Need advice Setting Up production: 4 to 8 sq ft of 39" long 1x1" AL Angle daily use

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Thread: Need advice Setting Up production: 4 to 8 sq ft of 39" long 1x1" AL Angle daily use

  1. #1
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    Default Need advice Setting Up production: 4 to 8 sq ft of 39" long 1x1" AL Angle daily use

    I want to clear anodize as much 1x1" x 1/16th" thick AL angle as possible for making photobooths out of. we currently weld 1x1" square aluminum pipe together to make the frame of the photobooth. I am a small company with 4 workers full time and this is all we do.

    Many of our current customers have complained about scratches on the mill aluminum we use. This angle aluminum is used as decorative trim on the sides of the photobooth. I don't really care about dying any of it, I just want a harder finish so it doesn't scratch so easily!
    I looked at having a local company do it and they wanted about $1.50 a square foot if we sent them 100 pieces at a time. (each piece is about 39" long and has a surface area of about 1 sq ft. )

    I've bought a 55gallon drum of Sulfuric Acid 93% for about $240 from a local chemical supplier. I have on order $200 worth of titanium bolts and wire and I also have several 200 gal square tanks that are 3x3x3' in size, a couple of cylindrical tanks that are 4' diameter by 4' tall. and a bunch of 55 gallon drums which unfortunately are a bit short at 28" tall, not sure if I can some how plastic weld a couple together?.

    I bought Ron Newman's guide to anodizing aluminum and read almost all of it. I've also spent a couple hours reading the forum.

    My biggest dilema is how to set this up.
    I was thinking of using the 200 gallon 4' tall by 4' diameter tank as the anodizing tank. and hang the angle aluminum as shown in the pictures with a titanium nut and bolt wired to the titanium hanging wire (copper wire in the photo just as an illustration) I was thinking about having it outside under a covered area due to fumes, but might be better to keep it inside to control the temperature?

    I was hoping the square acrylic tube down the middle would cut down the surface area to be anodized by about 1/2, but I'm sure that the acid will work it's way around to the back side. Anyone try that?

    I was going to weld together a 8x8" x 40" aluminum tank to put the nickle acetate sealer in and put a little electric stove on the bottom to heat it up.

    Still trying to decide on a power supply . Even a 70amp one will only allow me to do about 5 sticks at a time assuming the back side will get anodized.

    I'd be interested in hearing how others would set up a production run for these pieces?
    Need advice Setting Up production: 4 to 8 sq ft of 39" long 1x1" AL Angle daily use-img1166fs-jpg
    Need advice Setting Up production: 4 to 8 sq ft of 39" long 1x1" AL Angle daily use-anodize-jpg

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    Hello aluminumwelder,
    I am kind of new to anodising, but have done some. I would be very wary of having 200 gallons of H2SO4 in a single tank, unless you are a "Cleaner" for the mafia ;D
    for the long pieces I would try a plastic channel similar to a rain gutter or pvc pipe with it's top opened, cathode could be Aluminum flashing used as a liner, lead probably better, but expensive.
    You could mask off the areas you do not want anodized, with tape maybe kapton tape, maybe plastic tape. Temp control is another matter, ice bottles, or Titanium tube circulating ice cold water . . .
    93% x 55 gallon is going to make a whole "shed load" of electrolyte
    Remember to use every safety method and PPE available including shower and eye wash stations, much cheaper than injuries.
    You want a constant current rectifier, of the appropriate size, secondary containment vessels to catch spills . . . check out Caswell Plating for more information their low current low acid concentration seems to work. . .

    The grade of aluminum will affect the difficulty of anodizing and the "scratch ability" of your work, and my last point is , Have you considered powder coating your finished frames? It's safer, very good looking, does not give your welders trouble, (because it's applied after) and very durable, and it is something you could do,in house, given some hot lights . . .

    We're not in business to make parts, we're in business to make money, making parts is just how we do that.


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Need advice Setting Up production: 4 to 8 sq ft of 39" long 1x1" AL Angle daily use

Need advice Setting Up production: 4 to 8 sq ft of 39" long 1x1" AL Angle daily use