I have used aluminum black a lot. The key is to build it up slowly. Brush or dip it and let it work for about one minute. Rinse, dry, and repeat as many times as it takes to get the color you want. It works great but proper application is a must.
If you have ever crawled under a truck with fencing wire, Robogrips and a screaming determination not to spend 50 dollars on fancy aftermarket shit you don't ABSOLUTELY need, then you understand why that level of determination makes this dude a hero among men. Or at least, very, very broke men.
I’ve had pretty good luck with this stuff and cold bluing on steel parts. When restoring my Hardinge HLVH, I cold blued the various handles and such and the results were fantastic. The key for all of this stuff is the surface preparation. I know it goes against the grain for most guys, but following the instructions can be beneficial!
Tony, I'm absolutely not a machinist, and I have very little interest in ever doing this kind of thing... But I always watch your videos as soon as I see them because they're always very funny and well produced. I absolutely love your content!
I second this. While I do have some interest in machining and CNC. I don't really have intention to start doing it. But Tony's videos are genuinely some of the most funny (in a clever sort of way,) and well edited on this website. The edit and visual gags are unlike anything else as well. Always keeps me coming back.
I have to give a 1+ to this, the way tony does his content is extremely digestible. Thank you tony for the hours and hours of content you have given us.
You're in luck, I'm a chemical engineer with 27 years in the field. It looks like this is a solution of cupric sulfate and maybe nickel sulfate dissolved in an acid solution, probably fluoboric and phosphoric acids. As for that orange colored patch you were wondering about, I think that's probably boogers.
The real info's always in the comments. The channel host just provides the entertainment whilst we mutually grope around in our intellectual darkness searching for the light switch of enlightenment.
The USB caliper insertion scene is confusing….You only rotated the usb once. Usually you try one direction, realize it’s wrong, rotate it… then realize that’s wrong too. Finally rotating it back makes it fit since that was the correct orientation to begin with 🤷♂️
USB ports live in a 4+t dimensional space, hense the need for the double rotation. As a time traveler, Tony apparanly can see (or at least peak) in the additional space dimension, and thus needs fewer rotations to insert a USB.
63 year old old guy here… I haven’t been this entertained by a video in a long while. The nasal pellet drop made me fall out laughing!!!! Great video. Subbed
8:30 that caliper that goes to cad is the most amazing thing that wasn’t mentioned at all I have ever seen! That was actually incredibly. Saves so much time.
Love the patina on the finished parts. Much cooler than bare or coated. Your humor is dimensional. It builds up measurably and consistently time and time again.
My absolute favorite part of This Old Tony is that he doesn't explain his jokes at all. They are like an inside joke between him and himself and we happen to 3rd wheel our way into them lol. I guess at this point we are more like the 1.09millionth wheel.
ToT was one of the first machining channels I watched. I was probably a dozen or so videos deep before I started to think "Hey, wait a minute..." I think it was using the rotary welding platform to 'pop' nuts from ball bearings (Like microwave popcorn) that finally convinced me :D
Great video, thanks Tony. Applying the solution you really need to get it to a high shine. By running the parts through a tumbler you’ve created massive amounts of tiny pits which has increased the surface area. This gives the acid more areas to attack rather than a smooth shiny surface. 😊
Loved the cmm beeps as you took measurements, and of course getting the usb backwards on the first try 😂. As a career machinist who now spends way too much time in a recliner, I find your videos strangely comforting as I watch all the familiar machines, tools and chips being made. Thanks Tony. Keep ‘‘em coming.
Pro-tip: Pneumatic paint shaker. $220 from the usual scumbags. Get some empty paint cans and your blasting media. Much more violent. Violence and deburring are almost spelled the same. They both have an E after all. 30 seconds and everything is smooth and happy. Alternatively, if money is no issue(no really, these hurt to price out. My 5 gallon mixers are over 10 grand), get a Radia Speed Demon. It's more of a radial vortex mixer than a shaker. They're smooth and gentle but they work like a hot damn. Think "rock tumbler on steroids".
I tried anodizing aluminum for the first time recently, and really liked the results. The process was a bit scary, using both sulfuric acid and lye, bit it was not too difficult, and made the parts look better, as well as making them more scratch resistant, and move more smoothly against each other. Since it was for a project -- a large format camera -- where some of the parts will slide against each other, all of these changes were improvements. The acid, as well as the dye I used, can be used again and again, too.
Why are you using lye? if unattended it will etch into the Alum. part clean your parts with soap and hot water l did it for 10 years at work in the machine shop made alum. fixtures that were to be in the medical assembly line.
@@lberthelon I'll second this one... I work with a lot of drills and saws, dealing with putting holes and cuts in extruded copper and aluminum, and even something as moderate as sodium carbonate (I use it for degreasing and neutralizing acid etching on steel...) will attack the aluminum chips, given enough time...
@@lberthelon Because this was my first time doing this. I made mistakes, and wanted to strip the anodizing from a part to try again. I learned lots of lessons as I did more, and found that my poorly anodized parts were mostly because of my wire connections. After I figured out a better way to get current flowing, the lye was no longer necessary. I'm just a self-taught guy out in his garage.
@@lberthelon Oh, and believe me, I did NOT leave it unattended! I never left a part in the (weak) bath for very long; nor did I need to. But it stripped the flawed anodized layer smoothly and evenly. I cannot tell from looking at them which parts were stripped and re-done.
Let me recommend to avoid "other metals" in the reaction. I noticed that you use a metal cup and a metal stick (welding wire?) to dunk the part, which can easily ruin the intended chemical reaction. Unless explicity required in the instructions, I suggest glas or plastic for this purpose.
@@SergeantExtreme That's a very good description of yourself. Stainless will resist weak, room temperature acids, such as this very dilute solution, and cupric sulfate with ease.
Don't want to use the lathe so you get it on the milling machine such that you need to use the lathe to make a tool so you don't have to use the lathe. I love you Tony. So much. I do this kind of thing all the time and no one understands.
Hey Tony, I've worked in metal finishing (anodizing, electropolishing, plating, passivating). Let me know if you ever have a question about different finishes. I have known some shops to use electropolishing to clean off very small burrs. Also, that chemical can release HF and could be the reason for the odor... toxic in small quantities. -Robert
Can you tell me how this solution works? Is it replacing aluminum with copper or/and nickel at the surface and that's what is causing the blacking process? Thanks
Hi Robert I need to paint some oxidized aluminum on my bicycle could you please give me some advice on surface conversation and prep prior to painting?
Harbor freight rock tumbler is what I use to clean debur small parts it will run all day and all night. Which is about the time you need to have any effect.
The machine shop i used to work in had one that was old as hell and had been "fixed" over and over again with parts from harbor freight and from the hardest stainless and titanium, all the way down to really REALLY soft brass wouldn't take but a few minutes, the titanium obviously took the longest (around an hour) but the brass and aluminum only was maybe 5 minutes before they were perfectly smooth on all edges that would slice you like a razor before hand
The finished product looks very similar to what we create in a steel pipe mill I work at that also runs standard sizes of aluminum pipe, we use a process called ‘bright finish washing’ where it’s dipped in sulphuric acid tanks, washed in sequences of phosphate and rinse tanks, then dried and left to cure leaving it with a black and almost rusty look at certain angles, pretty much exactly what you have here. It’s meant or designed to look tinged but prevents rust, and is also perfect for oil dipping as the oil tends to hold better on the slightly pitted surface to hold up in outdoor uses.
So I discovered your channel as an older (49😳), yet aspiring (taking classes for certification) machinist. Now I know why my kids love RUclips. People like you. Thanks man.
Got to love that USB plug to Caliper adapter. If only I could go back in time, and buy 2 or 3 of them... you know, for the oncoming zombie pop-can apocalypse. Sorry that the "anodizing" didn't quite work out for you. I have been thinking about your issue with cleaning up the part. Could you create wire brushes in different sizes on the CNC to follow the same pattern for cleanup?
I have a set of calipers from iGaging with Bluetooth. It acts like a BT keyboard and actually works really well. I just go to dimension a part in SOLIDWORKS, fusion360, excel, whatever... And push a button on the calipers and it sends the dimension over and pushes enter.
@@dtroy15 Wow... I hadn't been keeping up! So, calipers from iGaging with Bluetooth... How good is the software for bringing in dimensions to the target software? Does it auto-copy to the clipboard or something else?
@@marcfruchtman9473 it just acts like a Bluetooth keyboard. No special software required. You can even use it on your phone, as I do to record dimensions in excel for tolerancing analyses etc. Just like a Bluetooth keyboard can send a "9" to your computer when you hit the 9 button, the calipers can send a "9" to your computer.
>Be This Old Tony >Wants to try a weird aluminium dye >Don't want to use it on a random piece of stock, mama didn't raise no b*tch >Spend hours mesuring and machining 3 parts that I don't even need >I need a tool that I don't have to finish the parts >Don't want to go outside, so I make it myself >Spend hours designing and cutting it >It comes out wrong :( >Use it anyway >After days, finally finish all the parts >They come out the wrong size :( >Decides to use them anyway, I'm too invested in it now >Don't read the product instructions, I'm a veteran machinist so I know my way around this kind of stuff >Proceeds to dunk all the parts in the liquid, almost killing myself due to the fumes >Take them out, and they are now ruined :( >Don't have any more parts to try it the correct way >Can't draw any conclusion about the dye >Now have three more useless piece of metal in the shop >Make a 20 minute video about it >Refuses to elaborate
Tony. Not sure if you get a alert when a new comment pops up. This is the first time I have ever commented on a RUclips video. Rough times for me right now. Your last video was 2months ago. The only reason I open RUclips now is if I am not looking for a video of someone attempting a fix on something I am attempting fix, so I can see and learn from there mistakes and for seeing if you have a new upload. Your videos are incredably entertaining, with lots of info, you do a wonderful job. I hope all is well for your family at this time in the year. Looking forward for more if you can find more inspiration. Thank you for all the videos you have done they are top notch! If RUclips ever had a contest for most outstanding RUclipsr you would get my vote, i tell all my freinds about you, but most of them do not do the interwebs so well. I am thankful for you and wish you and your family happy holidays
Almost spit my coffee in the 5 1/2 flute cutter machining. Nice job making that, I always end up with 5 or 6 flute when trying to make that 5 1/2 flute. It’s harder than most people would think.
So to recap, making machined metal parts turn black by applying blue makes them look cool, apart from when you don't read the instructions (and who does?) at which point it makes them look crap and you end up doing more work to remove most of it so they just end up looking dirty. Seems like a legit use of workshop time.
Something else to try is applying the blacking solution pretty quickly after machining/sanding. The idea is to get the solution on the aluminum before the surface of it (the aluminum) can form a thick(-ish) oxide layer.
Cold blue adds a Black Oxide porous layer to steel/iron that then allows Oil to soak into it. That's what adds the rust protection is the oil not the oxide layer. However having the oxide layer can help stop red oxide forming (rust)
This gives me childhood memories of shooting cans in a friend's backyard with pellet guns. One of the things that I love in adding character to these videos is the editing. The non-linear timeline, the USB calipers, they're all fun stuff added to an interesting video.
Hey thanks so much, you inspired me to buy a mill a few years ago. Long story short 3 years later and one month in i think i can say i found the best job ive ever had good smart people. Basic cnc mill im being trianed now this week, just made my 83rd part today only 3 mistakes still saveable.
That was a very cleverly disguised... projectile accelerator :D +1 for avoiding overzealous censorship. I'm glad you showed the franken-cutter in action, I was worried you would leave it out when you showed the finished parts first. That bluing bath looked like it was just dissolving the parts :P
Read through the MSDS for Aluma Black and it looks like it's removing the aluminum oxide coating from the part with acid and replacing it with a new passivating layer that contains selenium as well as maybe nickel and/or sulfate.
@@nathanschley2088 and Jason: Machinists don't make decent guesses on any topics which are not front and centre machining. They just make absolute, massively improbable, wild ass guesses (although they don't own up to that, even to themselves). If you doubt what I'm saying, just launch into a political discussion on a machining forum (and stand back)...
@@UnitSe7en It's not really off topic, just poorly presented. When you have someone who is an expert in a topic (machining, in this case), that doesn't mean they're an expert in other topics (chemistry, in this case). Often they themselves don't realize the extent of what they don't know. So you have to take that part of what they're saying with a grain of salt. It's most obvious with politics since there's a lot of misinformation out there and people tend to just accept wild claims that fit their worldview. Another example I see all the time in my field is software developers and IT. A lot of developers learn the basics of IPv4 and will talk like they have a deep understanding of networking. Then you throw them a problem that involves some simple routing or layer-2 stuff, and they fall apart. I prefer a coworker that is aware of his ignorance than a more knowledgeable coworker who tries to cover it up.
Hey Tony! Speaking of CNC - Any update on the Y-Axis Ball-screw? Specifically the nut? Did you find what caused it to destroy itself again and again? Really curious!
If you get to build a tumbler, I recommend adding a water intake and a drain. You really need to flush out the residue regularly. Otherwise it forms a paste. Flushing and cleaning is half of the job.
Hey Tony! Not here to pressure you to post, just hope you and your family are well! I aced my material science exam at university and was reflecting on how much your stress/strain video helped lay the foundation for that. Thank you!
Tony, I'd like to thank you for lifting my spirits through a rather tough time. If I need a smile or chuckle, which is often, I'll play one of your videos. Your humorous presentation gets me to giggling, and I learn things to boot!! Thank you Tony!!!
Every time you upload my day gets a little brighter and my days have been really dark as of late. Thank ToT! Your editing and commentary is so subtle and so good and it gets me giggling every time.
Funny thing about that "beeping calipers". On my project backlog, is making an adapter for cheap calipers with a data port to act as a Bluetooth keyboard, so I can hit a button and enter the dimension right into cad. 😁
I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the added beeping sounds to the caliper and "uploading" the model in straight from it via USB. You fooled me for a second and I was questioning my existence so thanks.
The aluminum blue looks a lot like sodium hydroxide. I’d bet that’s all it is. Technically thickens the oxide layer, but it’s not going to protect them from anything. The gas is hydrogen. Smells… sharp?
Oh my goodness that had me laughing! And yet, no matter your hobby or profession, we can all commiserate when things just don’t turn out the way you expected. Thanks for the laughs! You’re still better at machining, filming, presenting, and a host of other things (I’m sure) than me - but man, it’s fun to watch.
I was thinking about how much nicer, tougher, and "non-dimensioner" Cerakote would have been for those magazines, but either way it was an interesting and hilarious video anyway. I love this channel!
@@craigm5511 it adds a LOT more than that. It's marketing. I even discussed this with their senior reps this year when I met with them. Their take is that you remove material from the part when blasting and add it back when coating. It's a give and take that is not exact and can be very misleading. I don't think you actually understand the measurements you gave and how small they really are and how that can not, and will not be achieved uniformity with the use simple hand tools. Average droplet size factoring in the VMD(aka DV0.%x10) of the nozzle and knowing that cutting the droplet size in half results in 8x as many droplets you will see that come out, and with the average droplet size being 30μ (1-120μ VMD) You can see how the advertising of 8-25μ is misleading. Just one droplet can be .005" while others are so light that it requires a second pass which send out more droplets ect ect... So the point is you need to know what you are talking about and not just type marketing phrases as a truth. You won't see consistent 1mil coverage on any part done by hand. And the smaller parts as well as more corners and curves only makes things worse.
I think it might depend on the specific aluminum alloy, too. I've used that stuff on two different projects (both made from random mystery aluminum), and it worked fantastically on one of them, and about like it did for you on the other. The only difference I can think of is maybe they were different flavors of aluminum.
I'm weird Tony, I like to leave my stuff with the milled look or if I really feel ambitious I will break out the polish! The warden has a bird usually because I bring my trinkets in the house for the final cleaning. Outstanding video as always!
I used to make Vibratory deburring machines and if you want to do a make shift home version of that the lathe is perfect. there are various centrifugal tumblers that have a similar action to that. Although a container that would can seal with some water and house hold detergent will go a long way, and yes glass bead is incredibly aggressive for aluminum. A medium cut small plastic media with with water and house hold detergent in the lathe id say between 150 and 300 rpm for maybe 20 minutes would do the trick.
EVERY SINGLE TIME I’m laughing when watching your videos. It’s really enjoyable to watch these, I really appreciate the effort to make them. This 5 and a half teeth mill 😂😂. A unique channel I’m a fan of! Congratulations from France 🇫🇷 !
Hi I think the pitting is a result of tumbling the part in abrasive and micropitting the surface polish them with a wheel clean with alcohol, dry and attempt again. The orange colour is from oils left on the surface. I will say that I have never been impressed with the finish I get but without an anodiser beggers can't be choosers lastly any surface treetment will effect dimensions this includes Anodizing and I was taught to allow a few thou for expansion, I am sure there is a formula but that's beyond me. As always great content and worth watching thanks
Hi TOT. We hope all is well and wich you and family a Merry Christmas! I agree with others below. We miss you and hope to see more videos of the Maho and if you have resolved the crunchy bearing issue, what you decided about the acme Z axis etc. I am retrofitting two Shizuka BANDIT conversions. One ST-N and one AN-S. Your videos were very helpful. Thank you!
This channel still stands as having the best and most clever editing that I have ever seen on youtube. I am so glad you got Colin Furze as your secret santa that year. Seeing him geek out over your videos made my roommates and I immediately leave that video and watch yours. We've since watched every video you post the moment we see them.
The problem is you dunked the parts in a bowl. There's a serious bit of science happening with this stuff, and the directions are very defined on how to use it. You're supposed to wipe it on, let it bite into the aluminum, and then wipe it off with a clean cloth, not fully submerge the part. Submerging the part degasses the chemical causing it to literally eat the surface of the aluminum and defeat its purpose as it uses the oxygen in the air to oxidize and stabilize it as it changes the color of the part via that thin-layer of the product spread across the surface. Corrosionpedia says it best... An oxidized surface is a surface that has a thin, tightly adhering, oxidized skin (from straw to blue in color) extending in from the edge of a coil or sheet. All metals, with the exception of precious metals, will oxidize when exposed to oxygen and an electrolyte, such as atmospheric moisture. It is a chemical reaction of the metal surface with the oxygen present in the air that causes some of the metal to corrode (or oxidize) and form the respective metal oxide on the surface.
One great aspect of aluminium is that you don't need to "blacken" it as rust protection, because alox forms by itself and protects te rest of the part. Since it's just a looks thing, just anodize it (or have that done): that's the proven method.
If in doubt, try polishing the parts instead- blacked parts may look more 'pro', but polished parts look gorgeous. Bonus points if you make any more airgun related parts and accessories :)
Hi Tony. I don't know if your read this. I've just thought about you and I was wondering if we will see another video before or (better yet) at Christmas. I know it isn't as easy to make new videos for your anymore and that's totally fine. Anyway, before I forget it later, I just wanted to wish you a happy and peaceful Christmas time and a good new year! I hope you and your family are well. I was just thinking of that solar boiler video where your kids helped you. What was that, 3 or 4 years ago? Your kids must have gotten much more independent and adept. I would be nice to see another "family project" like that again :) I wish you all the best! :) Kai
Tony, couple thoughts on the use of the abrasive can. Since parts have that convenient center hole, mount them on a shaft and use drill press or hand drill to spin them in can. Shaft could simply be a long bolt with one nut or piece of all thread with two nuts. If drill not reversible, spin once sprocket up & once sprocket down. With three parts, spin them in pairs with sprockets to outside and alternate pairing each time so only need to mount onto shaft & spin 3 times.
I know this is an older video, but you can use a woodruff cutter to cut a groove on a mill/cnc; I had to do that in school for my toolmaker apprenticeship.
Always entertaining! I love that your channel is back in my life. I did basically the same thing you did. The modern Aluminum Black chemicals are not the same as what I used 3 decades ago that we called "Aluma Black". It just doesn't work. I'm sure all the "good stuff" was killing people in California and the company had to change their formula. It does do better with certain alloys of aluminum but not the ones I want to use, so it's useless... 8^) I ended up creating my own anodizing kit in my shop. Now I get great looking black, blue or red parts anytime I want. The acid is very manageable but you do have to be careful. There are great "how to" RUclips channels showing how to do home anodizing safely.
Looking at the MSDS, it appears to be similar to cold blue. Aluminium is more reactive that iron, but its oxide coating is harder for air to penetrate and doesn't look like rust, so most people think it is less reactive. Its main components are copper sulphate and selenious acid, as well as smaller amounts of phosphoric acid, fluuroboric acid and nickel sulfate. A cold blue by them contains selenious acid, nitric acid, copper nitrate and copper phosphate. Both should work to deposit a layer of copper selenide.
The fizzing and heat given off when putting the part in the solution reminds me of the kind of reaction you would get from putting aluminium in Sodium Hydroxide.
Got a slight suspicion the layer of grease, oil, cooking oil, anal lube etc. (stuff found in regular workshop) keeps metal parts from rusting easily. Also constant handling. Idk if it helps peel the rust off or it's the greasy hands.
I think you ruined those parts by using a stainless steel container. Having 2 different metals touching in a conductive solution creates a battery which will destroy the most reactive metal which in this case your aluminium parts.
I use the Aluminum Black a bit. The key is to treat in short runs, and rinse and scrub in-between. I, also, don't use a cup. I put the parts in small zip-lock bags (just larger than the part). This way, you only need a fraction of the solution. Put a little in and roll the baggy around. Rinse in cold water and scrub w/ an old tooth brush. Repeat until a nice rich black finish. Rinse again and I lightly oil w/ 3-in-1. The biggest drawback is wear resistance. It really doesn't have any and will scratch and chip easily.
Having spent a little time working as a favor for an air rifle company in Worcester this took me back, my buddy built a company making re-loadable stun grenades at that factory at night which he eventually sold to a Florida company for good money. None of that would have been possible without access to all those tools at night.
A vibratory bowl is the way to go when deburring. You can do a tumbler but it's less effective. In either case - as you said, it takes SEVERAL hours, sometimes up to 24 and the media makes a large difference. Best way to do it is to make a test part with similar burrs and run it in the lathe for 24 hours just the see what it does.
Thank you for spending your money and experimenting so I don't have to learn the hard way. Your adventures ...or misadventures, have saved me countless hours on my hare brained ideas. Especially my attempts to make a better wabbit twap. Keep up the good work brother.
I would have milled them on an index table, your drilling skills are pretty decent here. It looks like the cold black for aluminum is a form of sulfuric acid solution, or some other acid, most acids are caustic on aluminum, pitting and expansion of the part is from the molecules breaking down. I would consider brushing it on with a small fine synthetic bristle brush and using a mild carbolic acid wash to stop the solution from pitting, let it sit a minute and then dunk it in water so it maybe won't wash the color off. Either way I would prefer to anodize, safer on aluminum and you get what you pay for. Thanks for the video.👍
Wow! I'm a chemist, and I'm curious, so I took a look into the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for this Aluminium black - and I was a little shocked. ! You really shouldn't use it indoors, at least not without a well working fume hood ! It contains some really aggressive acids and chemicals that may not only strip your skin of, but also burn your eyes and lungs. And on a bad day, the fumes might kill you. Or in other words: If you find stainless steel passivating agents harmful, you should pay the highest respect to this Aluminium blacking stuff. It contains Fluoroboric acid (which is a _really_ harmful substance, and it is _mistyped_ in the MSDS), Selenious acid, and Phosphoric acid, which are responsible for the fizz and the smell. The stench is probably caused by Hydrogen Selenide, which may smell similar to Hydrogen Sulfide (i.e. "rotten eggs") and is _highly_ toxic. The brown and black oily foam you see is probably caused by Nickel and Copper, which both are contained as their sulfate salts. They will be reduced by reaction with Aluminium and/or the Hydrogen formed from Aluminium and the acids, and end up as finely dispersed metal powder or their Selenides, or both. This will also form the black coating on the Aluminium. So, in general, the process is similar to the process for steel, where also a Iron Selenide layer is formed on the surface. But really: Don't use it in a non-ventilated space! Don't breathe the fumes! Listen to the chemist. I'm serious.
@@human_isomer I have a very high respect for chemistry...... And I would always advise anyone to always fallow all safety procedures..... And you were 100% correct about the toxicity of the aluminium black...... I just couldn't resist....... Sorry..... But I hope I helped draw attention to your comment.....
I have been binging on old episodes for the past week. Lamenting at the lack of newer content. It was like discovering the Beatles in 1980. Great to see a new video. Same great content and education combined with fantastic humor and creativity.
I use it for touch-up on aluminum AR receivers and it works just fine. I clean the surface with acetone and then again with denatured alcohol and fine steel wool. I just wipe the entire area in order to blend it. I put a thin coat of oil on afterwards. You can't see the nicks and scratches after I do it. soaking the parts looked like shit, it would probably be okay if you wiped it immediately.
I was going to write some witty comment, then I 😁saw there have been 1,500 plus comments and figured I could add little. So as usual, I couldn't just leave it alone and did this instead. So good to see you back Mr. T
I have used aluminum black a lot. The key is to build it up slowly. Brush or dip it and let it work for about one minute. Rinse, dry, and repeat as many times as it takes to get the color you want. It works great but proper application is a must.
How robust is it over time and with weathering when used outside?
@@101rotarypower Anything used outside in the weather should be painted. Bluing, blackening, browning, etc., will not do well in the weather.
@@billmcleangunsmith heck, paint really isn't up to real weather
If only there was an available paint that actually bonded to aluminium
That's my experience also. If you clean, clean, clean the part and apply it that way it works pretty well and lasts *well enough*.
Tony, thank god your alive
But in which timeline…?
I was also a little worried.
*you're
Yer
Eur
The effort you went through to not need a $50 brass tumbler is honestly commendable.
He made the video to pay for it
Great winner, Batman! We got a botycat here!
@@datadavis Yeah, pretending to be Civvie, on a video irrelevant to Civvies content. Tsk tsk.
If you have ever crawled under a truck with fencing wire, Robogrips and a screaming determination not to spend 50 dollars on fancy aftermarket shit you don't ABSOLUTELY need, then you understand why that level of determination makes this dude a hero among men.
Or at least, very, very broke men.
@@fapangel7771 Shit, bailing wire is one of the best exhaust hanger that exists. Second only to coat hangers.
The world needs a caliper like this. Usb-c if possible.
I mean, you already have that, also calipers with wifi
I saw him going for it and was like, fuuuuu. If it where that easy.....
they do exist. mitutoyo makes them
@@ABVollen kinda hard sacrificing a kidney to get one though :D
they exist lol
I’ve had pretty good luck with this stuff and cold bluing on steel parts. When restoring my Hardinge HLVH, I cold blued the various handles and such and the results were fantastic. The key for all of this stuff is the surface preparation. I know it goes against the grain for most guys, but following the instructions can be beneficial!
Tony, I'm absolutely not a machinist, and I have very little interest in ever doing this kind of thing... But I always watch your videos as soon as I see them because they're always very funny and well produced. I absolutely love your content!
same here
Me too!✌🏻
THanks Unfunk!!
I second this. While I do have some interest in machining and CNC. I don't really have intention to start doing it. But Tony's videos are genuinely some of the most funny (in a clever sort of way,) and well edited on this website. The edit and visual gags are unlike anything else as well. Always keeps me coming back.
I have to give a 1+ to this, the way tony does his content is extremely digestible. Thank you tony for the hours and hours of content you have given us.
You're in luck, I'm a chemical engineer with 27 years in the field. It looks like this is a solution of cupric sulfate and maybe nickel sulfate dissolved in an acid solution, probably fluoboric and phosphoric acids. As for that orange colored patch you were wondering about, I think that's probably boogers.
the boogers make sense if he's been keeping his pellets in his nose so far
The real info's always in the comments. The channel host just provides the entertainment whilst we mutually grope around in our intellectual darkness searching for the light switch of enlightenment.
You got me good. 😂
@@dMb1790 stop it. I'm gonna piss myself!
@@steelwheelsminnesota damn, well said.
The USB caliper insertion scene is confusing….You only rotated the usb once. Usually you try one direction, realize it’s wrong, rotate it… then realize that’s wrong too. Finally rotating it back makes it fit since that was the correct orientation to begin with 🤷♂️
Magic touch, he only needs to try twice. Us mere mortals can only dream.
Otherwise known as
Wrong, wrong right
he is learning from his past mistakes.
USB ports live in a 4+t dimensional space, hense the need for the double rotation. As a time traveler, Tony apparanly can see (or at least peak) in the additional space dimension, and thus needs fewer rotations to insert a USB.
Yes. You have a 50 percent chance of getting it right the first time. And an 80 percent chance of not realizing it is right.
63 year old old guy here… I haven’t been this entertained by a video in a long while. The nasal pellet drop made me fall out laughing!!!! Great video. Subbed
I haven't laughed so hard in a while.
8:30 that caliper that goes to cad is the most amazing thing that wasn’t mentioned at all I have ever seen! That was actually incredibly. Saves so much time.
i think he is making in cad himself
@@topherc100 Naah, you can see where he plugs in the USB to transfer it. Pretty sure you can get 'em on Aliexpress.
@@mchamster7 i cant tell when you guys are being serious or trolls!
its called poe's law!@@coffeeoutlaws7783
I've seen calipers with Bluetooth actually
Love the patina on the finished parts. Much cooler than bare or coated.
Your humor is dimensional. It builds up measurably and consistently time and time again.
@koko ko No, you don't just walk around and promote your channel under others videos. FU!
My absolute favorite part of This Old Tony is that he doesn't explain his jokes at all. They are like an inside joke between him and himself and we happen to 3rd wheel our way into them lol. I guess at this point we are more like the 1.09millionth wheel.
What jokes?
Yeah, if you have to explain...
ToT was one of the first machining channels I watched. I was probably a dozen or so videos deep before I started to think "Hey, wait a minute..." I think it was using the rotary welding platform to 'pop' nuts from ball bearings (Like microwave popcorn) that finally convinced me :D
Great video, thanks Tony. Applying the solution you really need to get it to a high shine. By running the parts through a tumbler you’ve created massive amounts of tiny pits which has increased the surface area. This gives the acid more areas to attack rather than a smooth shiny surface. 😊
excellent point!
Would walnut shell media, or corn cob media have been better at both light deburring, and preventing surface pitting by the "sand"?
Loved the cmm beeps as you took measurements, and of course getting the usb backwards on the first try 😂. As a career machinist who now spends way too much time in a recliner, I find your videos strangely comforting as I watch all the familiar machines, tools and chips being made. Thanks Tony. Keep ‘‘em coming.
Pro-tip: Pneumatic paint shaker. $220 from the usual scumbags. Get some empty paint cans and your blasting media. Much more violent. Violence and deburring are almost spelled the same. They both have an E after all. 30 seconds and everything is smooth and happy. Alternatively, if money is no issue(no really, these hurt to price out. My 5 gallon mixers are over 10 grand), get a Radia Speed Demon. It's more of a radial vortex mixer than a shaker. They're smooth and gentle but they work like a hot damn. Think "rock tumbler on steroids".
I tried anodizing aluminum for the first time recently, and really liked the results. The process was a bit scary, using both sulfuric acid and lye, bit it was not too difficult, and made the parts look better, as well as making them more scratch resistant, and move more smoothly against each other. Since it was for a project -- a large format camera -- where some of the parts will slide against each other, all of these changes were improvements. The acid, as well as the dye I used, can be used again and again, too.
Why are you using lye? if unattended it will etch into the Alum. part clean your parts with soap and hot water l did it for 10 years at work in the machine shop made alum. fixtures that were to be in the medical assembly line.
@@lberthelon I'll second this one... I work with a lot of drills and saws, dealing with putting holes and cuts in extruded copper and aluminum, and even something as moderate as sodium carbonate (I use it for degreasing and neutralizing acid etching on steel...) will attack the aluminum chips, given enough time...
So far my home shop anodizing works beautifully on scrap but on parts mixed bag of OK to horrific
@@lberthelon Because this was my first time doing this. I made mistakes, and wanted to strip the anodizing from a part to try again. I learned lots of lessons as I did more, and found that my poorly anodized parts were mostly because of my wire connections. After I figured out a better way to get current flowing, the lye was no longer necessary. I'm just a self-taught guy out in his garage.
@@lberthelon Oh, and believe me, I did NOT leave it unattended! I never left a part in the (weak) bath for very long; nor did I need to. But it stripped the flawed anodized layer smoothly and evenly. I cannot tell from looking at them which parts were stripped and re-done.
Let me recommend to avoid "other metals" in the reaction. I noticed that you use a metal cup and a metal stick (welding wire?) to dunk the part, which can easily ruin the intended chemical reaction. Unless explicity required in the instructions, I suggest glas or plastic for this purpose.
Was about to yell about Al on steel in that setup. Sadly he didn't use a plastic container for reference. Ah well...
looks like stainless steel which is unreactive
What kind of plastic? HDPE or PTFE?
@@executive Oh to be a young, naïve apprentice again.
@@SergeantExtreme That's a very good description of yourself. Stainless will resist weak, room temperature acids, such as this very dilute solution, and cupric sulfate with ease.
Don't want to use the lathe so you get it on the milling machine such that you need to use the lathe to make a tool so you don't have to use the lathe.
I love you Tony. So much. I do this kind of thing all the time and no one understands.
Hey Tony,
I've worked in metal finishing (anodizing, electropolishing, plating, passivating). Let me know if you ever have a question about different finishes. I have known some shops to use electropolishing to clean off very small burrs. Also, that chemical can release HF and could be the reason for the odor... toxic in small quantities.
-Robert
Can you tell me how this solution works? Is it replacing aluminum with copper or/and nickel at the surface and that's what is causing the blacking process? Thanks
What solution is used?
I'm having some issues anodizing, do you mind helping me please
Hi Robert I need to paint some oxidized aluminum on my bicycle could you please give me some advice on surface conversation and prep prior to painting?
Tony - thanks for another great video. I can't get enough of them!
Harbor freight rock tumbler is what I use to clean debur small parts it will run all day and all night. Which is about the time you need to have any effect.
@vladviking Darn skippy it works. I use 2 for use on casings to make more things to shoot things with.
The machine shop i used to work in had one that was old as hell and had been "fixed" over and over again with parts from harbor freight and from the hardest stainless and titanium, all the way down to really REALLY soft brass wouldn't take but a few minutes, the titanium obviously took the longest (around an hour) but the brass and aluminum only was maybe 5 minutes before they were perfectly smooth on all edges that would slice you like a razor before hand
The finished product looks very similar to what we create in a steel pipe mill I work at that also runs standard sizes of aluminum pipe, we use a process called ‘bright finish washing’ where it’s dipped in sulphuric acid tanks, washed in sequences of phosphate and rinse tanks, then dried and left to cure leaving it with a black and almost rusty look at certain angles, pretty much exactly what you have here. It’s meant or designed to look tinged but prevents rust, and is also perfect for oil dipping as the oil tends to hold better on the slightly pitted surface to hold up in outdoor uses.
So I discovered your channel as an older (49😳), yet aspiring (taking classes for certification) machinist. Now I know why my kids love RUclips. People like you. Thanks man.
Got to love that USB plug to Caliper adapter. If only I could go back in time, and buy 2 or 3 of them... you know, for the oncoming zombie pop-can apocalypse. Sorry that the "anodizing" didn't quite work out for you. I have been thinking about your issue with cleaning up the part. Could you create wire brushes in different sizes on the CNC to follow the same pattern for cleanup?
One of his best funny moments in a long time, imo!
I have a set of calipers from iGaging with Bluetooth. It acts like a BT keyboard and actually works really well.
I just go to dimension a part in SOLIDWORKS, fusion360, excel, whatever... And push a button on the calipers and it sends the dimension over and pushes enter.
fully expected him to fail, flip it over, fail and flip it over again to the first side for success, like anything you try to plug in to a usb
@@dtroy15 Wow... I hadn't been keeping up! So, calipers from iGaging with Bluetooth... How good is the software for bringing in dimensions to the target software? Does it auto-copy to the clipboard or something else?
@@marcfruchtman9473 it just acts like a Bluetooth keyboard. No special software required. You can even use it on your phone, as I do to record dimensions in excel for tolerancing analyses etc.
Just like a Bluetooth keyboard can send a "9" to your computer when you hit the 9 button, the calipers can send a "9" to your computer.
To this day, every time I close my no-slam toilet seat I can hear Tony whispering “rotary dampers”… and I absolutely love it
You know you really ought to chase him out of there, the neighbours are starting to talk.
Always a treat when a new video drops. Thanks a lot Tony.
>Be This Old Tony
>Wants to try a weird aluminium dye
>Don't want to use it on a random piece of stock, mama didn't raise no b*tch
>Spend hours mesuring and machining 3 parts that I don't even need
>I need a tool that I don't have to finish the parts
>Don't want to go outside, so I make it myself
>Spend hours designing and cutting it
>It comes out wrong :(
>Use it anyway
>After days, finally finish all the parts
>They come out the wrong size :(
>Decides to use them anyway, I'm too invested in it now
>Don't read the product instructions, I'm a veteran machinist so I know my way around this kind of stuff
>Proceeds to dunk all the parts in the liquid, almost killing myself due to the fumes
>Take them out, and they are now ruined :(
>Don't have any more parts to try it the correct way
>Can't draw any conclusion about the dye
>Now have three more useless piece of metal in the shop
>Make a 20 minute video about it
>Refuses to elaborate
Tony. Not sure if you get a alert when a new comment pops up. This is the first time I have ever commented on a RUclips video. Rough times for me right now. Your last video was 2months ago. The only reason I open RUclips now is if I am not looking for a video of someone attempting a fix on something I am attempting fix, so I can see and learn from there mistakes and for seeing if you have a new upload. Your videos are incredably entertaining, with lots of info, you do a wonderful job. I hope all is well for your family at this time in the year. Looking forward for more if you can find more inspiration. Thank you for all the videos you have done they are top notch! If RUclips ever had a contest for most outstanding RUclipsr you would get my vote, i tell all my freinds about you, but most of them do not do the interwebs so well. I am thankful for you and wish you and your family happy holidays
I agree with everything you said!
That last line was hilarious. “You can’t tell me these don’t look like $0.25 parts from a yard sale” lol genius
Almost spit my coffee in the 5 1/2 flute cutter machining. Nice job making that, I always end up with 5 or 6 flute when trying to make that 5 1/2 flute. It’s harder than most people would think.
This monstrocity was intended :D ? Why?!?
So to recap, making machined metal parts turn black by applying blue makes them look cool, apart from when you don't read the instructions (and who does?) at which point it makes them look crap and you end up doing more work to remove most of it so they just end up looking dirty.
Seems like a legit use of workshop time.
Guess the can was half empty..
honestly the worn pitted look might be cool.
"That looks gross, but rather promising." Yeah, I've heard that one before.
Something else to try is applying the blacking solution pretty quickly after machining/sanding. The idea is to get the solution on the aluminum before the surface of it (the aluminum) can form a thick(-ish) oxide layer.
God bless you tony, just keep going man, we dont care how long it takes just keep giving us these golden nuggets. Love from bahrain❤🇧🇭
Cold blue adds a Black Oxide porous layer to steel/iron that then allows Oil to soak into it. That's what adds the rust protection is the oil not the oxide layer. However having the oxide layer can help stop red oxide forming (rust)
This gives me childhood memories of shooting cans in a friend's backyard with pellet guns.
One of the things that I love in adding character to these videos is the editing. The non-linear timeline, the USB calipers, they're all fun stuff added to an interesting video.
Thanks TJ!
I'm glad to see you back. I hope things are well with you and your family. Your videos are some of my favorites.
Hey thanks so much, you inspired me to buy a mill a few years ago. Long story short 3 years later and one month in i think i can say i found the best job ive ever had good smart people. Basic cnc mill im being trianed now this week, just made my 83rd part today only 3 mistakes still saveable.
That was a very cleverly disguised... projectile accelerator :D +1 for avoiding overzealous censorship. I'm glad you showed the franken-cutter in action, I was worried you would leave it out when you showed the finished parts first. That bluing bath looked like it was just dissolving the parts :P
The filing machine finally gets some screen time
Conveniently enough I bought something today that was unfinished aluminum so this is incredibly well timed.
while i was clicking on this video i was actually wondering what animals would cook if they knew how. so the intro was pretty spot-on
The fact that the time machine lathe is still cannon in ToT lore soothes my soul more than anything on the internet
Read through the MSDS for Aluma Black and it looks like it's removing the aluminum oxide coating from the part with acid and replacing it with a new passivating layer that contains selenium as well as maybe nickel and/or sulfate.
The SDS lists both nickel and copper sulfate and both copper selenide and nickel selenide are black, so that's a decent guess.
@@nathanschley2088 and Jason: Machinists don't make decent guesses on any topics which are not front and centre machining.
They just make absolute, massively improbable, wild ass guesses (although they don't own up to that, even to themselves).
If you doubt what I'm saying, just launch into a political discussion on a machining forum (and stand back)...
@@Gottenhimfella really off topic. Nobody cares that you argue politics in other forums.
@@UnitSe7en It's not really off topic, just poorly presented. When you have someone who is an expert in a topic (machining, in this case), that doesn't mean they're an expert in other topics (chemistry, in this case). Often they themselves don't realize the extent of what they don't know. So you have to take that part of what they're saying with a grain of salt.
It's most obvious with politics since there's a lot of misinformation out there and people tend to just accept wild claims that fit their worldview.
Another example I see all the time in my field is software developers and IT. A lot of developers learn the basics of IPv4 and will talk like they have a deep understanding of networking. Then you throw them a problem that involves some simple routing or layer-2 stuff, and they fall apart.
I prefer a coworker that is aware of his ignorance than a more knowledgeable coworker who tries to cover it up.
@@jeffspaulding9834 Nicely put. 👍
Hey Tony! Speaking of CNC - Any update on the Y-Axis Ball-screw? Specifically the nut?
Did you find what caused it to destroy itself again and again? Really curious!
Same!
depression
@@Lu-db1uf my kind of humor
Never get too nosy about another man's screwing and nut issues.
I also would like to know.
If you get to build a tumbler, I recommend adding a water intake and a drain. You really need to flush out the residue regularly. Otherwise it forms a paste. Flushing and cleaning is half of the job.
Hey Tony! Not here to pressure you to post, just hope you and your family are well! I aced my material science exam at university and was reflecting on how much your stress/strain video helped lay the foundation for that. Thank you!
pog, congrats man
Tony,
I'd like to thank you for lifting my spirits through a rather tough time. If I need a smile or chuckle, which is often, I'll play one of your videos. Your humorous presentation gets me to giggling, and I learn things to boot!!
Thank you Tony!!!
Every time you upload my day gets a little brighter and my days have been really dark as of late. Thank ToT! Your editing and commentary is so subtle and so good and it gets me giggling every time.
I really look forward to these videos. Thank you.
No cap
The caliper/USB joke. Pure unadulterated GOLD.
That USB joke...
It's a statue of your good humor and ingenuity.
Anodizing at home is actually pretty easy, I was able to do it just with stuff I found in the pool and plumbing aisles
great to see you again tony , keep up the amazing work
Funny thing about that "beeping calipers". On my project backlog, is making an adapter for cheap calipers with a data port to act as a Bluetooth keyboard, so I can hit a button and enter the dimension right into cad. 😁
I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the added beeping sounds to the caliper and "uploading" the model in straight from it via USB. You fooled me for a second and I was questioning my existence so thanks.
Tony, please... Your wife and kids can keep your body and all that -- tell her we just need your hands back for another video! 🙏
The aluminum blue looks a lot like sodium hydroxide. I’d bet that’s all it is. Technically thickens the oxide layer, but it’s not going to protect them from anything. The gas is hydrogen. Smells… sharp?
Acid/base aerosols tend to smell, even if the gas that kicks them up doesn't. Close your lungs kids!
that blueing solution contains selenous acid....humans can smell toxic sulphur as well as selenium compound at very little concentrations
I checked out the MSDS for that stuff, the smell is most likely fluorine or hydrogen fluoride. The stuff is 2% fluoboric acid.😦
Oh my goodness that had me laughing! And yet, no matter your hobby or profession, we can all commiserate when things just don’t turn out the way you expected. Thanks for the laughs! You’re still better at machining, filming, presenting, and a host of other things (I’m sure) than me - but man, it’s fun to watch.
I was thinking about how much nicer, tougher, and "non-dimensioner" Cerakote would have been for those magazines, but either way it was an interesting and hilarious video anyway. I love this channel!
Was thinking this as well, I think powder coat would do well too. Just have to be careful with the thickness of the coats being applied.
Cerakote actually adds size
@@Turbogto_guy well yeah, but between 0.0005" and 0.001" isn't going to make any difference to almost any part.
@@craigm5511 it did on a receiver I coated where the barrel slid in.
@@craigm5511 it adds a LOT more than that. It's marketing. I even discussed this with their senior reps this year when I met with them. Their take is that you remove material from the part when blasting and add it back when coating. It's a give and take that is not exact and can be very misleading. I don't think you actually understand the measurements you gave and how small they really are and how that can not, and will not be achieved uniformity with the use simple hand tools. Average droplet size factoring in the VMD(aka DV0.%x10) of the nozzle and knowing that cutting the droplet size in half results in 8x as many droplets you will see that come out, and with the average droplet size being 30μ (1-120μ VMD) You can see how the advertising of 8-25μ is misleading. Just one droplet can be .005" while others are so light that it requires a second pass which send out more droplets ect ect...
So the point is you need to know what you are talking about and not just type marketing phrases as a truth. You won't see consistent 1mil coverage on any part done by hand. And the smaller parts as well as more corners and curves only makes things worse.
I think it might depend on the specific aluminum alloy, too. I've used that stuff on two different projects (both made from random mystery aluminum), and it worked fantastically on one of them, and about like it did for you on the other. The only difference I can think of is maybe they were different flavors of aluminum.
well, it could very well be that one of them was aluminum and the other was aluminium
@@andresaofelipe hahaha
I'm weird Tony, I like to leave my stuff with the milled look or if I really feel ambitious I will break out the polish! The warden has a bird usually because I bring my trinkets in the house for the final cleaning. Outstanding video as always!
I used to make Vibratory deburring machines and if you want to do a make shift home version of that the lathe is perfect. there are various centrifugal tumblers that have a similar action to that. Although a container that would can seal with some water and house hold detergent will go a long way, and yes glass bead is incredibly aggressive for aluminum. A medium cut small plastic media with with water and house hold detergent in the lathe id say between 150 and 300 rpm for maybe 20 minutes would do the trick.
EVERY SINGLE TIME I’m laughing when watching your videos. It’s really enjoyable to watch these, I really appreciate the effort to make them. This 5 and a half teeth mill 😂😂. A unique channel I’m a fan of! Congratulations from France 🇫🇷 !
Hi I think the pitting is a result of tumbling the part in abrasive and micropitting the surface polish them with a wheel clean with alcohol, dry and attempt again. The orange colour is from oils left on the surface. I will say that I have never been impressed with the finish I get but without an anodiser beggers can't be choosers lastly any surface treetment will effect dimensions this includes Anodizing and I was taught to allow a few thou for expansion, I am sure there is a formula but that's beyond me.
As always great content and worth watching thanks
Hi TOT. We hope all is well and wich you and family a Merry Christmas! I agree with others below. We miss you and hope to see more videos of the Maho and if you have resolved the crunchy bearing issue, what you decided about the acme Z axis etc. I am retrofitting two Shizuka BANDIT conversions. One ST-N and one AN-S. Your videos were very helpful. Thank you!
This channel still stands as having the best and most clever editing that I have ever seen on youtube. I am so glad you got Colin Furze as your secret santa that year. Seeing him geek out over your videos made my roommates and I immediately leave that video and watch yours. We've since watched every video you post the moment we see them.
Black parts matter
I spent a good long time thinking about my first burning question, and I gotta be honest, I've never thought about it like that before
Finally a solution to my need to make my aluminum parts look rusty.
Not sure about the technical information, but the humor was outstanding.
The problem is you dunked the parts in a bowl. There's a serious bit of science happening with this stuff, and the directions are very defined on how to use it. You're supposed to wipe it on, let it bite into the aluminum, and then wipe it off with a clean cloth, not fully submerge the part. Submerging the part degasses the chemical causing it to literally eat the surface of the aluminum and defeat its purpose as it uses the oxygen in the air to oxidize and stabilize it as it changes the color of the part via that thin-layer of the product spread across the surface.
Corrosionpedia says it best...
An oxidized surface is a surface that has a thin, tightly adhering, oxidized skin (from straw to blue in color) extending in from the edge of a coil or sheet. All metals, with the exception of precious metals, will oxidize when exposed to oxygen and an electrolyte, such as atmospheric moisture. It is a chemical reaction of the metal surface with the oxygen present in the air that causes some of the metal to corrode (or oxidize) and form the respective metal oxide on the surface.
I wonder if chilling the liquid could slow the reaction down enough that immersion could be viable
This is the most accurate and valuable information we can get. Thank you buddy!
One great aspect of aluminium is that you don't need to "blacken" it as rust protection, because alox forms by itself and protects te rest of the part.
Since it's just a looks thing, just anodize it (or have that done): that's the proven method.
If in doubt, try polishing the parts instead- blacked parts may look more 'pro', but polished parts look gorgeous. Bonus points if you make any more airgun related parts and accessories :)
Hi Tony. I don't know if your read this. I've just thought about you and I was wondering if we will see another video before or (better yet) at Christmas. I know it isn't as easy to make new videos for your anymore and that's totally fine. Anyway, before I forget it later, I just wanted to wish you a happy and peaceful Christmas time and a good new year! I hope you and your family are well. I was just thinking of that solar boiler video where your kids helped you. What was that, 3 or 4 years ago? Your kids must have gotten much more independent and adept. I would be nice to see another "family project" like that again :) I wish you all the best! :) Kai
I love that the "lathe time-machine" and usb callipers concepts are still being played :D
Tony, couple thoughts on the use of the abrasive can. Since parts have that convenient center hole, mount them on a shaft and use drill press or hand drill to spin them in can. Shaft could simply be a long bolt with one nut or piece of all thread with two nuts. If drill not reversible, spin once sprocket up & once sprocket down. With three parts, spin them in pairs with sprockets to outside and alternate pairing each time so only need to mount onto shaft & spin 3 times.
I know this is an older video, but you can use a woodruff cutter to cut a groove on a mill/cnc; I had to do that in school for my toolmaker apprenticeship.
I like watching your videos while caressing my Dremel and whispering that everything will be ok.
Always entertaining! I love that your channel is back in my life. I did basically the same thing you did. The modern Aluminum Black chemicals are not the same as what I used 3 decades ago that we called "Aluma Black". It just doesn't work. I'm sure all the "good stuff" was killing people in California and the company had to change their formula. It does do better with certain alloys of aluminum but not the ones I want to use, so it's useless... 8^)
I ended up creating my own anodizing kit in my shop. Now I get great looking black, blue or red parts anytime I want. The acid is very manageable but you do have to be careful. There are great "how to" RUclips channels showing how to do home anodizing safely.
Looking at the MSDS, it appears to be similar to cold blue.
Aluminium is more reactive that iron, but its oxide coating is harder for air to penetrate and doesn't look like rust, so most people think it is less reactive.
Its main components are copper sulphate and selenious acid, as well as smaller amounts of phosphoric acid, fluuroboric acid and nickel sulfate.
A cold blue by them contains selenious acid, nitric acid, copper nitrate and copper phosphate.
Both should work to deposit a layer of copper selenide.
The fizzing and heat given off when putting the part in the solution reminds me of the kind of reaction you would get from putting aluminium in Sodium Hydroxide.
Got a slight suspicion the layer of grease, oil, cooking oil, anal lube etc. (stuff found in regular workshop) keeps metal parts from rusting easily. Also constant handling. Idk if it helps peel the rust off or it's the greasy hands.
A collector of antiques told me it's a combination of both. It's called a patina, and you should never clean it off of a valuable antique.
Great for sticking fingers into deep greasy holes also.
"Nothing I don't think we can't do."
Ha, that was a sneaky one
I think you ruined those parts by using a stainless steel container. Having 2 different metals touching in a conductive solution creates a battery which will destroy the most reactive metal which in this case your aluminium parts.
I didn't like the all black finish, but the final finish after the wire brush and scotchbrite looked pretty cool. A good, educational video.
I didn't know this stuff could fix marriages.
I use the Aluminum Black a bit. The key is to treat in short runs, and rinse and scrub in-between. I, also, don't use a cup. I put the parts in small zip-lock bags (just larger than the part). This way, you only need a fraction of the solution. Put a little in and roll the baggy around. Rinse in cold water and scrub w/ an old tooth brush. Repeat until a nice rich black finish. Rinse again and I lightly oil w/ 3-in-1. The biggest drawback is wear resistance. It really doesn't have any and will scratch and chip easily.
This is a great channel that makes stuff and only shows their hands. Nice.
greatness! the wit, the camera work, the editing. fantastic, run of the mill!
Having spent a little time working as a favor for an air rifle company in Worcester this took me back, my buddy built a company making re-loadable stun grenades at that factory at night which he eventually sold to a Florida company for good money. None of that would have been possible without access to all those tools at night.
your going to massively trip up some non engineers with that caliper scene
"Imagine a washing machine, but full of rocks."
So just like my washing machine, got it.
A vibratory bowl is the way to go when deburring. You can do a tumbler but it's less effective. In either case - as you said, it takes SEVERAL hours, sometimes up to 24 and the media makes a large difference.
Best way to do it is to make a test part with similar burrs and run it in the lathe for 24 hours just the see what it does.
Thank you for spending your money and experimenting so I don't have to learn the hard way. Your adventures ...or misadventures, have saved me countless hours on my hare brained ideas. Especially my attempts to make a better wabbit twap. Keep up the good work brother.
I would have milled them on an index table, your drilling skills are pretty decent here. It looks like the cold black for aluminum is a form of sulfuric acid solution, or some other acid, most acids are caustic on aluminum, pitting and expansion of the part is from the molecules breaking down. I would consider brushing it on with a small fine synthetic bristle brush and using a mild carbolic acid wash to stop the solution from pitting, let it sit a minute and then dunk it in water so it maybe won't wash the color off. Either way I would prefer to anodize, safer on aluminum and you get what you pay for. Thanks for the video.👍
Wow! I'm a chemist, and I'm curious, so I took a look into the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for this Aluminium black - and I was a little shocked.
! You really shouldn't use it indoors, at least not without a well working fume hood !
It contains some really aggressive acids and chemicals that may not only strip your skin of, but also burn your eyes and lungs. And on a bad day, the fumes might kill you. Or in other words: If you find stainless steel passivating agents harmful, you should pay the highest respect to this Aluminium blacking stuff.
It contains Fluoroboric acid (which is a _really_ harmful substance, and it is _mistyped_ in the MSDS), Selenious acid, and Phosphoric acid, which are responsible for the fizz and the smell. The stench is probably caused by Hydrogen Selenide, which may smell similar to Hydrogen Sulfide (i.e. "rotten eggs") and is _highly_ toxic.
The brown and black oily foam you see is probably caused by Nickel and Copper, which both are contained as their sulfate salts. They will be reduced by reaction with Aluminium and/or the Hydrogen formed from Aluminium and the acids, and end up as finely dispersed metal powder or their Selenides, or both. This will also form the black coating on the Aluminium. So, in general, the process is similar to the process for steel, where also a Iron Selenide layer is formed on the surface.
But really: Don't use it in a non-ventilated space! Don't breathe the fumes!
Listen to the chemist. I'm serious.
Wimp......
@@damiengirvan5020 that's a comment from somebody completely ignorant of the chemistry. Congrats, you're a candidate for the Darwin awards.
@@human_isomer just a joke man.....
@@damiengirvan5020 Ok, got it. Bit hard to recognise, though.
@@human_isomer I have a very high respect for chemistry...... And I would always advise anyone to always fallow all safety procedures..... And you were 100% correct about the toxicity of the aluminium black...... I just couldn't resist....... Sorry..... But I hope I helped draw attention to your comment.....
I have been binging on old episodes for the past week. Lamenting at the lack of newer content. It was like discovering the Beatles in 1980. Great to see a new video. Same great content and education combined with fantastic humor and creativity.
I use it for touch-up on aluminum AR receivers and it works just fine. I clean the surface with acetone and then again with denatured alcohol and fine steel wool. I just wipe the entire area in order to blend it. I put a thin coat of oil on afterwards. You can't see the nicks and scratches after I do it. soaking the parts looked like shit, it would probably be okay if you wiped it immediately.
I was going to write some witty comment, then I 😁saw there have been 1,500 plus comments and figured I could add little. So as usual, I couldn't just leave it alone and did this instead. So good to see you back Mr. T