Excellent video! Few points from my experience doing anodising. Best machining alloy for subsequent anodising is 6061-T6. Some free machining alloys like 2011-T3 have more copper and give duller results. Make the anodes out of 6061-T6 al. alloy sheet. Better than lead. Clean the parts using aluminium cleaner from Caswell Plating. Do not let the parts ever dry out during the process. If you need to pause somewhere, hang part in bath of deionised water. Keep the acid bath under 23 deg. C. by submersing anodising bath in a chiller bath. Ice cubes in the chiller bath. The mark on your part is likely a residual acid mark. Try de anodised water in a spray bottle over kitchen sink. That way rinsed off cleaner or acid isn't sitting in the same rinse water bath as the part. Spray holes particularly well especially tapped holes. Heat the dye solution to 60 deg. C in microwave oven for best results. If colour is too dark or streaked due to acid leaching from hole or crevice, dip in a separate dilute sulphuric acid to instantly remove the dye, spray rinse very well and re dye in the dye bath. Spray rinse after dyeing to desired colour density then place in Caswell's mid temp. sealer bath at 80 deg. C for 20 mins to seal. Sealer is based on nickel acetate and part will come up glossy with deep rich colour. Spray rinse after sealing and dry with clean paper towel. Trust this helps.
A cheaper solution would be to send it to a anodising company. Not as satisfying, but with all the equipment cost effective. I have difficulty justifying the price of my mill and tooling.
At last, someone described/covered every necessary thing descriptively and intelligently. You spoke the language that I understand. Perfect, Thank You.
As a person who is certified to teach chemistry, I can say that your knowledge on making solutions by percentage is greatly appreciated (from a person in the US).
Bro, you are the best person to watch ever! I take safety very seriously aswell, I like how you dont just act like this is something that can be thrown together with no danger and everybody can do it from little kids on up. Some people treat this as if it isent anything to worry about. Also a big fan of math and doing things correctly. Thanks for your video.
Good job. I wish all instructional videos here on you tube took your approach. Decisive and to the point. Everything you need to know and nothing more. No going on and on about nothing while leaving out important details. So once again good job. Sorry to hear that the UK has become such a nanny state. There are those here in the US that would like to turn it in to a nanny state as well but they haven't been very successful as of yet. Thank God.
I loved "this is not a How To, it is a What Did!" Liked and subscribed immediately. Just finished, and I think that is the best DIY anodizing I've ever seen. Thanks for showing us how it's done!
Outstanding instructional vid! I've been combing TH-cam looking for tutorials for anodizing and yours is MILES above everything else I've seen. I happen to be an industrial engineer and I can pretty quickly sort out the 'shade tree" DIYers (nothing wrong with them, usually, that's what DIY is usually about), but it's nice to see something from someone who clearly knows the correct terminologies and how to outline a process like this properly. Well done and thanks for putting this out there!
I ran a small plant 30 years ago and used stainless steel electrodes in my tank which held about 200 L acid .Had a big 100 Amp constant current supply (old scr design ) . used to attached parts (to be anodized ) with q plastic clamps to Titanium bars . The fumes were dreadful and and no protective gear. lucky to be alive still. Process as follows linishing , wash tank , caustic tank , rinse tank acid tank , rinse tank , dye tank , sealing tank and all over . If we printed we silk screened before sealing. what a life and thanks for video.
Hey TH-cam actually suggested something worthwhile for once! What a hidden little gem of a channel. How can there be 400 comments and none mention the fact this video is giving me hardcore This Old Tony vibes. The creator is obviously doing himself and not trying to imitate TOT which is great. The cinematography, jokes, camera angles, editing and subject matter are all good enough to pass as a TOT video from a few years ago. That's the best compliment I can think to give. I've subscribed!
Brilliant video, informative, sufficiently detailed with reinforcement where appropriate and narrated clearly at an easily absorbed pace with no distracting musak. Very enjoyable. Thank you very much.
@@adrianheath9119 Three logicians walk into a bar. The bartender says "do you all want a drink?" The first logician says "I don't know." The second logician says "I don't know." The third logician says "Yes."
Very nice video, really detailed stuff! Being electrician I'll drop a little advice: once your voltage and current limit are set, turn the power off, plug the anode then power on. You will avoid the sparks, that could really cause an accident in other configurations..
@@safcforme3475 Come on, he's already conceded metric is the future... cut him some slack on their bastardisation (or is that bastardization) or the Queen's English! :-)
Best anodizing video on TH-cam. The time you spent on the safety issue was great. I also store the chemicals I use in my shop in open plastic containers less they "give way". Because of all the chemicals, their storage, safety issues etc, I send my aluminum parts off to professionals. They always do a great job and have a 3 - 4 day turnaround.
Excellent, been having antenna parts done professionally the past couple of years. Doing myself, with some sensible preparation and care is not beyond my abilities (40 years in an aerospace industry).
Very Accurate representation of how Anodizing is done! I am an anodize technician and for the most part, you are spot on! Since most of the chemicals are variable depending on who you ask, the only kind of tip I could give you for future reference is that heating your dye will help immensely, then wash with cold water after that. Also if you want a thicker and more durable coating on your part, take the temperature of your anodizing tank down to around -1C Degrees. That will make it more wear and corrosion-resistant.
garrett halsell I’m a student and my capstone project is a small scale anodizing system may I ask what do you think of his agitation system also why two cathodes everyone I know uses 1 cathode ?
just a few tips from someone who works with stuff like this daily. 1.sorry for my, perhald, bad english in technical stuff. 2. use seperate tanks with deionized water to rinse your parts. at best you use up to 3 containers after the NaOH and 3 after anodizing. 3. in this little setup, some grams more or less put you out of the optimized range in anodizing or galvanizing! on bigger setups like i use to work is 1-2 gramm less or more like nothing xD 4. use more NaOH or or let it in for like a minute. i dont have much expirience in anodizing more in galvanizing. you did id awesome for someone who did it for yourself at home with nearly zero experience.
Excellent, excellent! I learned so much more than from other presentations on the topic. Explaining the what and the why so fully allows the knowledge to be applied in wider contexts with a greater degree of confidence. This is the highest quality practical education. I'll be exploring all of your material. Thank you.
Nice video. Love that you took the time to show calculations and verbalize thought process. I don't have a machining tool but this looked super fun to do.
From time to time, I simply enjoy learning odd things that I'll probably never need to know, but the thirst is always there. I'm pleasantly surprised I chose this, not only for the knowledge passed along, but it's also quite possible this gentleman is Graham Chapman's or Terry Jones' kid brother. These usually aren't spattered with dry, sharp wit. Greatly appreciated Sir. I may just have to find a hunk of metal to give a fashion update
When cleaning parts with a solvent like MEK (You can probably substitute MPK, which is slightly less horrible), you want to wipe it off from a surface before it evaporates and re-desposits the very stuff you were trying to remove. Where I work the procedure is to saturate a gauze pad, and wipe it on leaving a good amount of solvent on the part, and then immediately wipe off with another pad before it can evaporate. Then repeat the process until the dry pad comes off clean.
What a good "how to do it vid". Been looking at anodizing (the American way) this UK anodising made more sense than any so far, especially about where to get the products.
A good source of lead in the UK is your local roofing contractor. They save all their off-cuts to scrap in later, so they always have odd bits laying around. Great video !
@@luisreyes1967 You have an aluminum/aluminium pocket knife? Oh, I bet you are talking about the scales! ;) With the instructions given here and by Mark Presling, you ought to be able to do a decent job at home.
I worked my way through college as an electroplater and anodized tens of thousands of parts. That being said, there is nothing that will screw up a part faster than oil of any sort. We used an electrolytic process with a detergent bath to be absolutely sure that any oils were dissolved into the solution and away from the part being anodized. Something else that should be said - the wire that connects to the part will create a "shadow area" where the target part will not be anodized. I was pleased to see the author make the connection to his part in a way to avoid the shadow or to place the shadow in an area that doesn't matter.
@@diggumsmack2 I NEVER said that steel can be anodized - I implied there are other ways to protect steel. You did NOT understand my post, There are dozens of different ways to protect steel that are entirely different from anodizing.
That was really cool. I've had 3 and a half hours of sleep and working my third 12 hour shift. When you pulled it out and it was so red, my eyes popped open and I sat up to look closer. Great job.
Just to endorse what most if not all the folk are saying, that it is an excellent video. You should try you hand at teaching if not already done so. Thankyou for sharing your experiences. Stephen.
Excellent video - I always wanted to know how anodising differed from electroplating ... and now I do! As an ex-Biomedical Scientist, I can recall vivdly the types of calculations you were performing in making up your working solutions from stock product. Very nicely done - pen and paper is always the way to go so you can see how you thought it through before you commit to your first dilutions. Many Thanks.
I just randomly happened to see this video in the right hand column while watching another video. "Hmmm, anodizing aluminum, that sounds interesting.", I said to myself. So I clicked on it... This is without a doubt one of the best how-to videos I've seen on youtube!!! Informative. Easy to understand. Great production and audio quality. I wasn't driven to fast forward through at any point... like I am with many, many lesser, boring and ill thought out videos! You've definitely found a format that works very well and I'm impressed. For what it's worth, The Recreational Machinist has gained a new subscriber from across 'the pond'. I look forward to seeing what other videos you have. Well done & thanks for uploading and sharing! ✌
I experienced similar, but not exactly, problems with "tide mark" and was able to narrow it down to the paper towels I use that contained clay. Something they use for water absorption. Or at least issue is what I believe caused uneven surface matte. Great video! The color was the best. 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
as for sulphuric acid you can purchase it at your local auto supplier as 'motorbike battery acid' - there are lots of alternative sources for 'banned' chemicals etc
I used to buy "Dry Charge" Batteries here in the U.S. .... They were batteries with no acid in them, and you went to the auto parts store, such as NAPA and bought the sulphuric acid. But I haven't seen that in about 15 years. Every battery already has the acid in it when you buy it.
what a perfect puller of the top to the membrane of the Gambro WRO300 waterpurification system ;) worked for Gambro/Baxter for 20 years building and repairing these systems and the bigger waterplants :)
What a great video! Gotta say, the 'hungry sharks' explanation was probably my favourite part. For anyone trying this, I'd also recommend wearing a respirator - acid is not good for the lungs... and proper chemical safety glasses. A splash can get around the ones you showed.
I'll vote for that! I had to pick up some parts from a large anodizing factory. As soon as I walked in to the large open front door, I felt that I needed to cough. I don't know how the people working there tolerated such an atmosphere.
You're so lucky to have a government that passes laws to protect you. I bought a sharp pointy object on day and no one asked for my ID. A few days later, I nicked my finger with it. It took days to heal. That wouldn't have happened if they had asked me for an ID.
I've done a little anodizing at home and I can almost guarantee that the slight blemish shown at the end was because the part wasn't dry (as you speculated). Personally, I dry the parts with compressed air (clean and dry compressed air) after rinsing. The unsealed anodize looks very cool as it transitions from saturated to dry. All the anodizing I've done was using sodium bisulfate, and I'd say I've had some nice success with it. Although I can apparently go buy sulfuric acid at the corner store, I didn't really want anything that corrosive in my house.
@@Mattwonga I wish I could answer more definitively, but I've only used sodium bisulfate so I don't know what advantages sulfuric acid has over it. I have to assume that sulfuric acid has some commercial advantage over sodium bisulfate though, since it's what is used by professionals. That commercial advantage could be anything from making it so anodizing jobs can be completed more quickly to it producing a higher quality (thicker? harder? easier to dye?) anodic layer.
Way to go,,, also for not loosing my attention. I'm a bit dyslexic and learn different than most people. I used to work at Allcan Aluminum where I worked on all the lines of extruded Aluminum. we used to anodize large crates of extruded aluminum but we never did any colouring of the metal. I've always wondered how it was done. On another note thanks for explaining all the details that included safety. Ive seen more idiots doing things could kill themselves than I care to admit. My garage is made of solid Sheets of corrugated steel. All Galvanized too. I have some open shelves as well and I had some muriatic acid (for prepping concrete) stored in its original container. The vapor released from summer to winter cause a lot of oxidization on the metal above the gallon jug even though the lid was tightly closed. It dissolved the cardboard seal in the lid. As you noted about double bottoms of the containers for storage. I think you may want be cautious about where it is stored as well as things around it. Why is it we try to learn from people that have no business teaching? Last Machine shop I worked at wanted to mix a special batch of acid to etch Nickel plated Valve Stems. The mixed up the acid and when it started to smoke they were coughing their guts out while I watched by the open door. Sulphuric and 3 other types of acid and I believe they didn't know the proper method, or which was the strongest or weakest. Thats Life I guess.
You sir are selling yourself short with the disclaimer about this not being a "how to" video. It's very easy to understand and is presented in a logical manner. Well done 👍
One more safety caution. The gas given off in your caustic soda bath is hydrogen. The bubbles in the electrode bath are likely to be hydrogen and oxygen. There is a potential for exlosion if these gases accumulate in the workshop. Ventilation is very important.
Well done Sir. This video should be prerequisite viewing for content creators. In a world where creators have no presence, are entitled to show themselves half ass inform viewers, and use all kinds of trickery to generate comments this is worthy of my subscription and like.
Also... Send me a note.. I just acquired a crap load of lead sheets.. I'll send you one since you are such a stellar contributor to the world.. Apparently you only need 1 bit that will last forever.
"Covered in boiling sharks" !!! Tea came out of my nose when you said that! I could tell you were from north Yorkshire as soon as I heard your accent (I'm from Scarborough). Great video. Very clear and informative. Thanks :-)
Thanks.I worked beside an anodising business fifty five years back and always wanted to know how it worked. A bit convoluted as you show but I went to plastics, as the man said in the moovie and convoluted gives quality.
Remember, sharks are blood, and chemicals are water. Wait, no, sharks are chemicals, and blood is water. Wait no, the opposite of that. Wait no, the opposite of the opposite.
I have found when using rit dye that hanging the part in the steam above the water for at least 20mins before immersing helps the dye from washing out.
Ahh, thank goodness a brit who gives me stuff I can buy over here. Lost track of "go to lowes" or home depot :P Well edited and well presented, will be checking out your other vids now. :)
This was a a fantastic video for taking the magic out of chemical metal finishing. The part that was infuriating was that it pointed out that here in the U.S. we still have not adopted the metric system. Ones and tens!
You should check out the availability for Dharma dyes, The stuff they sell for cotton shirts does not come mixed with any of the soda ash and urea needed to dye cloth. Though the burgundy dye turned blue after being exposed to bleach on my countertop. No idea what color they may change to when exposed to acid. It's cheap and you will only need like 100mg for a pint. And it will be quite opaque.
Very good video and what a pleasure to hear metric units. Unlike watching american videos where they use inches. Although I watched many of hours machining videos where dimensions were in imperial units and I know by intuiton how much ifew inches is I still can't figure in air how much is couple of thousands of inch. Finally english machining channel with normall units! :)
Fantastic and instructional video but...Boy with all the struggles getting the needed chemicals in the UK for small projects it's just simply not worth the trouble. Why in the UK you can never ever find anything easily or without breaking the bank but always easy and cheaply available in other countries is beyond my comprehension.
That was really interesting, if only my teachers at school had explained things this well, I would have done really good at school lol The part looks great, apart from the tidemark, but hey, who's going to notice that. ;-)
I used to do anodising as a job for seven years you have most of this on point and once you have cleaned the item don’t put it down just rig it up and place in the tank or container to be anodised so the will be no more contamination to the job anodise item for required time then rinse though two distilled water then put into a hot 60 degrees water with sealing salts for aluminium then the item will come out perfect 👌
( 6:10 ) also definitely no violent shaking the mix ( as some people do with orange juice cartons ). This step by step instructionsional video is laboratory accurate. Also the narration is professionally entertaining.
"Lead is hard to find in the UK" Fishing sinkers are available everywhere including the UK🤣😂👍 Brilliant video informative helpful and somehow comedic. Three thumbs up from Tasmania 🤔
Great video. My tips... get lead cathodes (roof flashing) and titanium wire (tig wire) to hold parts, grade 2 if you want it to be easy to cut and bend, grade 5 (6AL-4V) if you want stiff and springy wire. Titanium wire cost more but can be used over and over. I would forget about cleaning the parts with solvents, not going to hurt anything but a waist of time. Just clean them with dish soap and water, I prefer a tooth brush or similar to scrub the part and then do your NaOH solution. The soap gets most of the oils off and the NaOH chemically breaks down the tiny amount left behind. Always check for water break when your rinsing the parts before the anodizing bath. ALL water used should be distilled or deionized. Always use proper anodizing die as well as a proper anodizing sealer. The hazy, blotchy spots are likely from sealing in just water. Proper sealer often with a surfactant additive is what it will take to get rid of the blotchy finish. Spraying the parts directly out of the sealer bath with distilled or deionized water will help cool the part quicker and prevent mineral deposits from evaporated water. Never use tap water during any of this process.
Nicely done video! As someone who works closely with anodizing personnel I can tell you do not dry between steps, only after everything has been done. Also check the pH of the dye, there is almost always a manufacturer specified range.
I feel like I'm watching a BBC Presentation, the quality of your audio is great and you've got the voice of a presenter, love it! Oh the content is great too, hahah. :)
@@Android811 Concentrated sulphuric acid was banned for sale to the public because of the rising number of acid attacks on people in the UK. It only takes a few idiots to give government an excuse make life difficult for legitimate users.
Long time since i did any anodizing, but what i never heard you mention was temp which is very important as i learned the hard way 1st batch i did the color wouldn't take this was caused by the temp being below 70 dec so no coating was grown in the acid also when current is applied to the acid it heats up and can get to a temp were it destroys the growth on the part in the acid so sometimes with bigger parts some form of cooling tray is needed. The other thing i noticed was you didn't need to work out a time for how long the part needed in the acid this can be seen from the charger as the part gets coated it insulates it's self so the current drops and when the part is ready there will be very little to no current flow from the charger. I was told the process works better if you add a PWM to the charger current, but i never tried it.
best anodising video I've watched, finally someone who uses real scientific measurements and terminology far better than the Fahrenheit, quarts , and bucket measurement of USA presentations.
Seems awfully smug from someone whom their own government won't trust with lead, clothing dye, and battery acid. I'm in the US and I was perfectly able to enjoy this video even though it was in metric units. Namely because I don't let insignificant things bother me. You are aware there are entire industries of science, technology, and engineering over here right?
Only three countries in the world use the imperial measurement system USA -Liberia - Myanmar. these three countries have so much in common with each other only joking not really 🤣🤣🤣🤣
This is worth one college chemistry lab class. Thanks for sharing, I could remember my class on it. We did not have the dyeing portion. Which makes of it a plus or A+.
Don't forget to take a look at the text that accompanies the video 👀
Great presentation! Looks forward to watching your other videos.
eldede edeceğin bi dalga yok tolıinen ceç daha iyi. . ı am from TURKEY.
TOİEN SOLUSAN DAGA İYİ. :D
5:14 "can't even buy pointy things in the UK until you turn 18" I heard they wanted to take your kitchen knives too.
No more anodizing for the Brexiters... LOL.
Excellent video!
Few points from my experience doing anodising. Best machining alloy for subsequent anodising is 6061-T6. Some free machining alloys like 2011-T3 have more copper and give duller results. Make the anodes out of 6061-T6 al. alloy sheet. Better than lead. Clean the parts using aluminium cleaner from Caswell Plating. Do not let the parts ever dry out during the process. If you need to pause somewhere, hang part in bath of deionised water. Keep the acid bath under 23 deg. C. by submersing anodising bath in a chiller bath. Ice cubes in the chiller bath. The mark on your part is likely a residual acid mark. Try de anodised water in a spray bottle over kitchen sink. That way rinsed off cleaner or acid isn't sitting in the same rinse water bath as the part. Spray holes particularly well especially tapped holes. Heat the dye solution to 60 deg. C in microwave oven for best results. If colour is too dark or streaked due to acid leaching from hole or crevice, dip in a separate dilute sulphuric acid to instantly remove the dye, spray rinse very well and re dye in the dye bath. Spray rinse after dyeing to desired colour density then place in Caswell's mid temp. sealer bath at 80 deg. C for 20 mins to seal. Sealer is based on nickel acetate and part will come up glossy with deep rich colour. Spray rinse after sealing and dry with clean paper towel. Trust this helps.
A cheaper solution would be to send it to a anodising company.
Not as satisfying, but with all the equipment cost effective.
I have difficulty justifying the price of my mill and tooling.
That works for me 😎🇺🇸👍
At last, someone described/covered every necessary thing descriptively and intelligently. You spoke the language that I understand. Perfect, Thank You.
This is exactly how all technical videos should be done. This was excellent in every way. Thank you.
This is not a you tube video, this is an achievement in presentation, used language, info content, life experience. Hats off and thank you!
You could totally be the narrator for "How It's Made", Tony Hirst wouldn't stand a chance, the UK needs more enthusiasts like this.
As a person who is certified to teach chemistry, I can say that your knowledge on making solutions by percentage is greatly appreciated (from a person in the US).
Bro, you are the best person to watch ever! I take safety very seriously aswell, I like how you dont just act like this is something that can be thrown together with no danger and everybody can do it from little kids on up. Some people treat this as if it isent anything to worry about. Also a big fan of math and doing things correctly. Thanks for your video.
Good job. I wish all instructional videos here on you tube took your approach. Decisive and to the point. Everything you need to know and nothing more. No going on and on about nothing while leaving out important details. So once again good job.
Sorry to hear that the UK has become such a nanny state. There are those here in the US that would like to turn it in to a nanny state as well but they haven't been very successful as of yet. Thank God.
I loved "this is not a How To, it is a What Did!" Liked and subscribed immediately.
Just finished, and I think that is the best DIY anodizing I've ever seen. Thanks for showing us how it's done!
I am watching this just out of curiosity. But I must say, your voice would be perfect for story telling, audio books and such. Great video!
By far the best anodizing video on TH-cam 👍
I couldn't agree more.
Outstanding instructional vid! I've been combing TH-cam looking for tutorials for anodizing and yours is MILES above everything else I've seen. I happen to be an industrial engineer and I can pretty quickly sort out the 'shade tree" DIYers (nothing wrong with them, usually, that's what DIY is usually about), but it's nice to see something from someone who clearly knows the correct terminologies and how to outline a process like this properly. Well done and thanks for putting this out there!
Very well done! Your precautions and double safety storage notes are spot on too. One of the best anodizing videos I’ve seen - THANK YOU ! ! !
I ran a small plant 30 years ago and used stainless steel electrodes in my tank which held about 200 L acid .Had a big 100 Amp constant current supply (old scr design ) . used to attached parts (to be anodized ) with q plastic clamps to Titanium bars . The fumes were dreadful and and no protective gear. lucky to be alive still. Process as follows linishing , wash tank , caustic tank , rinse tank acid tank , rinse tank , dye tank , sealing tank and all over . If we printed we silk screened before sealing. what a life and thanks for video.
Hey TH-cam actually suggested something worthwhile for once! What a hidden little gem of a channel. How can there be 400 comments and none mention the fact this video is giving me hardcore This Old Tony vibes. The creator is obviously doing himself and not trying to imitate TOT which is great. The cinematography, jokes, camera angles, editing and subject matter are all good enough to pass as a TOT video from a few years ago. That's the best compliment I can think to give. I've subscribed!
Brilliant video, informative, sufficiently detailed with reinforcement where appropriate and narrated clearly at an easily absorbed pace with no distracting musak. Very enjoyable. Thank you very much.
I just kept smiling.
Fantastic video
Brilliant editing
Well worth 30 minutes of anyone's time
(Yes I watched it twice)
Did you watch it twice because it's only 15 minutes long.
@@michaellinner7772 no. I'd have watched it twice if it were 30 mins. I just really enjoyed it
@@adrianheath9119 Three logicians walk into a bar. The bartender says "do you all want a drink?" The first logician says "I don't know." The second logician says "I don't know." The third logician says "Yes."
Why this comment section is so funny for me?
This is the third time, he’s only made so many videos and I have nothing better to do
This is by far the best tutorial I have seen regarding small scale anodizing. Thanks so much and greetings from Oregon.
Very nice video, really detailed stuff!
Being electrician I'll drop a little advice: once your voltage and current limit are set, turn the power off, plug the anode then power on. You will avoid the sparks, that could really cause an accident in other configurations..
I have to add the compliments. By far the Best Anodising presentation I've come across. Clear and concise. Thank you.
Bravo- From a Yank's viewpoint a GREAT argument FOR using metric and math to boot! I appreciate your efforts!
@@safcforme3475 Come on, he's already conceded metric is the future... cut him some slack on their bastardisation (or is that bastardization) or the Queen's English! :-)
@@MrMairu555 :D
What is math?
Best anodizing video on TH-cam. The time you spent on the safety issue was great. I also store the chemicals I use in my shop in open plastic containers less they "give way". Because of all the chemicals, their storage, safety issues etc, I send my aluminum parts off to professionals. They always do a great job and have a 3 - 4 day turnaround.
Excellent, been having antenna parts done professionally the past couple of years. Doing myself, with some sensible preparation and care is not beyond my abilities (40 years in an aerospace industry).
Very Accurate representation of how Anodizing is done! I am an anodize technician and for the most part, you are spot on! Since most of the chemicals are variable depending on who you ask, the only kind of tip I could give you for future reference is that heating your dye will help immensely, then wash with cold water after that. Also if you want a thicker and more durable coating on your part, take the temperature of your anodizing tank down to around -1C Degrees. That will make it more wear and corrosion-resistant.
garrett halsell I’m a student and my capstone project is a small scale anodizing system may I ask what do you think of his agitation system also why two cathodes everyone I know uses 1 cathode ?
just a few tips from someone who works with stuff like this daily.
1.sorry for my, perhald, bad english in technical stuff.
2. use seperate tanks with deionized water to rinse your parts. at best you use up to 3 containers after the NaOH and 3 after anodizing.
3. in this little setup, some grams more or less put you out of the optimized range in anodizing or galvanizing! on bigger setups like i use to work is 1-2 gramm less or more like nothing xD
4. use more NaOH or or let it in for like a minute.
i dont have much expirience in anodizing more in galvanizing. you did id awesome for someone who did it for yourself at home with nearly zero experience.
Excellent, excellent! I learned so much more than from other presentations on the topic. Explaining the what and the why so fully allows the knowledge to be applied in wider contexts with a greater degree of confidence.
This is the highest quality practical education. I'll be exploring all of your material. Thank you.
Not a single clue about what you were describing, but the video was very well done. You have talent well beyond anodisation.
I agree. I wasn't interested in the topic but I watched the first 15:00 because of your video production and great sounding audio.
This is the most in depth tutorial I've seen so far. Great job!
Nice video. Love that you took the time to show calculations and verbalize thought process. I don't have a machining tool but this looked super fun to do.
From time to time, I simply enjoy learning odd things that I'll probably never need to know, but the thirst is always there. I'm pleasantly surprised I chose this, not only for the knowledge passed along, but it's also quite possible this gentleman is Graham Chapman's or Terry Jones' kid brother. These usually aren't spattered with dry, sharp wit. Greatly appreciated Sir. I may just have to find a hunk of metal to give a fashion update
When cleaning parts with a solvent like MEK (You can probably substitute MPK, which is slightly less horrible), you want to wipe it off from a surface before it evaporates and re-desposits the very stuff you were trying to remove. Where I work the procedure is to saturate a gauze pad, and wipe it on leaving a good amount of solvent on the part, and then immediately wipe off with another pad before it can evaporate. Then repeat the process until the dry pad comes off clean.
What a good "how to do it vid". Been looking at anodizing (the American way) this UK anodising made more sense than any so far, especially about where to get the products.
Amazing video!! The most professional how to video I have ever seen on TH-cam.
A good source of lead in the UK is your local roofing contractor. They save all their off-cuts to scrap in later, so they always have odd bits laying around. Great video !
just a pointer for you ,
when you clean the part
do not place on printed paper,
as there is oil in the printing ink
I think I will have to go to University and do a career in Physics or Chemistry to be able to anodize my pocket knife
@@luisreyes1967 You have an aluminum/aluminium pocket knife? Oh, I bet you are talking about the scales! ;) With the instructions given here and by Mark Presling, you ought to be able to do a decent job at home.
I worked my way through college as an electroplater and anodized tens of thousands of parts. That being said, there is nothing that will screw up a part faster than oil of any sort. We used an electrolytic process with a detergent bath to be absolutely sure that any oils were dissolved into the solution and away from the part being anodized.
Something else that should be said - the wire that connects to the part will create a "shadow area" where the target part will not be anodized. I was pleased to see the author make the connection to his part in a way to avoid the shadow or to place the shadow in an area that doesn't matter.
@@luisreyes1967 - There is another chemical process used for steel.
@@diggumsmack2 I NEVER said that steel can be anodized - I implied there are other ways to protect steel. You did NOT understand my post, There are dozens of different ways to protect steel that are entirely different from anodizing.
That was really cool. I've had 3 and a half hours of sleep and working my third 12 hour shift. When you pulled it out and it was so red, my eyes popped open and I sat up to look closer. Great job.
This is what it would sound like,if Sir David Attenborough did a documentary on Aluminium Anodising.
lol
Hmmm yeah maybe ...until 2:00-2:25...when Benny Hill takes over with comment about being showered by boiling sharks ....lol
Just to endorse what most if not all the folk are saying, that it is an excellent video. You should try you hand at teaching if not already done so. Thankyou for sharing your experiences. Stephen.
Excellent video - I always wanted to know how anodising differed from electroplating ... and now I do! As an ex-Biomedical Scientist, I can recall vivdly the types of calculations you were performing in making up your working solutions from stock product. Very nicely done - pen and paper is always the way to go so you can see how you thought it through before you commit to your first dilutions. Many Thanks.
Very clear instructions with none of the umms and ahs we hear so much. Fantastic result if quite complex a procedure.
I just randomly happened to see this video in the right hand column while watching another video. "Hmmm, anodizing aluminum, that sounds interesting.", I said to myself. So I clicked on it...
This is without a doubt one of the best how-to videos I've seen on youtube!!! Informative. Easy to understand. Great production and audio quality. I wasn't driven to fast forward through at any point... like I am with many, many lesser, boring and ill thought out videos! You've definitely found a format that works very well and I'm impressed. For what it's worth, The Recreational Machinist has gained a new subscriber from across 'the pond'. I look forward to seeing what other videos you have. Well done & thanks for uploading and sharing! ✌
Exactly the same here
I second that comment! Great tutorial. 🎆
Couldn't have said it better myself... totally super professional presentation and just loved it.
I experienced similar, but not exactly, problems with "tide mark" and was able to narrow it down to the paper towels I use that contained clay. Something they use for water absorption. Or at least issue is what I believe caused uneven surface matte.
Great video! The color was the best.
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
You are on the next level as far as TH-camrs go! Excellent job all the way around, including your math! Thanks alot!!!
as for sulphuric acid you can purchase it at your local auto supplier as 'motorbike battery acid' - there are lots of alternative sources for 'banned' chemicals etc
I used to buy "Dry Charge" Batteries here in the U.S. .... They were batteries with no acid in them, and you went to the auto parts store, such as NAPA and bought the sulphuric acid. But I haven't seen that in about 15 years. Every battery already has the acid in it when you buy it.
what a perfect puller of the top to the membrane of the Gambro WRO300 waterpurification system ;)
worked for Gambro/Baxter for 20 years building and repairing these systems and the bigger waterplants :)
The large grey circular part of the puller is the end cap from a long defunct WRO100 😉
What a great video! Gotta say, the 'hungry sharks' explanation was probably my favourite part.
For anyone trying this, I'd also recommend wearing a respirator - acid is not good for the lungs... and proper chemical safety glasses. A splash can get around the ones you showed.
I'll vote for that! I had to pick up some parts from a large anodizing factory. As soon as I walked in to the large open front door, I felt that I needed to cough. I don't know how the people working there tolerated such an atmosphere.
You're so lucky to have a government that passes laws to protect you. I bought a sharp pointy object on day and no one asked for my ID. A few days later, I nicked my finger with it. It took days to heal. That wouldn't have happened if they had asked me for an ID.
wow , totally super professional presentation and just loved it. Thanks for sharing and Greetings from WW2HistoryHunter.
Interesting hunts u on.. I'll be going thru your vids.. Just to gain insight.. Thanks for the sharings..
Really enjoyed your presentation, very easy to follow and well explained for each step. No waffle just presentation.
I've done a little anodizing at home and I can almost guarantee that the slight blemish shown at the end was because the part wasn't dry (as you speculated). Personally, I dry the parts with compressed air (clean and dry compressed air) after rinsing. The unsealed anodize looks very cool as it transitions from saturated to dry.
All the anodizing I've done was using sodium bisulfate, and I'd say I've had some nice success with it. Although I can apparently go buy sulfuric acid at the corner store, I didn't really want anything that corrosive in my house.
sodium bisulfate vs Sulfuric acid? what would be the improvement with the acid compared to sodium ?
@@Mattwonga I wish I could answer more definitively, but I've only used sodium bisulfate so I don't know what advantages sulfuric acid has over it. I have to assume that sulfuric acid has some commercial advantage over sodium bisulfate though, since it's what is used by professionals. That commercial advantage could be anything from making it so anodizing jobs can be completed more quickly to it producing a higher quality (thicker? harder? easier to dye?) anodic layer.
Way to go,,, also for not loosing my attention. I'm a bit dyslexic and learn different than most people. I used to work at Allcan Aluminum where I worked on all the lines of extruded Aluminum. we used to anodize large crates of extruded aluminum but we never did any colouring of the metal. I've always wondered how it was done. On another note thanks for explaining all the details that included safety. Ive seen more idiots doing things could kill themselves than I care to admit. My garage is made of solid Sheets of corrugated steel. All Galvanized too. I have some open shelves as well and I had some muriatic acid (for prepping concrete) stored in its original container. The vapor released from summer to winter cause a lot of oxidization on the metal above the gallon jug even though the lid was tightly closed. It dissolved the cardboard seal in the lid. As you noted about double bottoms of the containers for storage. I think you may want be cautious about where it is stored as well as things around it. Why is it we try to learn from people that have no business teaching? Last Machine shop I worked at wanted to mix a special batch of acid to etch Nickel plated Valve Stems. The mixed up the acid and when it started to smoke they were coughing their guts out while I watched by the open door. Sulphuric and 3 other types of acid and I believe they didn't know the proper method, or which was the strongest or weakest. Thats Life I guess.
Don't leave the EU, man. We need you.;-)
Good job and effort on the video.
You sir are selling yourself short with the disclaimer about this not being a "how to" video. It's very easy to understand and is presented in a logical manner. Well done 👍
One more safety caution. The gas given off in your caustic soda bath is hydrogen. The bubbles in the electrode bath are likely to be hydrogen and oxygen. There is a potential for exlosion if these gases accumulate in the workshop. Ventilation is very important.
The pictorial illustrations were very very thought provoking and concise. Well done.
thanks for sharing and your commitment to make an excellent DIY Anodising
Well done Sir. This video should be prerequisite viewing for content creators. In a world where creators have no presence, are entitled to show themselves half ass inform viewers, and use all kinds of trickery to generate comments this is worthy of my subscription and like.
Also... Send me a note.. I just acquired a crap load of lead sheets.. I'll send you one since you are such a stellar contributor to the world.. Apparently you only need 1 bit that will last forever.
For led Majority of fishing sinkers are made from led which can be melted quite easily so you could possibly use that as a way of making cathodes
"Covered in boiling sharks" !!! Tea came out of my nose when you said that! I could tell you were from north Yorkshire as soon as I heard your accent (I'm from Scarborough). Great video. Very clear and informative. Thanks :-)
...(deep-forest green)
Thanks.I worked beside an anodising business fifty five years back and always wanted to know how it worked. A bit convoluted as you show but I went to plastics, as the man said in the moovie and convoluted gives quality.
Can you tell us more about the boiling sharks please?
Remember, sharks are blood, and chemicals are water.
Wait, no, sharks are chemicals, and blood is water.
Wait no, the opposite of that.
Wait no, the opposite of the opposite.
Fuzzy Johnson.... lol. I loved it!!! So funny!!
In my country, concentrated sharks is a controlled substance, so you can't buy it over the counter. :(
@@M3rVsT4H Can you buy dilute sharks and distill off the blood?
NOTE, no sharks were harmed in the making of this video:)
I have found when using rit dye that hanging the part in the steam above the water for at least 20mins before immersing helps the dye from washing out.
Ahh, thank goodness a brit who gives me stuff I can buy over here. Lost track of "go to lowes" or home depot :P
Well edited and well presented, will be checking out your other vids now. :)
This was a a fantastic video for taking the magic out of chemical metal finishing. The part that was infuriating was that it pointed out that here in the U.S. we still have not adopted the metric system. Ones and tens!
You have a wonderful narration voice. Enjoyed this immensely...
You should check out the availability for Dharma dyes, The stuff they sell for cotton shirts does not come mixed with any of the soda ash and urea needed to dye cloth. Though the burgundy dye turned blue after being exposed to bleach on my countertop. No idea what color they may change to when exposed to acid. It's cheap and you will only need like 100mg for a pint. And it will be quite opaque.
Great vid. I had always thought the color coating on metals was a spray on film. I wasn't aware of metal dyes. Thanks for sharing.
Appreciated the honesty, the safety instructions, and the clear calculations. Well done!
Only just discovered you. Brilliant video, informative and interesting. I've been looking for another channel like this for ages. Have subscribed. 👍
A very educational video with clear instructions and good narration. I can understand why it costs so much now!
Great video! Very informative. Bookmarked to come back to, when I get around to trying some anodising.
Very good video and what a pleasure to hear metric units. Unlike watching american videos where they use inches. Although I watched many of hours machining videos where dimensions were in imperial units and I know by intuiton how much ifew inches is I still can't figure in air how much is couple of thousands of inch. Finally english machining channel with normall units! :)
Fantastic and instructional video but...Boy with all the struggles getting the needed chemicals in the UK for small projects it's just simply not worth the trouble. Why in the UK you can never ever find anything easily or without breaking the bank but always easy and cheaply available in other countries is beyond my comprehension.
You say this is not a "how to", but your video is one of the best "how to".
That was really interesting, if only my teachers at school had explained things this well, I would have done really good at school lol
The part looks great, apart from the tidemark, but hey, who's going to notice that. ;-)
That old saying 'if you can do then do, if you can't then teach'..
I used to do anodising as a job for seven years you have most of this on point and once you have cleaned the item don’t put it down just rig it up and place in the tank or container to be anodised so the will be no more contamination to the job anodise item for required time then rinse though two distilled water then put into a hot 60 degrees water with sealing salts for aluminium then the item will come out perfect 👌
Anodizing made simple, many thanks for a great vid.
Good to hear a proper accent for a change 😉👍 Superb result at the end - the part looks spot on!
Very well explained!
I've always wanted to do this,
Thank You!
( 6:10 ) also definitely no violent shaking the mix ( as some people do with orange juice cartons ).
This step by step instructionsional video is laboratory accurate. Also the narration is professionally entertaining.
"Lead is hard to find in the UK"
Fishing sinkers are available everywhere including the UK🤣😂👍
Brilliant video informative helpful and somehow comedic. Three thumbs up from Tasmania 🤔
Increasingly lead free fishing weights are becoming available. The posts of a car battery are still made of lead though removal is a messy business.
Are automotive wheel balancing weights still lead?
Great video. My tips... get lead cathodes (roof flashing) and titanium wire (tig wire) to hold parts, grade 2 if you want it to be easy to cut and bend, grade 5 (6AL-4V) if you want stiff and springy wire. Titanium wire cost more but can be used over and over. I would forget about cleaning the parts with solvents, not going to hurt anything but a waist of time. Just clean them with dish soap and water, I prefer a tooth brush or similar to scrub the part and then do your NaOH solution. The soap gets most of the oils off and the NaOH chemically breaks down the tiny amount left behind. Always check for water break when your rinsing the parts before the anodizing bath. ALL water used should be distilled or deionized. Always use proper anodizing die as well as a proper anodizing sealer. The hazy, blotchy spots are likely from sealing in just water. Proper sealer often with a surfactant additive is what it will take to get rid of the blotchy finish. Spraying the parts directly out of the sealer bath with distilled or deionized water will help cool the part quicker and prevent mineral deposits from evaporated water. Never use tap water during any of this process.
1:27 Who hasn't had a "should have worn my gloves" moment?
Nice video, thanks.
Nicely done video! As someone who works closely with anodizing personnel I can tell you do not dry between steps, only after everything has been done. Also check the pH of the dye, there is almost always a manufacturer specified range.
I feel like I'm watching a BBC Presentation, the quality of your audio is great and you've got the voice of a presenter, love it!
Oh the content is great too, hahah. :)
Liked the fact that you did the math for the solution concentrations. Made it easy to follow. Been a while since I had chemistry:)
Excellent presentation. I love the mathematical conversions. I’ll post my attempted results on my channel. Thank you!
Great video! I loved it, very technical, math + work, theory in action, well thought!
Great video! You can't get sulfuric acid but can get MEK? :) Thanks for well done presentation.
LOL that's what I thought! MEK is way more nasty than Pb or H2SO4!
Buy Bison degreaser, it contains about 20% MEK. Might be enough
@@WittyDutch We don't get bisons in the UK, so we don't need to degrease them. Was that not what you meant?
@@Android811 Concentrated sulphuric acid was banned for sale to the public because of the rising number of acid attacks on people in the UK. It only takes a few idiots to give government an excuse make life difficult for legitimate users.
@@dimligloing yeah, i get that.
my point was that MEK is more dangerous and yet its not banned.
Long time since i did any anodizing, but what i never heard you mention was temp which is very important as i learned the hard way 1st batch i did the color wouldn't take this was caused by the temp being below 70 dec so no coating was grown in the acid also when current is applied to the acid it heats up and can get to a temp were it destroys the growth on the part in the acid so sometimes with bigger parts some form of cooling tray is needed. The other thing i noticed was you didn't need to work out a time for how long the part needed in the acid this can be seen from the charger as the part gets coated it insulates it's self so the current drops and when the part is ready there will be very little to no current flow from the charger. I was told the process works better if you add a PWM to the charger current, but i never tried it.
agreed, also, to a degree, Fick's Laws of diffusion come into play. interesting video, Cheers
best anodising video I've watched, finally someone who uses real scientific measurements and terminology far better than the Fahrenheit, quarts , and bucket measurement of USA presentations.
Seems awfully smug from someone whom their own government won't trust with lead, clothing dye, and battery acid. I'm in the US and I was perfectly able to enjoy this video even though it was in metric units. Namely because I don't let insignificant things bother me.
You are aware there are entire industries of science, technology, and engineering over here right?
Metric isn’t any more scientific than imperial.
@Johan Fasth like foot stone yard where are we in stone age ... :)
Only three countries in the world use the imperial measurement system USA -Liberia - Myanmar. these three countries have so much in common with each other only joking not really 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I had a dream. And in my dream, the internet allowed us to all see that we are all the same, and peace came to the world as a result.
Wasn't expecting this to be such a high quality and informative video. Thank you.
You're very welcome!
"I've tried lots of dyes with zero success." You're entertaining. Thank you for the video.
That was a really nice film of how you did it, very easy to follow to duplicate DIY results! Cheers mate!
Everything seems so hard to get in the UK. Do they even let you have scissors?
No, they are made in secret underground labs at night by the resistance, and sold on the black market to anodizers.
This is worth one college chemistry lab class. Thanks for sharing, I could remember my class on it. We did not have the dyeing portion. Which makes of it a plus or A+.
Super Video... Great Narration!
Sounds like Sean Bean .