Thinking of anodizing parts at home: Words of wisdom?

[MrTitanium]

Wanting to experiment with both 6061 and 7075.

I’m a technician, not a chemist, so please don’t get all Walter White on me with how interesting the periodic tables are because you’ll lose me. Members who can steer me in the right direction would be appreciated.

TIA.

 

[jkflow]

@slick2500 , I believe he has done it

 

[Bustedaw11]

It's actually a very simple (stupid simple) process.

Hang on and I'll try and find you a vid that somes it up. Youtube and you'll see tons of methods that all get the same outcome.

 

[Doom!]

Go back and search posts from I think it was @FatCatRC a long while back, I know he was doing it.

 

[Bustedaw11]

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Materials Needed to Anodize Aluminum​

The materials you’ll need to anodize are pretty basic and not too expensive. If you think you’ll be doing this somewhat regularly, it makes sense to set up a home anodizing station.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Sulfuric acid
• Distilled water
• Several tanks (containers) to hold the liquids
• A cathode
• Aluminum wire (titanium will also work)
• Degreaser
• Lye
• Acid neutralizer
• A power source
• Dye (if you want a colored part)

You will also need a well-ventilated area to set up your anodizing station, as well as personal safety gear (eye protection, gloves, respirator, etc.).

In addition to the necessary materials above, you may also want to purchase some optional items to make your work easier. These include the following:

• An agitator for the acid bath
• Scotch-Brite pads for cleaning parts before anodizing
• Ping pong balls (put in the tank to prevent acid mist)
• Cheap tea kettle to heat dye
• Fish tank heater to regulate tank temperature
• Cooking thermometer for checking temperatures

How to Anodize Aluminum at Home​

Below are the basic step-by-step instructions to follow for the at-home hobbyist to anodizing aluminum parts yourself. Please keep in mind that it does take time to master the process, and your materials may require some tweaks.

1. Use the Scotch-Brite pad to clean the surface and remove any machining marks.
2. Put on your safety equipment, including gloves.
3. Use the degreaser to clean the part well, then rinse with the distilled water.
4. Etch the part by dipping in a lye bath for 3-5 minutes. Use roughly 4 tablespoons of lye to 1 gallon of water.
5. Remove from the lye bath and rinse with distilled water.
6. Check for cleanliness by pouring water on the piece. If clean, the water should runoff. If the water beads on the surface, the part is not clean enough for anodizing.
7. Rack the part by securing it to the aluminum (or titanium) wire. Ensure the connection is good, and don’t forget there will be an unanodized mark where the wire is in contact with the part.
8. Create the bath by adding sulfuric acid to the distilled water in your anodizing container at a ratio of 1 part acid to 3 parts water. Note that anodizing is most successful when the bath temperature is 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything above 75 F or below 65 F won’t yield good results.
9. Now everything goes in the tank. Add the cathode, making sure it won’t touch the part(s). Add the agitator. Suspend your parts in the tank, making sure they aren’t touching anything. Add the heater and thermometer. Add the ping pong balls to cover the surface.
10. Make sure the temperature is 70 degrees before proceeding.
11. Set up your power supply and connect the positive terminal to the wire attached to the part(s). The negative side is attached to the cathode. Now things can get touchy.
12. The amperage is set based on the total surface area being anodized. For a good, hard surface, use 0.03 amps per square inch, and for a softer surface that will take dye better, use 0.02 amps per square inch.
13. Start at 16 volts. You can find all sorts of online calculators, but a home setup starting at 16 volts should get you pretty close. Keep an eye on the tank temperature as the process goes along. The temperature can increase when the process is underway.
14. While the anodizing process is going on, heat your dyes. For most colors, 140° F works best for most colors, but some work better at cooler temperatures. You’ll have to experiment with your brands and colors.
15. Prepare one tank of distilled water and another with your acid neutralizer.
16. Turn off the power and remove your parts from the anodizing tank. Dip first in the distilled water for 10-15 seconds, then rinse in the acid neutralizer tank for 5 minutes. Rinse a second time in the distilled water and dunk the parts in the dye. They should immediately begin to take the color, but be sure to leave the parts in the dye for 10-15 minutes, depending on how deep you want the color to be.
17. After finishing with the dye, you want to boil the parts for 15 minutes. Boiling hardens and seals the dye

You can use rit dye as the dye but it doesn't seem to come out as well from what I've seen.
If you search anodizing dye on Google you will have multiple sources come up. I'd recommend getting the right stuff to do the job and not cheap out on using rit dye. You could try the cheap stuff on some random parts to see the finish.
https://caswellplating.com/anodizing-products/anodizing-dyes.html


Ps this is a copy paste "how to" from the net.