You might not be the best cameraman :) , but for workmanship when machining and attention to detail , you sir are amongst the best !!!! Thanks for sharing
Easy for you to say. Try shooting a movie when you are the director, the actor, the props man and the camera man, oh and sometimes the stunt coordinator. It's enough to drive you batty. :) Thanks for watching. Tom
The tanks in the table is a great idea. The PVC piping for the air another great idea and your heaters, nice setup great execution completing it. As with many things improvements will find there way in. Thank you for posting the video.
Hi Tom, You sure built a clean system - right down to the wiring in the control box! Nice and compact but yet very functional. Thanks for showing us. Reid
Good job- I will check out the other videos based on the helpful information in this introduction to anodizing. Very professional results and a nice tidy set up to work with too- well done.
PPE is your friend. Dealing with these chemicals without any gloves or even glasses? wow, just wow. I like your setup and obvious attention to detail. Thanks for taking the time to make the video.
zerodegreec Good point. Glasses, or better yet a face shield would be appropriate. The electrolyte is not that concentrated, but the sodium hydroxide etch definitely is. Thanks for watching. Tom
On that same note, do you know what your neutralizing solution is for the chemicals you are working with? For example, Lye is not neutralized by water. You need vinegar. Knowing what to do when things go wrong is very important.
What to say Tom? Just WOW! Great anodizing setup and your aluminum treatment plant. I like it at all and even more next to watching in operation. Thanks
I noticed there was NO Mention of the cameraman...Good..! Great video. I never really saw the applications to anodizing aluminum parts and your setup is wonderfully simple. Thank you. Peace :)
Tom, Very good video clip. I read about the anodizing build on MadModder and it was good to see it in action. Always wanted to build a setup like yours, but didn't have any idea where to start and how much space it would take up. I like the concept of it being double duty and serving as a work bench also. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Bob. The lack of space is what kept me from doing it sooner. Now I not only have an anodizing setup, but an assembly bench as well. I put a link to the MadModder build thread in the video description. Not sure if anyone reads it though. Tom
Excellent Tom. That's the second time I've watched it and I going to watch it again! Can we please have some more on anodizing! In fact can we please have some more of the shop work :) Regards, Allan
Thanks Allan. I'll probably fire up the anodizing system when the clamp knurling tool is complete. The aluminum parts would look nice if they were brightly colored. Tom
Hi Tom, I've picked up many useful pieces of info from your channel, sincere thanks. I may have a few tips for anodizing as I've been doing it for years. Cathodes: Use Lead, it can be left in the tank. Sulfuric acid will cause a sulfate deposit, but it drops off when the current is passed through (similar to a car battery). The yellow cast on thick anodize is from impurities, probably from the previously dissolved cathodes - aluminium is nearly always alloyed (Si Fe Cu Mn Cr V etc). Within reason, the colder the tank the harder the anodize layer. Thick anodize is more prone to cracking if the part flexes. Titanium and Zinc can be anodized, but there's little point as the oxide tends to fall off. I use Titanium wire to hang parts. I can give specifics if anyone is interested. Thanks again for all your useful tips. Kurt.
Hey Kurt, That's a good idea about the lead cathodes, but with the feds shutting down all of the manufacturers, the price of lead sheet has gone off the charts. The only stuff I could find was $30 a square foot for 1/16". The first parts I ran actually had that yellow tinge. According to the Ron Newman book, the color of the coating is a function of time. It sounds like impurities must have the same effect. I have been looking for titanium wire so I don't keep burning through my supply of aluminum welding rod. I haven't done a lot with it yet, but what I have done has turned out well. It is a pain to use in the winter though. The last time I used it, it took forever to get the temperature up on the anodizing tank (I keep the shop at 50º). Maybe a heater is in order for that tank as well. Glad you are enjoying the channel. Tom
Hi Kurt- thanks for the useful tips. I understand that cast components can not be anodized very well. In your experience do you know if polished cast items can be clear anodized and then sealed to lock in the polished surface?I'd appreciate your ideas on this matter, thanks in advance.
thanks for sharing. for safety, I'd recommend to keep more distance and a greater barrier in between sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide. Like a flap that allows only one side at a time. When one side is accessed, the flap closes and seals off the other side. I'd also suggest to have an easy to access bin of sodium bicarbonate to neutralize any spilled acid. If you value your skin and eyes, gloves, face shield, eye protection, are also bare minimum safety precautions. Have fun, stay safe.
When you were spraying the part at around 9:00 I could see the brown to silver cleaning action. Thanks for the info, checked out the info on your website and it makes a great reference point. I'll be looking to anodise parts that will need a tank maybe 800mm x 400mm, so I got some home work to do.
Cool set up, one stop shop (table) haha! Some friendly advice - chance your cathode that's in your acid bath to Lead. You will constantly be changing to new ones with aluminium, where lead. You will never need to change. (Just like lead is used for batteries Lead Acid Batteries) All the best. EDIT:Also titanium wire can be used over and over to hold your pieces too.
Ditto, ditto, ditto lol. "That's all there is to anodizing" - Bloody hell Tom, there wouldn't want to be much more, that's a hell of a process. Great setup you have! If I had to do that from scratch with no cool setup like yours, it would be a hell of a task! Thank's, neat video. Would have been nice if you mentioned each tank contents in some detail. Cheers SG
Hi Tom, You can anodize in hot weather also without a chiller by using Sulfuric/Oxalic acid solution. In my anodizing line I use 150/30 g/L solution at 27-28C all the time with good results.
Here in Latvia I can buy it freely in a local chemicals store. In US it looks like you can buy it on eBay at least: www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sacat=0&_from=R40&_nkw=oxalic+acid&_sop=12
Awesome setup and a very nice video. I'm currently exploring your website. Have a small CNC quasi-mill on order and just received a HF mini lathe(still in the box). Excited about getting into metal working. An old wood turner.
I did learn a lot from your video. So thank you. I found a master kit to get me started with a video that gives step by step instructions for $260.00 A awesome deal.
Very interesting. I would like to see one thing with your setup, labeling the buckets with what they have in them. As my dept's safety officer, I would hate to have to go in and figure out what was in each bucket. Also label each of the switches and the pump valves. It just make for a neater workshop.
That would make sense if other people were using the set-up, but since I'm the only one, I pretty much know what is in each tank and what all the switches do. Thanks for watching. Tom
Nice set up. I pull my anodes out of the acid solution, to prevent them from getting dissolved. Also, you can do the math and adjust your anodizing time for a shorter period. Doing a lot of parts the solution heats up quick.You have enough current you could do type 3 at about 55 degrees and get a much tougher coating. Frozen 2 liter pop bottles help to keep the acid temp low. We had thought about routing a high volume fountain pump through a bucket of ice water and line the tank w/ plastic tubing to keep the temp low.
Thanks Richard, I was surprised to see that the anodes had gone away so quickly. They are already redesigned to hang on the edge of the bucket so they can be removed after use. I've noticed that longer times produce parts with a yellow cast, which I assume is a thicker, more durable coating. Shorter times and higher current make more of a clear coating. Not sure how far it can be pushed before the dye starts complaining. Tom
Toms Techniques Aluminum is like a sponge, the electrolysis will continue to eat away at the metal. At some point you will reach the law of diminshing returns ie: more time will gain no benefit. The 1 hour thing is just a general guide line, pretty much recognized as an industry standard. When we are in a pinch and the wedge slipps; crank up the amps, keep the temp low as possible and blow through. The difference occurs if you run 2 different batches of the same part for the client with differnt dyes (trust me they will know!) I made a bunch of threaded aluminum pins to screw into the parts for the anod to clip to. This was after discovering the anode lead will eat the part at the contact point, and, will not take dye at that location. One of my "rocket scientists" ruined about $1,800 worth of machined parts. because the lead was attached to a critical hole, changing the diameter. As far a durability of coating, that will only be accompolished by going to 24V DC @ lower temp. The dye & nickle actetae sealer will remain the same
Richard Kicklighter "This was after discovering the anode lead will eat the part at the contact point" i was wondering about this. looks like many people use an aluminum welding rod to hang the parts to be anodized on/attach the DC line to. does the welding rod create anodizing issues at the point of contact to the parts from what you've seen? seems as though some people spend just as much, if not more, time making up jigs to hold the parts as they do anodizing them so as not to create issues in this area.
Tom, thanks for showing your setup. Looks great...though labeling might help when you don't use it for a while...maybe on the valves and a "cheat sheet" on the underside of the bench top? The colored switches look perfect for when you have all the dye colors in play! John Grimsmo has shown titanium anodizing in a couple of his videos. It appears to be different from aluminum in that dye is not required, and the color varies with the voltage used. This can be problematic at times. He had a knife side with graphite inlays that had wire filaments in it (called lightning strike I think) and the difference in conductivity resulted in color variations near the inlays. Colors achievable include yellow, gold, green, orange, brown, blue, and purple. I think the voltage ranges are something like 20 to 80 volts.
I think that once the air valves are set up for all the tanks, they can just be left alone. Eventually there will be a trim panel with cutouts for the buckets, so the valves will be covered anyway. A cheat sheet for the process is a great idea. It is a lot of stuff to keep track of when you don't use the system very often. Thanks for the info on titanium. Now that you mention it, I do remember that voltage is used to create the colors. Tom
may I know what are the things needed in order to get the perfect anodizing and I want to know also how its done. do you have a website or something tutorial videos on what are the material do I need to anodize?
very instructive video and a good way to set up in a small shop. not sure how old this video is but can i ask when sealing the part the solution looked very discolored would this not this pass on to a lighter colored anodized part before it has chance to seal
Tom that is a very cool setup indeed. I like your PID temperature controllers and power supply setup I can tell you have spent some time working in a lab (missile switches, chassis box, strain reliefs...). I'll have to checkout your build thread,I̶ ̶d̶i̶d̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶n̶k̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶d̶y̶e̶s̶ ̶o̶r̶ ̶s̶o̶m̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶c̶h̶e̶m̶i̶s̶t̶r̶y̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶e̶a̶l̶e̶r̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶r̶e̶a̶d̶i̶l̶y̶ ̶a̶v̶a̶i̶l̶a̶b̶l̶e̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶a̶ ̶l̶o̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶r̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶a̶p̶e̶.̶ OK I checked out your build thread, nice work. For someone who claims to not know electronics it looks good. I know you have fuses in there somewhere...
Hi Tom, indeed a great video. Much appreciated. Please can you tell the ratio of Water and Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic) for etching process. Also, if it requires heat at what degrees in Fahrenheit. How long the 6061-6063 needs be in the container to get matte finish. Thanks a lot.
+Kaiser Haider The etching solution is 100 g/l sodium hydroxide and water and is used at room temperature. Cleaning only takes a few seconds. I haven't done much experimenting with textures, but I imagine it would have to be a trial and error thing for various alloys. Tom
I had a Hard Chrome plating set up in my garage but got worried because I had part of my kidney removed because it was cancer. I scraped the whole set up. So be careful and make sure everything is well vented.
Nice.... why arent all the buckets up top do you enjoy working harder than you need to?So many on here do that and build a side rack for your power stuff
Tom, can you please enlighten me on your air tube system. I've dying trying to figure out what you used to go from the bucket to the tubing, size of tubing, basically everything for aeration.
Did you follow the link in the description to the build thread? There are lots of good pics and descriptions there of the setup. Basically I just used a homemade bulkhead fitting that made from a CPVC threaded adapter bushing. I could have used a commercial fitting, but I'm cheap. Other than that, it's just off the shelf Tygon tubing and plastic fittings. Tom
I'm putting together a similar set-up, but I was wondering about your rinse station. I am thinking about doing a 2 stage rinse station of distilled water. Would having a bubbling, agitation set-up in rinse 1 be a good idea, rather than dipping?
+Eco Mouse A bubbling rinse is not necessary. The part is scrupulously clean by rinse time and water is attracted to it like flies to your picnic sandwich. The tap water and distilled water spray that I do is more than adequate. Tom
Any issues with fumes from the chemical baths attacking other tools in your shop? Seems like extra precautions may be needed to keep the corrosives and their fumes well away from the tools.
The only thing I thought might be a problem was the sulphuric acid bath and I considered installing a vent in the bench, So far though, the sealed lids on the buckets and the enclosed bench seems to keep it at bay. Tom
Toms Techniques Should anodizing not take place near gas appliances with pilot lights such as water heaters or dryers since the process produces hydrogen gas?
Steven Konet Any hydrogen produced in this small of a set-up is negligible. I'm more concerned about the fumes and will be figuring out some sort of ventilation for it this summer. Tom
It's to late Tom but you can put the cathode in the lye and it will work again, takes off the process you finished with. Last request Tom is post link or where you got the power supply from, all the ones I've checkout only got to 10A and review are for crap, the say we got it and it didn't work or lasted 2 months and quit, any local Electrical houses sell them ? Do the same here for parts, only thing different with your set up is would put all the electrical components above the tanks, 🤦♀️😁 What a great set up and great job from you as always,
Toms Techniques any chance you wouldn’t mind helping me please, Just wondering is it possible to heat my dye & sealer in stainless steel pots or would the stainless have an effect on the dye/sealer and contaminate them ? Thanks for any help it would be appreciated
This has very much peaked my interest, and I signed up to your website do get the plans to build something similar. I have one question though......what do you do with the chemicals, or contaminated water, or acid if you have to dump them? I wouldn't think that you could dump them into a city sewer, and as I live in the country, I wouldn't be too sure about dumping them into a septic system. I know our shop had very strict regulations against hazardous materials.
Will you be surprised if I tell you that all the chemicals found in this vid (and there is 1 step missing - deoxidizing/desmutting of certain aluminum alloys is required after etch) can be bought in any reasonable hardware store and don't require any special disposal means? caustic soda is used as a drain cleaner, dry form powder with some aluminum in it (basically that is your etch tank), car battery acid - 20% sulfuric acid, dilute that with the same amount of DI or RO water and you have your anodizing tank, degreasing and deox/desmut can be done with household laundry and bathroom cleanup products, some mechanical brushing may be needed though - and that is about all there is to it, you can get near perfect typeII anodizing finish on any alu alloy, including 2024 and 7xxx series. Regulations regarding disposal of these waste waters (rinsing) are there to keep large workshop operations in check, none of this sort of hobby scale anodizing will make any sort of impact on any city sewage system, and lets face it, maybe 1 in 10000 houses will have a setup like this in their garage, and when you're completely done with it, take a big bucket, pour your anodizing acid in it and start adding in your etch tank contents, mind the obvious safety of heat generated by the reaction, keep adding more soda until there is no obvious signs of reaction, if you have the means - measure the ph, and when it is neutral, you are pretty safe to discharge the contents into sewage system, dilute them with tap water, that is how they will do it in the hazardus waste disposal facility.
Dear Tom, As always, I'm amazed by the amount of knowledge\capability you have, wish I was at your level! If I may, other than cosmetics, does anodizing a part has any effect on its material properties? Like strength, hardness, electrical conductivity, etc. Thank you very much for sharing all this with us! :) -- Arye Segal.
Arye, Anodizing provides protection from corrosion and it is very hard, so it also helps protect against wear. It is a non-conductive surface. Thanks for watching. Tom
Sorry Warren, but all I have is a SolidWorks CAD file which probably won't do you any good and the electronics was designed on the bench. If you check out the build thread in the video description, it will provide additional details. Tom
Another interesting video Tom! You should be on TV :) I do doubt though that this is a small work shop with all the toys you have in there! Unless you are a time lord and this is a tardis ...
Thanks. The shop is 23' x 24' and is packed to the gills. I'm thinking about adding a bay on the back for the project car and someplace to store the stock. That would make a lot more room for machines. Tom
I'm one of the lucky ones in my previous life I was a field service engineer in the biotech sector of the world and I have every single part needed to build every single thing that you have their. It's funny I already used a feedback loop using those controllers mine happened to be watlow controllers. you might find it useful to get a Sonic bath for one of those slots as well. I just got my hands on a Grant killer which is a very expensive piece of equipment that I was going to use on my Mill for cooling but decided not to is it's just too damn expensive for a process like that
Very interesting Tom. Like others, been wanting to do this, and/or powder coating, motorcycle parts both new and restoration parts. I need to watch this many more times. I wonder if you can do something like the Dow 9 process in this setup?
Hi Tom! I was wondering that if you use the alcohol to clean each step for cleaning and remove the minerals does it give some results too? Or it's quite pointless to clean it with alcohol? I'm asking because I'm planning to built some laboratory also. Sorry for my langugage skills but English is not my native language - from Estonia, Northen Europe or Eastern. Near Russia :)
@Toms Techniques - Do you have or could you provide a video of how you built the Controller? I am very much interested in how you did that. Very nice setup by the way, thank you for the vid
+lm0315 There is a link to the build thread in the video description above. You should be able to see enough in the pics and description to build one. Tom
What do you use for cleaning the part (the bath you set the part in) and what do you use for sealing. I want to get into anodizing and i don't know what chemicals I need for cleaning and sealing.
Super! I do some electrolysis to clean rust parts. I like the idea of the pressurise air. Does the liquid stay inside the tubing when not in use ? It would be a great video to see how you manage the space in your shop. Great setup. Thanks
Yes Robert, the liquid stays in the tube, although the level is very close. I was concerned about it getting to the neighboring tanks and causing contamination, but it seems to work fine. Tom
use lead as your cathodes in the anodize tank. I've been plating for about 13 years, that's what we have in our sulfuric tanks. lead will last a lifetime.
So you seem to be the best resource on youtube, I want to Anodize a 2003 PowerMac G5 case a Space Grey. It's quite the task and I am not sure what approach i should take. What advice can you give me?
Yes, as with any anodizing the wire or rack will leave a mark. You have to plan ahead and locate the wires accordingly, normally in a drilled or tapped hole where it won't show.
+Toms Techniques I know the feeling. I had my first go at anodising today, it went OK but you soon realise how convenient it would be to have a setup like yours. Trying to decide what is important now, I did notice a rise in temperature of the anodizing tank but was able to just sit it in some cold water to cool. Obviously it is not a big deal if you are able to get away without it, your larger tank probably helps.
So this is a constant current power supply? I've been trying to anodize about 12 square-inch surface area parts with a car battery charger. The current starts just like I predicted, but gradually falls to almost nothing. I've successfully anodized a part half this size with this setup before. Could it be anything else besides the power supply?
Toms Techniques I've since redesigned my electrical contacts. The part must be held very tightly, either by interference fit or some sort of spring clamp. I can confirm that an old cheap 1980's battery charger does work
Great video. One of the best I've seen on RUclips for this. Could you explain the difference in the hardcoat process vs anodizing. I know there's a temp difference but what else.
Thanks Toby. Hardcoat is anodizing generated in a near freezing electrolyte solution. The resulting coating is thicker than type II and has much smaller pores, so it can't be dyed like type II anodizing. Tom
Hardcoat is sort of a greenish grey color. Ugly, but very durable. The type of anodizing I do is Type II and it can be dyed most any color imaginable. Tom
Tom You're in the Detroit area, correct ? Does a Michigan winter affect your setup ? Thanks for sharing - an anodising outfit is not what you'd likely expect in a typical home workshop. Warm regards from Australia.
I keep the shop at 55º when I'm not using it so the anodizing tank needs to be brought up to 70ºF before I can use it. I was thinking of adding some heating pads to the outside of the bucket. Tom
Tom do you have any more information on your electronics for this project? I'm interested in doing something similar but I'm like you. I know just enough to get me in trouble. Any information would be great.
That is a very nicely done setup. Ive been wanting to get a anodizing and plating setup made for some time. Think ill get around to it this year. Where dis you get those temp controllers? I would like to make something like you have done.
The PID's came from www.lightobject.com/. The heater, thermocouples, SSR's, etc. came from eBay. The buckets came from Baytech.com. If you look at the build thread in the description above, it will provide a lot of the details. Tom
At around 5 mins in, you said it creates an aluminum oxide surface.. it actually changes the oxide finish to aluminum hydrate. This is what accepts the dye. It also makes the part non-conductive.
Tom, here's a quote from the AAC (Aluminum Anodizers Council): "The anodic oxide structure originates from the aluminum substrate and is composed entirely of aluminum oxide. This aluminum oxide is not applied to the surface like paint or plating, but is fully integrated with the underlying aluminum substrate, so it cannot chip or peel. It has a highly ordered, porous structure that allows for secondary processes such as coloring and sealing." Tom
I've only had to change the acid solution after my original aluminum cathode dissolved. I'm still on my original dye batches, but it doesn't get a lot of use. Tom
You might not be the best cameraman :) , but for workmanship when machining and attention to detail , you sir are amongst the best !!!! Thanks for sharing
Easy for you to say. Try shooting a movie when you are the director, the actor, the props man and the camera man, oh and sometimes the stunt coordinator. It's enough to drive you batty. :)
Thanks for watching.
Tom
The tanks in the table is a great idea. The PVC piping for the air another great idea and your heaters, nice setup great execution completing it. As with many things improvements will find there way in. Thank you for posting the video.
Hi Tom,
You sure built a clean system - right down to the wiring in the control box! Nice and compact but yet very functional. Thanks for showing us.
Reid
Thanks Reid, I'm glad you liked it.
Tom
Best thing about youtube for me is learning to construct and process things. Loving this anodising journey, thanks Tom!
Good job- I will check out the other videos based on the helpful information in this introduction to anodizing. Very professional results and a nice tidy set up to work with too- well done.
PPE is your friend. Dealing with these chemicals without any gloves or even glasses? wow, just wow.
I like your setup and obvious attention to detail. Thanks for taking the time to make the video.
zerodegreec
Good point. Glasses, or better yet a face shield would be appropriate. The electrolyte is not that concentrated, but the sodium hydroxide etch definitely is.
Thanks for watching.
Tom
On that same note, do you know what your neutralizing solution is for the chemicals you are working with? For example, Lye is not neutralized by water. You need vinegar. Knowing what to do when things go wrong is very important.
zerodegreec
I'm not trying to neutralize the lye, just rinse it between steps. There is five pounds of baking soda within reach for the acid.
Thanks for posting the link and the complete building instructions because I need to build something like it for Nickelplating.
What to say Tom? Just WOW!
Great anodizing setup and your aluminum treatment plant. I like it at all and even more next to watching in operation. Thanks
Thanks Milan.
Quite informative and well worth the watch. You've done a nice job on the anodizing rig. I tip my hat in respect.
Thanks Jim, glad you enjoyed it.
I noticed there was NO Mention of the cameraman...Good..! Great video. I never really saw the applications to anodizing aluminum parts and your setup is wonderfully simple. Thank you. Peace :)
Hi Tom...
Very interesting, cool build, great demo and explanation!
Love to see a shop tour....there is a lot to learn from a "packed" shop
Chuck
Thanks Chuck.
That's a slick setup. Good video tom!
Michael Murray
Thanks Michael.
Thanks Chuck.
Tom,
Very good video clip. I read about the anodizing build on MadModder and it was good to see it in action. Always wanted to build a setup like yours, but didn't have any idea where to start and how much space it would take up. I like the concept of it being double duty and serving as a work bench also. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Bob.
The lack of space is what kept me from doing it sooner. Now I not only have an anodizing setup, but an assembly bench as well.
I put a link to the MadModder build thread in the video description. Not sure if anyone reads it though.
Tom
Excellent Tom. That's the second time I've watched it and I going to watch it again! Can we please have some more on anodizing! In fact can we please have some more of the shop work :)
Regards, Allan
Thanks Allan.
I'll probably fire up the anodizing system when the clamp knurling tool is complete. The aluminum parts would look nice if they were brightly colored.
Tom
@@TomsTechniques you got that right Tom, nice orange, purple or violet . Do it
Hi Tom,
I've picked up many useful pieces of info from your channel, sincere thanks. I may have a few tips for anodizing as I've been doing it for years.
Cathodes: Use Lead, it can be left in the tank. Sulfuric acid will cause a sulfate deposit, but it drops off when the current is passed through (similar to a car battery).
The yellow cast on thick anodize is from impurities, probably from the previously dissolved cathodes - aluminium is nearly always alloyed (Si Fe Cu Mn Cr V etc).
Within reason, the colder the tank the harder the anodize layer.
Thick anodize is more prone to cracking if the part flexes.
Titanium and Zinc can be anodized, but there's little point as the oxide tends to fall off. I use Titanium wire to hang parts.
I can give specifics if anyone is interested.
Thanks again for all your useful tips.
Kurt.
Hey Kurt,
That's a good idea about the lead cathodes, but with the feds shutting down all of the manufacturers, the price of lead sheet has gone off the charts. The only stuff I could find was $30 a square foot for 1/16".
The first parts I ran actually had that yellow tinge. According to the Ron Newman book, the color of the coating is a function of time. It sounds like impurities must have the same effect.
I have been looking for titanium wire so I don't keep burning through my supply of aluminum welding rod.
I haven't done a lot with it yet, but what I have done has turned out well. It is a pain to use in the winter though. The last time I used it, it took forever to get the temperature up on the anodizing tank (I keep the shop at 50º). Maybe a heater is in order for that tank as well.
Glad you are enjoying the channel.
Tom
Hi Kurt- thanks for the useful tips. I understand that cast components can not be anodized very well. In your experience do you know if polished cast items can be clear anodized and then sealed to lock in the polished surface?I'd appreciate your ideas on this matter, thanks in advance.
thanks for sharing.
for safety, I'd recommend to keep more distance and a greater barrier in between sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide. Like a flap that allows only one side at a time. When one side is accessed, the flap closes and seals off the other side.
I'd also suggest to have an easy to access bin of sodium bicarbonate to neutralize any spilled acid.
If you value your skin and eyes, gloves, face shield, eye protection, are also bare minimum safety precautions.
Have fun, stay safe.
When you were spraying the part at around 9:00 I could see the brown to silver cleaning action. Thanks for the info, checked out the info on your website and it makes a great reference point. I'll be looking to anodise parts that will need a tank maybe 800mm x 400mm, so I got some home work to do.
G'day Tom what a bloody ripper of an idea, fantastic! Regards John
+John Kinnane
Thanks John.
Cool set up, one stop shop (table) haha!
Some friendly advice - chance your cathode that's in your acid bath to Lead. You will constantly be changing to new ones with aluminium, where lead. You will never need to change.
(Just like lead is used for batteries Lead Acid Batteries)
All the best.
EDIT:Also titanium wire can be used over and over to hold your pieces too.
Thanks. The anodes have since been changed to lead once the aluminum ones went away. :)
That is a great looking setup and a interesting looking part too. Thanks for showing us.
Thanks.
Ditto, ditto, ditto lol. "That's all there is to anodizing" - Bloody hell Tom, there wouldn't want to be much more, that's a hell of a process. Great setup you have! If I had to do that from scratch with no cool setup like yours, it would be a hell of a task! Thank's, neat video. Would have been nice if you mentioned each tank contents in some detail. Cheers SG
Hi Tom,
You can anodize in hot weather also without a chiller by using Sulfuric/Oxalic acid solution. In my anodizing line I use 150/30 g/L solution at 27-28C all the time with good results.
Thanks, I'll have to give that a try. Where does one buy oxalic acid?
Tom
Here in Latvia I can buy it freely in a local chemicals store. In US it looks like you can buy it on eBay at least: www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sacat=0&_from=R40&_nkw=oxalic+acid&_sop=12
Very nice setup Tom. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Herb.
Awesome setup and a very nice video. I'm currently exploring your website. Have a small CNC quasi-mill on order and just received a HF mini lathe(still in the box). Excited about getting into metal working. An old wood turner.
Thanks Gary. There's a lot to explore on the website.
Tom
I did learn a lot from your video. So thank you. I found a master kit to get me started with a video that gives step by step instructions for $260.00 A awesome deal.
Glad I could help.
Tom
Hi Tom would you please tell me how much lie to add per gallon of distilled water?
Thank you for taking the time to make this
Very interesting. I would like to see one thing with your setup, labeling the buckets with what they have in them. As my dept's safety officer, I would hate to have to go in and figure out what was in each bucket. Also label each of the switches and the pump valves. It just make for a neater workshop.
That would make sense if other people were using the set-up, but since I'm the only one, I pretty much know what is in each tank and what all the switches do.
Thanks for watching.
Tom
Nice set up. I pull my anodes out of the acid solution, to prevent them from getting dissolved. Also, you can do the math and adjust your anodizing time for a shorter period. Doing a lot of parts the solution heats up quick.You have enough current you could do type 3 at about 55 degrees and get a much tougher coating. Frozen 2 liter pop bottles help to keep the acid temp low. We had thought about routing a high volume fountain pump through a bucket of ice water and line the tank w/ plastic tubing to keep the temp low.
Thanks Richard,
I was surprised to see that the anodes had gone away so quickly. They are already redesigned to hang on the edge of the bucket so they can be removed after use.
I've noticed that longer times produce parts with a yellow cast, which I assume is a thicker, more durable coating. Shorter times and higher current make more of a clear coating. Not sure how far it can be pushed before the dye starts complaining.
Tom
Toms Techniques Aluminum is like a sponge, the electrolysis will continue to eat away at the metal. At some point you will reach the law of diminshing returns ie: more time will gain no benefit.
The 1 hour thing is just a general guide line, pretty much recognized as an industry standard.
When we are in a pinch and the wedge slipps; crank up the amps, keep the temp low as possible and blow through. The difference occurs if you run 2 different batches of the same part for the client with differnt dyes (trust me they will know!)
I made a bunch of threaded aluminum pins to screw into the parts for the anod to clip to.
This was after discovering the anode lead will eat the part at the contact point, and, will not take dye at that location.
One of my "rocket scientists" ruined about $1,800 worth of machined parts. because the lead was attached to a critical hole, changing the diameter.
As far a durability of coating, that will only be accompolished by going to 24V DC @ lower temp.
The dye & nickle actetae sealer will remain the same
Richard Kicklighter "This was after discovering the anode lead will eat the part at the contact point" i was wondering about this. looks like many people use an aluminum welding rod to hang the parts to be anodized on/attach the DC line to. does the welding rod create anodizing issues at the point of contact to the parts from what you've seen? seems as though some people spend just as much, if not more, time making up jigs to hold the parts as they do anodizing them so as not to create issues in this area.
Have you tried pH Down (I think it's sodium bisulphate ) as an alternate to sulphuric acid ?
Tom, thanks for showing your setup. Looks great...though labeling might help when you don't use it for a while...maybe on the valves and a "cheat sheet" on the underside of the bench top? The colored switches look perfect for when you have all the dye colors in play!
John Grimsmo has shown titanium anodizing in a couple of his videos. It appears to be different from aluminum in that dye is not required, and the color varies with the voltage used. This can be problematic at times. He had a knife side with graphite inlays that had wire filaments in it (called lightning strike I think) and the difference in conductivity resulted in color variations near the inlays. Colors achievable include yellow, gold, green, orange, brown, blue, and purple. I think the voltage ranges are something like 20 to 80 volts.
I think that once the air valves are set up for all the tanks, they can just be left alone. Eventually there will be a trim panel with cutouts for the buckets, so the valves will be covered anyway. A cheat sheet for the process is a great idea. It is a lot of stuff to keep track of when you don't use the system very often.
Thanks for the info on titanium. Now that you mention it, I do remember that voltage is used to create the colors.
Tom
You gave me an idea to place everything in my unused parts washer. Thanks.
may I know what are the things needed in order to get the perfect anodizing and I want to know also how its done. do you have a website or something tutorial videos on what are the material do I need to anodize?
The internet is your friend. That's where I found the info I needed.
Awesome set up!!
very instructive video and a good way to set up in a small shop. not sure how old this video is but can i ask when sealing the part the solution looked very discolored would this not this pass on to a lighter colored anodized part before it has chance to seal
Thanks. The sealer was fresh in the video and I haven't notice any effect on color.
Is that ever neat Tom! Thanks for the demo.
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Tom
Tom that is a very cool setup indeed. I like your PID temperature controllers and power supply setup I can tell you have spent some time working in a lab (missile switches, chassis box, strain reliefs...). I'll have to checkout your build thread,I̶ ̶d̶i̶d̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶n̶k̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶d̶y̶e̶s̶ ̶o̶r̶ ̶s̶o̶m̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶c̶h̶e̶m̶i̶s̶t̶r̶y̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶e̶a̶l̶e̶r̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶r̶e̶a̶d̶i̶l̶y̶ ̶a̶v̶a̶i̶l̶a̶b̶l̶e̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶a̶ ̶l̶o̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶r̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶a̶p̶e̶.̶
OK I checked out your build thread, nice work. For someone who claims to not know electronics it looks good. I know you have fuses in there somewhere...
so do you not need to worry about using the same bucket for rinsing after each step causing cross contamination?
That's why I spray the parts with distilled water between steps.
Tom
Hi Tom, indeed a great video. Much appreciated. Please can you tell the ratio of Water and Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic) for etching process. Also, if it requires heat at what degrees in Fahrenheit. How long the 6061-6063 needs be in the container to get matte finish. Thanks a lot.
+Kaiser Haider
The etching solution is 100 g/l sodium hydroxide and water and is used at room temperature. Cleaning only takes a few seconds. I haven't done much experimenting with textures, but I imagine it would have to be a trial and error thing for various alloys.
Tom
+Toms Techniques
Great. Thanks a lot Tom. I am permanently tuned in to your channel for useful tips and techniques.
Awesome set up and very informative man! Good work!
I had a Hard Chrome plating set up in my garage but got worried because I had part of my kidney removed because it was cancer. I scraped the whole set up. So be careful and make sure everything is well vented.
Did the chrome stuff cause that issue? What advice do you have to people working with anything?
These lids do not seal air tight afterwards. Have you noticed a difference in preserving dyes/solutions over time?
Nice.... why arent all the buckets up top do you enjoy working harder than you need to?So many on here do that and build a side rack for your power stuff
Anodizing is an occasional thing for me. The idea was to make it all easy to stow away under a bench top when not in use.
Very interesting, but when the solutions are spent how on earth do you get rid of them?
Tom, great setup. My question is what is the flow rating Liter/ min on the air pump? I am looking for similar agitation in a 5gal bucket.
Tom, can you please enlighten me on your air tube system. I've dying trying to figure out what you used to go from the bucket to the tubing, size of tubing, basically everything for aeration.
Did you follow the link in the description to the build thread? There are lots of good pics and descriptions there of the setup. Basically I just used a homemade bulkhead fitting that made from a CPVC threaded adapter bushing. I could have used a commercial fitting, but I'm cheap. Other than that, it's just off the shelf Tygon tubing and plastic fittings.
Tom
Awesome setup. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Bill.
I'm putting together a similar set-up, but I was wondering about your rinse station. I am thinking about doing a 2 stage rinse station of distilled water. Would having a bubbling, agitation set-up in rinse 1 be a good idea, rather than dipping?
+Eco Mouse
A bubbling rinse is not necessary. The part is scrupulously clean by rinse time and water is attracted to it like flies to your picnic sandwich. The tap water and distilled water spray that I do is more than adequate.
Tom
Any issues with fumes from the chemical baths attacking other tools in your shop? Seems like extra precautions may be needed to keep the corrosives and their fumes well away from the tools.
The only thing I thought might be a problem was the sulphuric acid bath and I considered installing a vent in the bench, So far though, the sealed lids on the buckets and the enclosed bench seems to keep it at bay.
Tom
Toms Techniques Should anodizing not take place near gas appliances with pilot lights such as water heaters or dryers since the process produces hydrogen gas?
Steven Konet
Any hydrogen produced in this small of a set-up is negligible. I'm more concerned about the fumes and will be figuring out some sort of ventilation for it this summer.
Tom
It's to late Tom but you can put the cathode in the lye and it will work again, takes off the process you finished with. Last request Tom is post link or where you got the power supply from, all the ones I've checkout only got to 10A and review are for crap, the say we got it and it didn't work or lasted 2 months and quit, any local Electrical houses sell them ? Do the same here for parts, only thing different with your set up is would put all the electrical components above the tanks, 🤦♀️😁 What a great set up and great job from you as always,
Thanks for the great info / video Tom , may I ask what are the black reducer connection parts that connect to the pvc pipe at the tank points ? Thanks
Those are 90° hose barb to NPT adapters. The threaded side screws into custom bulkhead fitting made from a PVC bushing adapter.
Toms Techniques thanks Tom
Toms Techniques any chance you wouldn’t mind helping me please,
Just wondering is it possible to heat my dye & sealer in stainless steel pots or would the stainless have an effect on the dye/sealer and contaminate them ? Thanks for any help it would be appreciated
Stainless is a definite no no. Only plastic (polypropylene or polyethylene) or glass is acceptable.
This has very much peaked my interest, and I signed up to your website do get the plans to build something similar. I have one question though......what do you do with the chemicals, or contaminated water, or acid if you have to dump them? I wouldn't think that you could dump them into a city sewer, and as I live in the country, I wouldn't be too sure about dumping them into a septic system. I know our shop had very strict regulations against hazardous materials.
Will you be surprised if I tell you that all the chemicals found in this vid (and there is 1 step missing - deoxidizing/desmutting of certain aluminum alloys is required after etch) can be bought in any reasonable hardware store and don't require any special disposal means? caustic soda is used as a drain cleaner, dry form powder with some aluminum in it (basically that is your etch tank), car battery acid - 20% sulfuric acid, dilute that with the same amount of DI or RO water and you have your anodizing tank, degreasing and deox/desmut can be done with household laundry and bathroom cleanup products, some mechanical brushing may be needed though - and that is about all there is to it, you can get near perfect typeII anodizing finish on any alu alloy, including 2024 and 7xxx series.
Regulations regarding disposal of these waste waters (rinsing) are there to keep large workshop operations in check, none of this sort of hobby scale anodizing will make any sort of impact on any city sewage system, and lets face it, maybe 1 in 10000 houses will have a setup like this in their garage, and when you're completely done with it, take a big bucket, pour your anodizing acid in it and start adding in your etch tank contents, mind the obvious safety of heat generated by the reaction, keep adding more soda until there is no obvious signs of reaction, if you have the means - measure the ph, and when it is neutral, you are pretty safe to discharge the contents into sewage system, dilute them with tap water, that is how they will do it in the hazardus waste disposal facility.
Dear Tom,
As always, I'm amazed by the amount of knowledge\capability you have, wish I was at your level!
If I may, other than cosmetics, does anodizing a part has any effect on its material properties? Like strength, hardness, electrical conductivity, etc.
Thank you very much for sharing all this with us! :)
-- Arye Segal.
Arye,
Anodizing provides protection from corrosion and it is very hard, so it also helps protect against wear. It is a non-conductive surface.
Thanks for watching.
Tom
Hello Tom. Nice setup. I would like to play around with this application. Do you have a basic drawing of the frame and electronics?
Sorry Warren, but all I have is a SolidWorks CAD file which probably won't do you any good and the electronics was designed on the bench. If you check out the build thread in the video description, it will provide additional details.
Tom
I know this is an old video, but can you do type III hard coat with a set up like this.
I thought about trying it, but never got around to figuring out how to cool the tank.
Tom, are there temp sensors in the dye buckets? How do the thermostats know when to switch on?
All the dye buckets are wired in parallel and have switches to turn off the ones not used. They share a common thermocouple to measure the temp.
Tom
Another interesting video Tom! You should be on TV :) I do doubt though that this is a small work shop with all the toys you have in there! Unless you are a time lord and this is a tardis ...
Thanks.
The shop is 23' x 24' and is packed to the gills. I'm thinking about adding a bay on the back for the project car and someplace to store the stock. That would make a lot more room for machines.
Tom
I'm one of the lucky ones in my previous life I was a field service engineer in the biotech sector of the world and I have every single part needed to build every single thing that you have their. It's funny I already used a feedback loop using those controllers mine happened to be watlow controllers. you might find it useful to get a Sonic bath for one of those slots as well. I just got my hands on a Grant killer which is a very expensive piece of equipment that I was going to use on my Mill for cooling but decided not to is it's just too damn expensive for a process like that
great stuff do you have a list of chemicals and manufacturers used?
Thanks
+Zachariah Hudson
Thanks.
There is a link to the build thread in the video description.
Tom
What do you use in the sealer tank to seal the part? I found a book for sale,but no sealer. I found what I need but thank you for responding.
It's a mid temp nickel acetate sealer form U.S.Specialty Color Corporation.
Very interesting Tom. Like others, been wanting to do this, and/or powder coating, motorcycle parts both new and restoration parts. I need to watch this many more times. I wonder if you can do something like the Dow 9 process in this setup?
Great setup :) Could you Please make a video of the details how you make your buckets.
Sorry, but that project is long over with. You may want to check the build thread in the video description.
Hello want to anodized some stuff for me small motorcycle parts ?
I know this is an old video but can you do type III hard coat with that home set up?
I've never tried it but I don't see why not. You would need to add some sort of chiller to the tank to get the temperature low enough.
Tom
Hi Tom! I was wondering that if you use the alcohol to clean each step for cleaning and remove the minerals does it give some results too? Or it's quite pointless to clean it with alcohol? I'm asking because I'm planning to built some laboratory also. Sorry for my langugage skills but English is not my native language - from Estonia, Northen Europe or Eastern. Near Russia :)
@Toms Techniques - Do you have or could you provide a video of how you built the Controller? I am very much interested in how you did that.
Very nice setup by the way, thank you for the vid
+lm0315
There is a link to the build thread in the video description above. You should be able to see enough in the pics and description to build one.
Tom
What do you use for cleaning the part (the bath you set the part in) and what do you use for sealing. I want to get into anodizing and i don't know what chemicals I need for cleaning and sealing.
There is a link to a build thread in the description above. That pretty much explains everything.
Tom
Are you able to give me a equipment list of things for this build? Cheers
There is a link to the build thread in the description under the video.
madmodder.net/index.php/topic,9113.0.html
Thank you
Super! I do some electrolysis to clean rust parts. I like the idea of the pressurise air. Does the liquid stay inside the tubing when not in use ?
It would be a great video to see how you manage the space in your shop. Great setup. Thanks
Yes Robert, the liquid stays in the tube, although the level is very close. I was concerned about it getting to the neighboring tanks and causing contamination, but it seems to work fine.
Tom
What's the part? Looks almost like a thick hard drive holder with a heat sink.
Actually, you said the holes are tapped, so must be something else.
It's a part for a manufacturing fixture that I designed and built for work.
Tom
Pete Brown funny to see you here Pete, usually its synth videos where I bump into you!
use lead as your cathodes in the anodize tank. I've been plating for about 13 years, that's what we have in our sulfuric tanks. lead will last a lifetime.
+Eric Skinner
Yes, I've figured that out since I first got started.
Thanks,
Tom
Garage Shop Shenanigans what's the difference in anodizing and hard coat process? I know temperature but is that all?
It's the type of aluminum oxide formed that's different and has different properties too.
The fumes from the sacrificial lead cathode would be nasty, wouldn't they?
Who in the heck sat around back in the day wondering how to finish an aluminum part
So you seem to be the best resource on youtube, I want to Anodize a 2003 PowerMac G5 case a Space Grey. It's quite the task and I am not sure what approach i should take. What advice can you give me?
Hi Tom, I'm new to this. Are there any lines or discoloration where the wire touches the part it is hanging on? Thanks for your time.
Yes, as with any anodizing the wire or rack will leave a mark. You have to plan ahead and locate the wires accordingly, normally in a drilled or tapped hole where it won't show.
Could you use a similar setup to anodize steel and Titanium?
Titanium can be anodized, but not steel. Not sure what is different in the process.
Thanks for the reply. I I posted this video on a couple forums
Nice work man! Have you done anymore with your setup? Chilling Yet? Thanks!
Travis
I'm retired now, so don't have much use for it, but it worked well when I needed it.
Hi Tom, did you ever get around to implementing the chiller?
+littlestworkshop
Nope, not yet.
So many projects and so little time. :)
+Toms Techniques I know the feeling. I had my first go at anodising today, it went OK but you soon realise how convenient it would be to have a setup like yours. Trying to decide what is important now, I did notice a rise in temperature of the anodizing tank but was able to just sit it in some cold water to cool. Obviously it is not a big deal if you are able to get away without it, your larger tank probably helps.
Tom, Great video. Have you hooked up your chiller yet. I am currently rebuilding out setup and looking to bounce some ideas of someone. Let me know.
I haven't used it much lately, but would be glad to discuss some ideas. Contact me through my website.
Tom
Very interesting Tom, thank you for sharing!
Ray
Thanks Ray
How long do the baths keep and how often do you have to remake them?
Is there a reason why you went with a pond pump vs mattress pump or something similar?
Because they are cheap and readily available, but I'm sure there are other options.
Toms Techniques lol thanks, I wasn't sure if it was a noise thing or not.
Where did you buy the heater and the container.
The heating elements came from eBay and the buckets from Baytec Containers.
External Rinse System = bucket of water and a spray bottle hahaha.
Great video, looks like an awesome setup.
That's my low water use contribution to the green cause. :)
cool stuff :) What type of sealing bath do you use? Nickel acetate like anoseal 1000 or other stuff?
It's a mid-temp nickel acetate solution from U.S. Specialty Color Corp.
So this is a constant current power supply? I've been trying to anodize about 12 square-inch surface area parts with a car battery charger. The current starts just like I predicted, but gradually falls to almost nothing. I've successfully anodized a part half this size with this setup before. Could it be anything else besides the power supply?
Yes, the current needs to stay constant. Most battery chargers reduce current over the charge cycle.
Toms Techniques I've since redesigned my electrical contacts. The part must be held very tightly, either by interference fit or some sort of spring clamp. I can confirm that an old cheap 1980's battery charger does work
Great video. One of the best I've seen on RUclips for this. Could you explain the difference in the hardcoat process vs anodizing. I know there's a temp difference but what else.
Thanks Toby.
Hardcoat is anodizing generated in a near freezing electrolyte solution. The resulting coating is thicker than type II and has much smaller pores, so it can't be dyed like type II anodizing.
Tom
If it's not dyed then why is it black?
Hardcoat is sort of a greenish grey color. Ugly, but very durable. The type of anodizing I do is Type II and it can be dyed most any color imaginable.
Tom
Oh so it comes out that color straight from the cold anodizing process. Thanks
Yes. The color will vary, depending on the alloy of the aluminum.
Hey Tom! nice setup! how hot in celsius is the sealant? I want to anodize some cilinders but if I get them too hot Ill messup the metal resistance!
The sealer is 170ºF. I'll leave the math to you. :)
Toms Techniques Is that the hotest part of the prosses?
berhart
Yes, the dyes are 140ºF and the anodizing and etching tanks are room temp.
Tom
You're in the Detroit area, correct ? Does a Michigan winter affect your setup ?
Thanks for sharing - an anodising outfit is not what you'd likely expect in a typical home workshop.
Warm regards from Australia.
I keep the shop at 55º when I'm not using it so the anodizing tank needs to be brought up to 70ºF before I can use it. I was thinking of adding some heating pads to the outside of the bucket.
Tom
Does anyone know if one can buy an already build and ready to use home anodizing system?
I think Caldwell sells ready to use kits, but they don't come cheap.
Brilliant video, thanks for sharing that!
Thanks for watching!
That controller is slick.
Tom do you have any more information on your electronics for this project? I'm interested in doing something similar but I'm like you. I know just enough to get me in trouble. Any information would be great.
There is a link to the build thread in the description under the video. That should help out.
Tom
Hi Tom, Where do you get your buckets?
Nice job. Where did you get the buckets with the hinged lid?
Baytec Containers
Hi Tom. I am curious where you get your chemicals and supplies from
If you look in the description under the video, there is a link to the build thread. That should tell you everything you need to know.
Tom
Toms Techniques j
Is that part related to 96 well plates for biotech research?
Good call. I work for Essen BioScience and that is part of a fixture used to assemble our 96 well Chemotaxis microplates.
That is a very nicely done setup. Ive been wanting to get a anodizing and plating setup made for some time. Think ill get around to it this year. Where dis you get those temp controllers? I would like to make something like you have done.
The PID's came from www.lightobject.com/. The heater, thermocouples, SSR's, etc. came from eBay. The buckets came from Baytech.com. If you look at the build thread in the description above, it will provide a lot of the details.
Tom
At around 5 mins in, you said it creates an aluminum oxide surface.. it actually changes the oxide finish to aluminum hydrate. This is what accepts the dye. It also makes the part non-conductive.
Tom, here's a quote from the AAC (Aluminum Anodizers Council):
"The anodic oxide structure originates from the aluminum substrate and is
composed entirely of aluminum oxide. This aluminum oxide is not applied
to the surface like paint or plating, but is fully integrated with the
underlying aluminum substrate, so it cannot chip or peel. It has a
highly ordered, porous structure that allows for secondary processes
such as coloring and sealing."
Tom
What do you use for the dye and sealer?
Check the build thread. There's a link to it under the video description.
I like those style buckets, where do you get them?
There's a link to the build thread in the video description that lists all the part sources.
Hey Tom, where do you get the nice flip lid buckets from?
Those came from Baytec Container.
Toms Techniques
Kitty litter comes in containers such as what you have. Just took about a dozen to the local recycle centre. (kicks self in butt).
Great set up! Just out of curiosity, how often do you have to change the acid solution and the dye solution?
I've only had to change the acid solution after my original aluminum cathode dissolved. I'm still on my original dye batches, but it doesn't get a lot of use.
Tom
Great job, very interesting
+sharkinfested
Thank you