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Posted by: worn Feb 21 2014, 08:34 AM

I was asked to post about anodizing. So I am including the first two attempts. The items are both designed to hold pieces to the car, an oil thermostat and a fuel filter. The oil thermostat genrally hangs by its hoses, and I don't like that. so here is what I folded with a vise and pliers. I made the cardboard pattern first, but do not have the photos of that.



and the other side


It just clips into place and then is hard to get out. I havent drilled the tabs for mounting. This one is splotchy, and it also will shine up when I seal the color by boiling the item. The color is really in there. Go longer and you can truly hard anodize, but I am just exploring this.

And I also wanted to mount the fuel filter for the 3.2. This one is made to spring clamp at top and bottom. I cupped the top to fit into the filter rim, but I will add a clamp - which I plated to look like new. (more later)


I have less than $50 invested.

Posted by: Joe Sharp Feb 21 2014, 09:26 AM

I like it. Tell me about the process. $50 is KOOL!!!

Posted by: worn Feb 21 2014, 09:45 AM

You use strips of lead at the negative terminal. I try to make a basket around the piece so there is an even electrical field. You hang the piece form the positive wire into the bath which is battery acid diluted with distilled water. THIS IS DANGEROUS STUFF. It is sulfuric acid. We are experimenting with current and time, but have had more luck with low current than high. That part was done for about 3 hrs at 1 amp.

I bought the lead and dye from a company called Caswell. They are a good company - I just wish they weren't so proprietary about what they sell, because for safety I want to know what I am working with. Last night we tried blue, and that didn't work too well - I was going with blue because the fuel pump is a Bosch blue pump, and I made an aluminum bracket.

I will try to find some pictures of the zinc plated calipers etc with a chromate surface. That is easier than anodizing.

Posted by: worn Feb 21 2014, 09:49 AM

I am making AN-adapters for this but am short one of the tube nuts. I machine the AN part and clamp it in with the metric tube nut. If any one has the metric fittings lying around I would like to hear.

Posted by: Mark Henry Feb 21 2014, 09:52 AM

Man...I want to do this to my RSR finish rims, just in clear haven't found tubs the right size yet.

I have the acid, some drain unpluggers have the correct acid. Hard clear is easy.

Posted by: worn Feb 21 2014, 10:32 AM

I am going to try hard chromated soon. Aluminum with an attitude

Posted by: Mark Henry Feb 21 2014, 11:18 AM

Of your set-up

Posted by: ruby914 Feb 21 2014, 12:26 PM

Worn,
That looks great, thanks for posting.
I anodized Ti motorcycle silencer cans in the past to get that cool rainbow effect.
But never aluminum. I remember using TSP from Home Depot for the Ti.
I saw Caswell sold the kits and dye. The dye kind of spun me out. Didn't know real aluminum anodized needed dye. I see some DIY on the net use RIT dye with varied results. Other dye get different results. Yours looks great and thick like paint.
How do you "seal" it?

Posted by: Joe Sharp Feb 24 2014, 05:53 AM

Yeah?

Posted by: Mark Henry Feb 24 2014, 06:13 AM

That's easy, dip it in boiling water.

Posted by: ruby914 Feb 24 2014, 11:03 AM

I didn't understand sealing.
Maybe I should of asked, how does water seal it?
I found this, http://aluminumsurface.blogspot.com/2009/04/why-sealing-process-is-so-important.html

Posted by: worn Feb 24 2014, 07:58 PM

I have a couple more.
The set up is simple - I tried to run a basket of lead strips like this in a polycarbonate container of diluted sulfuric acid.

I showed this before but the progression goes like this:

or this

and then after shaping and running a few hours at about 1 amp and overnight soaking in the dye:



I drop into boiling water but will be experimenting with chemical sealer. In one case the caswell dye worked well and in another case I got good results with Rit. I like to run at low current but that can be hard to achieve. I have a bit of surplus lab equipment that runs constant current.