Then maybe we can try different things to get different effects.
Steve
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txlegaldealer
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- Joined: Sun Dec 14, 2003 10:59 pm
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easy anodizing
I like this forum and came across this thread and had to reply. Ive done a little anodizing in the past and just wanted to throw my .02 out for you all. They sell kits for doing it but you can just make your own.
Id go into it a little more but this site here goes into detail and is where I started from.
http://www.focuser.com/atm/anodize/anodize99.html
Its real easy and is so cheap to setup and doesnt take up much room at all.
JG
Id go into it a little more but this site here goes into detail and is where I started from.
http://www.focuser.com/atm/anodize/anodize99.html
Its real easy and is so cheap to setup and doesnt take up much room at all.
JG
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