Home Anodizing Set-up

[TomG]

Success!

All of the gremlins that showed up for the controller construction (still chasing some of them) stayed away tonight and I was able to anodize my first part. I just grabbed a piece of mystery aluminum out of the scrap bin and cleaned it up on the belt sander so it's not that pretty, but it's anodized and dyed a deep shade of blue. The pics below show it in the anodizing tank under power and in the sealant tank. The steps involved are as follows:

1) 5 minutes in the cleaner at 140ºF to clean off any grease and oil.
2) 1 minute in the etch tank at room temp to etch the surface. If the part has been buffed you would skip this step.
3) 40 minutes to 1 hour in the anodizing tank, a 15% sulfuric acid solution at 12 amps per square foot of area. Less time makes a more clear colored part, the full 60 minutes makes for more protection and leaves the part with a slight yellow tinge.
4) 5 to 20 minutes in the dye at 140ºF if desired.
5) 20 minutes in the sealer tank at 170ºF to seal and protect the color.

When I get the bench totally finished and gain a bit more experience, I'll make a video showing the entire process.

Tom