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This might help
http://astro.neutral.org/anodise.shtml
Be careful around these chemicals man!
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Hello all. I have been trying to anodize my own aluminum products with no luck. No matter how i do the process the dye doesn't stick to the metal.
I am using battery acid (sulfuric acid) with a 33% mixture of water, 50% mixture water and i have even done a 100% full battery acid. none of this seems to work. I am using a car battery charger which has a max capacity of 55 amps. I am leaving the piece to charge for about 2 hours. (Right now i am just testing on 6061 aluminum coupons.) I have tried cleaning the alum coupons with acetone, muriatic acid and concrete etch. Below is a link to the harbor Freight charger i am using.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=66783
I am using fabric dye as the coloring agent.
ANY input as to what i am doing wrong or what i need to do different is greatly appreciated. It seems like a fairly easy process and i do not understand why it is not working.
This might help
http://astro.neutral.org/anodise.shtml
Be careful around these chemicals man!
I love deadlines- I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.
We need more detail. The 1:3 mixture should be right.
What type of battery acid did you use?
did you use distilled water?
How big are the parts you are doing?
How big is the ano tank?
How big and what type of anodes are you using?
How are you connecting the parts to the positive lead?
How did you prepare the parts for anodizing?
I gave serious thought to anodizing but decided against it because of the chemicals and disposal issues. Instead, I will be using powder coating for my parts. Caswell has great information. Download their manual on the LCD kit. It should give you some ideas on what you are doing wrong.
Try this link www.caswellplating.com/kits/aluminum.htm
Hope this helps,
Iron-Man
What chemicals? Battery acid? It's pretty common. You don't have to throw it out after use. I've been using the same acid for over a year and it still works fine.I gave serious thought to anodizing but decided against it because of the chemicals and disposal issues.
The other chemicals are nickle acetate for sealing, which again, you use over and over again, and sodium hydroxide if you care to strip something that is already anodized. Sodium hydroxide is probably the worst of the 3 because you will have to dispose of it after use.
Use some care when handling them and it's all ok. The fumes from the actual anodizing can be a bit overwhelming if you don't vent them.
Mrcodewiz asked some ligit questions. Are you sure that you are making contact with the piece to be anodized? It's not as easy as you would think. Are the anode plates at least the same surface area as the parts your anodizing?
Are you sure the parts your trying on aren't already anodized?
If the process is taking place, you will easily see bubbles coming off both the part to be anodized as well as the anode plate(s), and the current meter on the charger will go up.
The clothes dyes should work, although I've never tried them.
Paul
Here's a pic of my little tank:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_BABfbybnU94/S0...0/IMG_0413.JPG
Last edited by fatal-exception; 03-16-2010 at 06:30 PM. Reason: added pic
Just bottle it and set in the corner of your yard, no biggy. NaOH also is great for cleaning your parts. I would use NaOH on cleaning aluminum before I'd use hydroflouric on aluminum.
Last edited by universalfab; 03-16-2010 at 06:56 PM.
I like that rack. Do you just hook the wires over the top of them - and the connection is OK? Here is what I have been using but something like yours would be a lot easier and allow me to fit several more parts in at a time.Originally Posted by fatal-exception
I have been using battery acid i picked up at my local auto parts store. I do not know the brand but i can get it for you if you guys think it's relevant. I am using a 2 gallon paint bucket and the part i am trying to anodize is 3"x3"x.125". I have keep trying on different pieces roughly the same size. Aluminum type is 6061.
I do see bubbles which constantly makes me think it is working but when i dip it in the dye nothing happens.
I rinse off the peice of metal after anodizing with distilled water. I have tried prepping the aluminum with acetone, muriatic acid, and a couple other acids.
I am using a 3" by 1/8" thick alum strip as my grounding rod and i wrap alum wire around the part to be anodized and hook up my positive to the alum wire.
The mixture you want to use when using battery acid is 3 parts WATER 1 parts battery acid. so 25% battery acid.
Consequently, because you have been using a very high mixture this cause more dissolution which in result will LIMIT the thickness of the layer.
Also, higher concentrations will grow the anodize layer SLOWER.
well i just tried 3 parts water 1 part battery acid and that didn't work either. At this point i can just assume that my battery charger is not sufficient. Can you guys please look at this charger and let me know your thoughts?
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=66783
I have set it to 55 amp charging. How many amps do i need for anodizing? (assume a 5 gallon bucket as my acid bath.) This seems like an easy process i dont know why i am having so many problems.
the anodising may be working, but the dye might not be. the dye particles have to be small enough to leech into the pores of the AlO3 film. ive read fabric dye can work, but only certain types. maybe youve just got the wrong kind?
ive never anodised anything myself, but i plan on trying soon.
well i just tried 3 parts water 1 part battery acid and that didn't work either. At this point i can just assume that my battery charger is not sufficient. Can you guys please look at this charger and let me know your thoughts?
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=66783
I have set it to 55 amp charging. How many amps do i need for anodizing? (assume a 5 gallon bucket as my acid bath.) This seems like an easy process i dont know why i am having so many problems.
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