Home Aluminium Anodising Process - Part 2
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- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
- This is part 2 of how I anodise aluminium machined items.
This part is specific to colour dying the aluminium immediately following the actual anodising process.
I recommend watching part 1 first for an in depth overview of the preparation and actual anodising procedure that I have developed over the 10+ years I have been doing it.
There is a little more information related to the chemical mix ratios and a download for the time calculation spreadsheet I use.
www.hamrx8.com/...
After this please watch Part 3 explaining the time calculation spreadsheet I use.
studio.youtube...
The spreadsheet is downloadable via my website page:
www.hamrx8.com/...
During the video I refer to the company Caswell where I purchase various supplies such as the anodising dye/colour that I use.
Their URL is: www.caswellpla...
![How to Anodise Aluminium at home [how i anodised at home]](/img/1.gif)
Thank you!
Restoring/upgrading my daughter’s old college bike to an ebike, anodizing ALL the shiny bits black. Learning a lot about the various varieties of aluminum they used. If I had a big enough tank, I was tempted to dip the frame, as the welds/construction of this 8 yr old Chinese Giant brand frame are quite impressive.
Greetings from SoCal😎
This is one hell of a laborious process or hobby mate.
Yes it might look that way and yes the process does take time to setup and do. However it is extremely rewarding and satisfying. And that is what life is about, doing things that make you happy.
Put your suggestions to work, and the result was great!
My first black anodized parts turned out medium gray; subsequently ran across your videos. Today I did two new parts and they are as black as can be, so I am pleased. Heres what I did:
1. Used a hot bath of Borax and water to wash the parts for 10 minutes, at about 130F.
2. Rinsed and gave a NaOH etch, using already mixed concentration.
3. Used Ti wires pressure fitted into holes in the parts. First time, I used stainless screws, but that failed as the sulfuric acid etched away enough of the screws to destroy the integrity of the connection. By bending the Ti wire and forcing it into the holes, it held tightly.
4. Soaked the parts in commercial anodizing dye for 20 minutes, it was about 80F.
5. Boiled for 20 minutes.
Thanks again for the tips!
Thank you so much for your comments, always good to hear how other people do it.
Yes stainless screws don't work as you found out. However Titanium screws are available and work perfectly, that's what I use most of the time these days. I got some M3 and M4 Titanium screws on AlliExpress. I put a loop of Titanium wire around and secure it into a threaded hole on the part. You have reminded me that I must do an update to my video explaining this.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge...I'm a beginner and I feel incredibly informed from your videos and I'll put all your tips and recommendations into practice. Thank you 😊
Thanks a lot from Germany. I‘m still in the phase studying the stuff I find on the internet, your video helps me very much.
Thanks for commenting, pleased that you find my video useful. Wishing you all the best with your anodising.
Many thanks from the USA! great videos on thos process!
I found most of what I needed on your website....but it would be nice to have actual steps, times, and temperatures. Thanks again!
Thank Lee you for your comments and these are much appreciated. Next time I do some anodising I will take some step notes, times and measurements for that job to post on my website as a reference. It might be some weeks until I do. However if you use the Contact Me page on my website and send me a little reminder note that will prompt me and I can also let you know when it is done.
@@grahamham3398 Sounds good...I'm doing some of my own trial/error but I must say I don't have a setup that's as controlled as yours so I fear I have more variables so results are somewhat more sporadic. Thanks for the reply!
@@lkeddie My setup was put together over some years 15+ and at the beginning it was very basic, not what you see now. I am still learning and results are not always as expected but it is a process and very rewarding.
Hi Gram back for Part 2 after watching Part 1. It s color the aluminum time. We cannot wait to see the color selected by you for this example. We both have a favorite one the blue. 7075 here aerospace grade aluminum for us we love it. You do have a nice selection of your titanium wires we use them in our titanium oxide coating process station here.
You sure do have a lot of colors for anodizing aluminum, that is really nice for personal usage as well.
Nice work your black parts look good.
Lance & Patrick.
Fantastic structured process...no wonder you get great results! Would it be too much to ask if you could please detail the actual steps including actual solution mixes and times? If you've done that already, could you point me to where? Thanks so much for documenting this!
That was awesome !!!
Thank you for your work.
i want to make my own cnc, i study freecad for drawing cnc machine plan, and after made a cnc i will need anodising for more beautiful work.
Catchy name
Nice tutorial. You have a very nice setup.
Thank you.
Gracias excelente
I couldn't find the Sandol? dies anywhere. Anyone have a link or proper spelling? Will be getting bulk
Thank you for sharing your experience this is very informative
I have a 50-year-old anodized aluminum part from a motorcycle. It used to be black, but the color has since faded off and I would like to make it black again. Since the part has already been anodized, although long ago, would I be able to start the process from the color bath after a thorough cleaning, or will I need to sand the part back and start over with anodizing process? It sounded from your comments that the anodizing process is really a one-shot thing.
In order to re-colour an anodised part the entire process must be performed from start to finish, that is starting from bare aluminium.
It is possible to strip a previously anodised part by soaking it in a strong caustic solution however this is a very toxic process and I would only suggest doing it if you have all the required safety precautions in place. Also dimensionally the part will be effected as you are in fact removing a layer of what was the parts previously anodised surface. In short I wouldn't recommend it. However instead if you do want to restore the part to a nice black finish I would suggest black powder coating.
Appreciate you taking the time for this detailed how-to video. Is it ok to use the pot for cooking after using to seal the parts?
Personally I have a cheep dedicated large pot I only use for this purpose, and would recommend doing that.
Can you please do a video that how prepare the all chemical. Its reali helpful us. Thank you
Hi. Thanks very much for this excellent video.
On the subject of different grades of aluminium, have you anodised 7075 at any point ?
Not 7075, the closest to that I have anodized is 6061.
Support Caswell!
Best vids I've found for this process, many thanks. Have you ever tried hard anodising. Something I'm considering for motorbike parts as they're subject to more wear. Also, one thing confusing me in the 3rd video is Current Density. How is that controlled exactly?
Never considered hard Anodising. All that I have ever done wouldn't benefit from that process. I believe it is a different process and I have not seen anything of someone having a home setup to do it. Many years ago before retirement I did have a job that needed Hard Anodising, we had a company that manufactured aircraft wheels do it. That was probably 45 years ago and that company is long gone. So sorry i cant help you with that one.
Now the plot thickens. I've not heard of hard anodising until now. So this is the method motorcycle manufacturers use for their aluminium parts ??
I want to restore a top triple clamp and other bits on my 2001 ZX9R and I now suspect what you're saying could be correct. I have to seek this out and if it is right then the anodising method shown here may not be suitable. Are there kits for "hard anodising" ??
I learned a lot watching your videos. However you did not say everything that needed to be said. I had to learn more after this. On my own. So don’t be too proud of it. But still, nice start. There are a lot of things that do not need to be done and a lot of things at the beginning that should be better described.!! I would be more than happy to help anyone with this process.!!
I am glad that my video helped you start the process of learning how to Anodise at home. There will always be things to learn as even two years after I made this video I am still learning. When I started now 16+ years ago I had to teach myself absolutely everything, there were no RUclips videos. I am not sure why you say "so don't be too proud of it", I am sure you watched both parts 1 and 2. I do not profess to know everything. I look forward to seeing your perfectly detailed video on how to do Anodising at Home. I was considering doing a new follow up video of some new techniques I now use but after your comment I wonder why should I bother.
Thanks for this video . Are the color dye is organic or inorganic?
Sorry no idea, not something I looked into. I purchased from Caswell.
www.caswellplating.com.au/
Enjoyed both of the videos in this series ,
Possible to link or name the aerator you use in the tank ?
Hard to find and I don’t really want to go the air stone route.
Also you show how to cool the acid tank but what are you using to get it up to temps.
Thanks for your time and effort in helping others
I purchased my air pump from a local Aquarium retailer, not on line so don't have a link. I purchased it over 5 years ago. It has 2 outlets that are individually controllable for air flow. I use aquarium silicon hose and the part that goes into the acid tank is made from a length if rigid pipe and a mist head the type that is used for watering plants. I wrap a small piece of lead around the bottom of it to hold it down in the tank. The idea is to have enough bubbles to just lightly agitate the anodising solution, you want reasonably sized bubbles to do this. Definitely not an air stone as used in fish tanks. I don't use any heating system for the acid, the ambient temperature is never low enough to warrant that, I don't anodise on days that cold. Hope this helps. Cheers
hamrx8 thanks for the details response yes that does help a lot and I appreciate it .
Keep up the good contents .
You have another sub, thanks
Luv your Content & Delivery of it...
👉Went to your Website to send message but, well you know🤓 I wanted to ask your advice if the size aluminum parts I want to Anodize are the very small, 1-25scale custom model parts I machine largest being size of a US quarter. Would 1000ml glass beakers be large enough?
Thanks Mate!
Lee
Yes I would say that would be quite ok doing one part at a time. Remember that the acid will become warm and the ideal is to not let it get beyond around 22 Deg Celsius. You could place the beaker into a tub of cold water to dissipate the heat if needed.
@@hamrx8 great idea-thanks!
I have a part that was already anodised black but over the years it has worn off in parts and there is some wear on the aluminum. It has been suggested to me to just get it powder coated a much cheaper option. The part is on a lever-action rifle I have owned for 46 years and I don't want to stuff it up and don't have space for such a setup. Will you do it for me? Cheers!
Sir, what is the acid to distilled water ratio do you used in anodizing. Example,one liter water to how many teaspoon of sodium bisulphate? Thank ypu.
Details are on my website of the mixing ratio. I use Sulfuric Acid I have no knowledge of using Sodium Bisulphate. I have heard of it being used for anodising but I have never tried it. I have only ever used 99% Pure Sulfuric Acid obtained from a local chemical supply company.
My Anodising Bath is around 20Ltrs so its 15Ltrs of Water and 5 Ltrs of Acid. (the Sulfuric Acid is 99% pure) Just be sure to put 15Lts of water into the container and then gradually over 3-4 hours add the acid. A lot of heat is generated during the mixing process so the mix needs time to cool before each time you add some acid. Wear eye protection, long rubber gloves and old cloths.
I took most of a day to mix mine about 250mL of acid at a time. I sat the plastic anodising acid bath in the laundry sink that had cold water in it to help cool the acid.
www.hamrx8.com/Home_Anodising.html
How many anodizing cycles are those plastic tubs good for? Would you recommend getting a different material, or is periodic replacement simply the cost of business and just an accepted part of your overhead?
Edit: obviously the tubs with water will last you, but i mean for the ones used in the caustic baths
I have never replaced the plastic tubs ever in ten years and I dont see a need to replace them for another 10 years. They are made from Polypropylene (PP).
Polypropylene or HDPE will work. PP can withstand higher temperatures. Search online for plastic/resin chemical compatibility charts if you want to verify for your process.
Thank you! Just a couple of questions 1. muriatic acid as a cleaning solution? and also as the anodizing solution? 2. Copper as a anode material?
Sorry I have never considered Muriatic Acid so am unable to comment. In fact no idea if that combination with copper would work. Certainly not the traditional way to anodise aluminium.
@hamrx8 great videos! I noticed you used a spreadsheet to calculate voltage, current, time, and other variables, any possibility you could share that?
Any experience or reading materials on Type 3 hard anodization processes? As I understand it the temperature should be much lower, between 0 to 10 C, and a higher voltage range, between 10V and 100V, while Type 1 and 2 are only up to 50V. However, I'm not finding many good resources on doing Type 3 anodization at home.
Thank you for your comment.
There are download links to my spread sheet and an explanation:
studio.ruclips.net/user/video0MhhrBxlW0w/edit/basic
Sorry I have no experience or knowledge regarding type 3 hard anodising.
@@hamrx8 thanks for the reply, appears to be an invalid link
@@UriahGnu Did you try both links, I just tested them and both worked for me. Anyway try the following:
www.hamrx8.com/Home_Anodising.html
@@hamrx8 perfect thanks a lot
Thank you for the video! Have you ever tried printer paint (powder or liquid) as anodising dye?
No I have not. In the beginning I tried clothing dye without much success.
I have tried pencil ink, marker ink, and even printer ink has worked, but it is hard to get dark color
Hey, great video first off! lots of detailed information and seemed like it flowed really well some videos are just all over the place hard to really know what is needed or the steps to take, one question I do have though, I noticed you had a stack of papers like the one you showed that had the square measurement & required amps needed, was that a template you made yourself?
Thank you for your comment and I am pleased you found my videos to be informative.
As to the papers you mention. These are printouts from an Excel spread sheet I created that I use to calculate based on the surface aria of the component the relevant Anodising settings. This file is downloadable and you will find another video on my channel explaining it.
ruclips.net/video/0MhhrBxlW0w/видео.html
Please explain possible reasons where dye was not impregnated to Aluminum even though anodized layer was clearly evident on the surface. Please advise. Thank you
That can happen where there might have been something on the surface that did not allow the full depth of anodising required for the dye to soak in fully. You can have what looks like an anodised surface but for dye to get properly into the anodised pores they have to be significantly deep enough. Then sometimes it just happens I cant explain, I am not a professional anodised and my setup is just for home and hobby use. So not always perfect.
Thank you. Any possibility this happened because of voltage? Is 12volt a must to give in anodizing bath irrespective of sample size? Any professional anodizer contact details to some advice please.
@@miyanimthy My understanding is that anodising density is related to current and not so much voltage. I originally researched all this on the internet well over 10 years ago when I first started. There are many other people doing it at home and have posted their experience and methods on RUclips. I have watched some and there are good and not so good. Sorry I dont have any links or professional anodised contacts I can provide. The setup I have now performs really well and suits my needs exactly so I have never felt the need to become professional. I don't sell my services its just for my hobby.
@@hamrx8 Thank you so much. I am trying with different methods and still not able to get the required color after dipped in the dye. Anodized layer is there; but dye is not adhering to it. Any electrical connection required in the dying tank? In the anodizing tank I have used Aluminium on both side and working piece at the center. Your exper advise is requested to get proper dyeing after anodization? Thanks again.
@@miyanimthy My first question is, are you using a dye that is made specifically for anodising. For the dye to soak into the anodised surface you need to have achieved a thick enough layer. My spreadsheet shows both anodising times Have you used my spreadsheet downloadable from my website: www.hamrx8.com/Home_Anodising.html
Oh and no you don't need any electrical connection to dye.
thank you
and what you use for cleaning solution, degreasing solution? (chemical compound?)
Caswell Aluminum Degreaser Powder. Caswell have most of the chemicals you will need. Look for a distributor in your country.
caswellplating.com/anodizing-products/anodizing-accessories.html
@@hamrx8 I am from Georgia there is no distributor here and noone who can anodize aluminium :D I already did it yesterday and came out pretty good. Used alcohol for degreasing
@@naengineer I also use a product that in Australia is called "Shellite" to clean my items, you may find it is called Lighter Fluid.
Its a really handy solvent to have around the workshop for all sorts of cleaning.
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you forgot to one grade 7075 alloy
My supplier does not list in their catalogue or stock any 7075 alloy so I have never had any experience with it. I think perhaps because 7075 is similar to 6061 and 6061 maybe easier to work with and more preferred.
Hi, could I ask a favour if you wouldn’t mind helping me with a bit of maths when it comes to the concentration of the acid.
Looking to implement Caswells LCD method.
I have some sulphuric acid which is 91% I assume other 9% is water.
Looking for a 10% acid to 90% h2O in a 20ltr tank.
Would it be 2197g Acid
17803g H2O
Hope you wouldn’t mind help me out please beforehand
Thanks
Mix acid % based on Volume. The fact that your acid is 90% that's close enough. You don't have to precisely accurate within 10% would be fine. So for instance a 1L container of Water add the % of acid for the concentration you want eg 10% of 1L = 0.1L (100mL) of acid (perhaps a tad more if you acid is 90% pore).
If you wanted to build up the thickness of the color, how would you go about doing that?
The colour will only be as deep as the anodized layer. Anodising for a longer time will increase the thickness but only to a degree. But once coloured and sealed that's it you cant do anything more.
@@hamrx8 Thank you for the information. Another question. After a part is colored then dried for a few days, but not sealed, what would happen if a person would put the part back into the anodizing solution then back into the coloring solution?
@@donaldhollingsworth3875 Absolutely nothing, for a start all the existing colour would probably leach out into the acid bath. Plus unless you still had an electrical contact to the bare aluminium there would be zero conductivity. An anodised layer is an electrical insulator. Sorry what you propose just would not work.
very interesting , I'm just curious what your wife says about the mess ?😂
Sadly my wife passed away 20 years ago and it was some years later after I retired that I started anodising. Fortunately I am very tidy to clean up after the job is done. Its only the colouring and sealing that is done in the kitchen, the main process is all done in the garage.
@@grahamham3398 Hello Gram Im sorry for your loss , I can see everything is nice and clean, I have a question about anodize a vintage stereo aluminum face is possible to reproduce the original lettering marks after the anodize process ?
The usual process after anodising would be to screen print or Laser engrave the lettering. However Laser engraving is only suitable if the anodising colour is a dark colour as what the laser does is to remove the colour dye to expose the underlying aluminium. If the face plate is anodised natural with no colour then screen printing or similar would be the likely way to do it.
When you say black is the hardest to do try red that’s the worst can you not get your alloy finish better
I have no problems with Red but sometimes Black can be a bit inconsistent it can end up looking like a really dark blue.
hamrx8 try mixing your dye a bit stronger that helps with black
oh my god for the effort.. equipment and time your took just get a professional company to do it plus the time and effort for such poor results just give up 😛😛😛😛😛
Its a hobby, I enjoy doing it myself and learning new skills. Whats wrong with that. Plus for me the results are more than adequate.
Di tunggu kunjungan balik nya ya dari Istanto Cell
I wonder what's the difference between type 1 and type 2 anodizing?
Type I anodize refers to chromic acid anodizing. Type II is normal “clear” sulfuric acid anodizing. Type III is “hardcoat” using sulfuric acid or mixed chemistry electrolytes. All Linetec anodize finishes are produced as a Class I coating, with the exception of ANO-204 Clear, which is a Class II coating.
linetec.com/2013/10/01/class-i-and-class-ii-anodize/
@@hamrx8 Thanks' for the info. I'm looking for a black really durable finish. It's just tough to find a company that will deal with small jobs. They all want to make the big bucks! lol
@@homegrownpyrotechnics70-30 Yes understand. The type II I do is just standard so more protective and decorative that hard and durable. I have never had the need for Type III.
@@hamrx8 Is a type 2 possible DIY at home? Is it the time that the parts are in the acid bath like a longer length of time? To form a thicker layer. I’m sure I’ll read up on it at a later date. But thanks for the info! 👍
@@homegrownpyrotechnics70-30 Type II is what I do and yes the longer you let the part sit in the tank during the process the thicker the anodising surface layer will be. For instance if I am not colouring the part I anodize for about an hour but to get a thicker surface for the dye to soak into I give it about 1.5-2 Hours. Type II is not technically what they call "hardcoat" anodizing but it is pretty hard and resistant to abrasion.