Metal Finishing With Mark Anodising 101

Here's how I anodise aluminium parts in my home shop using mostly commonly available tools and materials. This is not a science video, it's a practical guide to getting good looking, semi professional results with a minimum of fuss. This video is part of a playlist of metal finishing techniques. There is no paid promotion or sponsorship with any of the companies I mention in this video. I paid cold hard cash for everything you see me use!

[@FrankenShop]

I can't adequately tell you how much I enjoy your videos. It's clear that you were an educator and it's clear that you were very skilled at it. The pacing is perfect, the detail is perfect, I can find no fault. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, experiences, and time. It is much appreciated.

[@Preso58]

Wow, thank you! That's nice to hear. I enjoy the process of making these videos. I felt a bit lost after I retired from teaching because I really enjoyed the instructional part of it and the interaction with my students. What I didn't miss was the constant oversight from government bureaucrats and the increasing demands for reporting and record keeping. KZbin now gives me an opportunity to do what I like without anyone telling me how to do it. Plus, you get nice feedback! Regards, Mark

[@FrankenShop]

@@Preso58 That's really the beauty of KZbin, isn't it? An entire planet of eager potential learners. Just wanted to tell you that I appreciate you and what you're doing. Cheers.

[@stevep7713]

Thank you for the great video. Very good camera angles, and everything is explained very well, but very simple. I like the water bottle idea for cleaning parts. I cant wait to try this myself

[@Preso58]

Since making that series of videos I have learned that it is best to rinse the parts in a large tub of clean water. Dunking and swirling the parts as you go. In the trade it is called "swilling". Sometimes the electrolyte from the andodising tank gets trapped in threaded holes and blind holes. It will contaminate the part during the dye process and leave what look like water marks in the dyed surface. However the key is to make sure that you rinse the parts very thoroughly. Regards, Mark

[@barryfitch6920]

W watched your videos with interest. I used to be a Technology teacher. Now I'm retired I have plenty of time in the workshop etc. When in 6th form at school, I anodised, using an old aquarium. I used various colours, but always clothes dye, Dylon. I use to boil it in an old saucepan. As well as some castings and turned parts, I also anodised several cycle parts. They did look good. I also used engine turning on my projects, using carborundum paste and dowel. Sticking a disc of leather onto the dowel can help. The results were inpressive.

[@cratecruncher6687]

I've been doing "near chrome" nickel plating brass and white metal parts for my car models. So I have had good luck with the Caswell stuff. I also have the power supply and basic rig for doing this anodizing stuff. Thanks for walking us through it!

[@Preso58]

I have some nickel cobalt which is almost the same colour as regular chrome. Is that the same? I find that pure nickel is a bit more yellow than the nickel cobalt. Regards, Mark

[@cratecruncher6687]

@@Preso58 I use the Caswell Copy Chrome or "Nickel Crystals with Brightener" on my tiny brass and copper parts. The crystals are bright green. The brightener is an odorless liquid. It works great on brass and copper. White metal is tricky because the nickel doesn't like to adhere. There is no yellowness, possibly because of the mystery brightener additive. Of course the surface has to be highly polished to get the chrome effect. Scale model chrome looks better in nickel than chrome because of scale effect. Caswell plays close to the chest with their ingredients. Their crystals are probably just nickel sulfate but...who knows without testing. No idea what the brightener is.

[@MattsAwesomeStuff]

For anyone curious about the process... aluminum anodizing is completely different than titanium, niobium, tantalum, etc anodizing. Aluminum is the only one that uses dye. When you put it in the tank with voltage (a car battery is fine, there's no need to be fancy controlling voltage or current, it's completely irrelevant, just "some" voltage and "enough" current to proceed at a rate that won't bore you), you're just electrolyzing water, that's it - splitting H2O into H2 and O2. You're forcibly slamming the O2 into the aluminum, creating aluminum oxide, or "rust", that black stuff that forever rubs off on your fingers from aluminum. The H2 goes to the cathode plates (you can use stainless steel cutlery just fine, put it back in the drawer afterwards), and bubbles away harmlessly. Aluminum oxide is among the hardest materials we know, it's used to make sandpaper and such, that's what makes it a great finish. Aluminum oxide formed by electricity creates delicate microscopic crystal tower networks on the surface, like sand castle tubes, straight up, side by side. Aluminum oxide is colorless, or dull grey. When you take it out of the electrical bath, carefully putting it into the dye bath, the dye particles fall between the crystal towers. Then when you boil it afterwards, the crystal towers collapse (they're delicate, boiling is violent). The towers collapse, trapping the dye particles like your sister's toys in the sand. You can leave it in the electric bath too long, I forget what the result is. Too long of towers so the bottom layer becomes crusty and top layer becomes chaotic I think. It's not helpful and kind of ruins the process. As I recall, the crystals grow forever. You end up growing the crystals too long and they break off and it consumes the base material. Conversely, titanium/niobium/tantalum anodizing is completely different. Instead of making crystal towers, Titanium Oxide / (etc oxide) is more like a transparent swiss cheese. Looks like a closeup of bad acne scars. This oxide layer is also electrically resistive, but unlike aluminum doesn't grow forever. It's so resistive that the swiss cheese surface grows thicker and then just stops after a certain thickness. The only way to add more is to increase the voltage so that electricity can punch deeper into the metal. There's no need for current control, the process is complete in fractions of a second. There is no dye involved in titanium anodizing. The transparent layer is so predictably and consistently (microscopically) thick, that it acts like a prism. The thickness of the layer is so precise relative to voltage, that it's a precise fraction of the wavelength of visible light. When you shine white (daylight) at the metal, it reflects some light and refracts others, which subtractively or additively combines the wavelengths so that you perceive it as a color. Different thicknesses of oxide layer result in different colors. So different voltages result in different colors, predictably. I think you start to see some colors around 12v, and up around 70 or 80v you've worked your way through the whole spectrum (after which, it repeats, 2nd order, 3rd order, etc). There's minor iridescence, from some angles a part will look green, others, purple for example. You can always add more thickness with a higher voltage, but not take it away afterwards by lowering the voltage. Unlike with Aluminum which uses dye, Titanium/etc anodizing cannot create all colors. Red is almost impossible for example, you can get pink, pink/gold, and plum, a bit of orange and a brown, but there's no thickness that creates red. Green is very very tricky to get, narrow voltage range. Purple and gold are easy, they reappear twice in broad swaths of the spectrum. It's complicated to explain why the anodizing spectrum doesn't follow the visible spectrum, but, it doesn't. It has it's own spectrum, you can just look it up if you're curious. Titanium oxide is so chemically tough, there are only 3 chemicals strong enough to strip it. One of them, even just the gas from the acid can pass right through your skin and attack your nerves and bones directly, painlessly. I think that's Hydrogen Fluoride? I forget the 2nd one but it's similarly terrifying. Don't use either. The 3rd is an unspecified but safe chemical branded as "Multi-Etch". If you "pass" your color voltage-wise on a project, you can dip it in multi-etch and work your way back through the spectrum as it strips the oxide off. It might be impossible for anyone outside of US or Canada to get access to Multi-Etch, as it's not allowed to cross borders. It used to be only available in the US, but I arranged for some to be made and sold in Canada ten years ago, so now there's 1 distributor for each country and far as I know, that's all. Well, those are the things I know about anodizing.

[@Preso58]

Wow! You know your stuff. I believe that leaving the aluminium in the anodising bath for too long creates a sort of burnt look but I don't know how long that takes to occur. I also recall reading about a type of O ring that was made of an exotic material that broke down with heat to make a Hydrogen Fluoride gas. There was a warning not to touch machinery that had been damaged in fires if there was a chance there were any O rings in it. One surface technician was exposed and it basically burned through his skin like phosphorous and just kept going. Not pretty! I have seen photos of anodised titanium and it does look spectacular. Regards, Mark

[@MattsAwesomeStuff]

@@Preso58 - Titanium actually looks kind of blah. The surface finish is always a dull matte. It's just the surface finish of titantium. Niobium on the other hand looks like it was drawn by angels.

[@Zen_Modeling]

💯🤩🤩🤩💯Now this is the EXACT INFO I WAS LOOKING FOR!!! I’m looking to anodize some (very small) 1-inch or Smaller 1/25 Scale 1061 Aluminum Scale Auto parts that I machine on my Mill/Lathe. I only use Aluminum. Thanks & I'm headed over to your channel now to ✅it out-👉Thank's ☯️Lee

[@davidmiles65]

Hey Mark, I wanted to say thank you for a well-made and educational video. I have been exploring this process and you provided me some great insight and I shall be trying this soon. You have a new subscriber from a Brit born in Glenelg, Au. Keep up the excellent work.

[@Preso58]

David, Thanks for your kind comments. I am glad you found the tutorial useful. Anodising at home can be a bit of a minefield but once you get used to the workflow the results are worth it. Regards, Mark

[@stephenmurray2335]

Loving this series Mark, many thanks for sharing.

[@iteerrex8166]

Awesome stuff Mr Presling. Thank you!

[@Preso58]

Glad you enjoyed it! Regards, Preso

[@roylucas1027]

Good video. I tried doing the same think but with grandkids magic markers. Came out a bit streaky, rubbed off, but otherwise was a success. Thanks for showing me the right way.

[@philclinton9430]

very nice video and thanks for sharing

[@dennisyoung4631]

Awesome *Purple!*

[@ron.owensby]

I think the "Black" looks the best!

[@gerrys6265]

Thank you so much..perfect detail/time...

[@georgeescaped6035]

XXXX i haven't had one of those in years!!!! can't find them up here in the states. good video thanks

[@andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

Inspirational and educational. I am definitely going to try my own anodising. 👏👏👍😀

[@Preso58]

Just be warned... you will almost certainly fail the first couple of times you try it but don't give up. Once you nail the process it opens up a whole new set of possibilities for finishing your projects. The materials and equipment aren't all that difficult to come by and the total setup costs are affordable. It's just learning the workflow that takes some perseverance and experimentation.

[@andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

@@Preso58 I hear you. I had a few trials and tribulations with my own experiments with copper electroforming. It’s a challenge until suddenly it goes right, and your technique is perfected.

[@jackdub75]

Very informative. Thanks for sharing 🙌🏼

[@stixstudios3380]

Thanks again Mark. Your method works brilliantly!!! Can't get powdered AJAX anymore, but most household cleaners works fine. I remember when Ajax came in a cylindrical type can in powder form. :)

[@Preso58]

I am pretty sure that most of the household creme and powder type cleaners have the same active ingredients. Regards, Mark

[@CreaseysWorkshop]

Another great reference video.

[@niniliumify]

Thanks for the entertaining education.

[@crazytrutas]

@25.18 Beer O´clock! Cheers mate!

[@waykem1]

Well done mark, so good the way you explain every process. I know you can get a brushed gold finish, is that the powder its self or the way its preped and applied

[@Preso58]

Getting a brushed or satin finish is all about the metal preparation. The dye is just a colour and it's translucent so you will not be able to hide any surface defects, scratches or dents. I usually don't try to get a mirror finish on the aluminium before anodising. The acid in the anodising tank etches the surface slightly so a part with a mirror finish will still come out as a sort of satin finish when done. Commercial anodising companies use a variety of tricks with temperature and additives to get a better quality of surface finish but that's a bit hard for the home shop. Regards, Mark

[@waykem1]

@@Preso58 Thank you Mark

[@robstirling3173]

Aluminium oxide is the sintered insulation used in spark plugs. ( Makes good cheap sandblaster nozzles)

[@brianr4247]

Thats funny that you said you can't throw sulfuric acid down the sink.... Here in the states its used to unclog sinks.

[@Preso58]

That would probably be caustic soda or sodium hydroxide, the active ingredient in drain cleaner. Sulphuric acid is very expensive here in Australia, if you can get it. At one time you could buy it at the auto accessory shop for topping up car batteries but now it's one of those restricted chemicals. Probably associated with bomb makers or meth labs! Regards, Mark

[@paulh71]

Interesting video, thanks for posting. Thought I’d give it a go but having problems finding lead for electrodes. Bunnings have lead sheet but it’s copperised. Not sure if that would upset the process. Otherwise I may just use Aluminium but apparently need 6063-T6. Not sure but I think the stuff they sell in Bunnings isn’t that. Do you reckon it’d make much difference? Did you use 6063-T6 when you were using aluminium as the cathode?

[@Preso58]

I have no idea what the original aluminium cathode grade was. It was just some sheet stock I "liberated" from a skip. The lead I used came from a large block that my father made from old lead acid batteries. Maybe take a look in BCF for some heavy lead sinkers. You may need to buy a few but the cathode probably doesn't need to be as big as the ones I used. Regards, Mark

[@brianoates1849]

I have some motor bolts I'd like to nickel plate have the supplies. Time is another factor and turbulence. Would u like to plate them

[@jreadaholden2079]

Where is the link to the lengthy video in detail please

[@Preso58]

There is a link in the video but this is the one that I was referring to. kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3KqnKWEgpaZpJY Regards, Mark

[@JBFromOZ]

very cool process!

[@brianreid4101]

Mark I do follow your guideline as best I can , but having a drama where the Dye does not take to very edge of Knob of amplifier using Caswell Dye, any suggestions would be appreciated.

[@Preso58]

Brian, I now clean my parts using a product called "Simple Green". It is a household cleaning concentrate with a citrus base. I put the parts into a plastic bag and fill it with the cleaner, just enough to wet the parts, and then the whole bag goes into my ultrasonic cleaner. I run it for about 10 minutes and then wash the parts under lots of running water. From their they go straight into the anodising tank. As long as you don't touch the parts with bare hands they should be uncontaminated. It's a good idea to do a water break test just in case but the ultrasonic cleaner gets into threaded holes and through holes that are not easy to clean with a brush. I have seen a similar issue around the edges of holes where the dye won't take and I am sure it is to do with contamination from cutting oil and grease. I also rinse the parts straight after they come out of the anodising tank with lots of running water. Just spraying them with a spray bottle isn't enough. In the anodising trade they call this step "swilling" and it is done in very large tanks of clean water. Any residual acid left in cavities or around sharp edges can stop the dye from penetrating. It's also a good idea to check the PH of your dyes. I was having an issue with my black dye and I found that it had a PH of about 8 and it should have been around 5.5. I bought a digital PH tester and found an online guide for Caswell dyes which listed the target PH for each colour and they are not all the same. I can lower the PH with just a few drops of hydrochloric acid and now the black dye penetrates quickly and it produces a deep jet black. I also heat the dyes to about 55C. Check out this link forum.caswellplating.com/forum/anodizing-questions/3885-anodizing-dye-ph Regards, Mark

[@brianreid4101]

@@Preso58 Appreciate the quick and informative response..Will take on board your suggestions.. I do use Simple Green but not my Ultrasonic cleaner, the running water could be one of my problems so will try that, so that is tap water not Di.Min water. Thanks again ..Regards Brian

[@Preso58]

@@brianreid4101 our tap water comes from rainwater tanks so it is relatively pure. If your water supply contains chlorine or dissolved minerals you might be better to use distilled water. You may need to experiment. In my view, the key is to use a large volume of water and dunk/swill the parts. Good luck.

[@Preso58]

@@brianreid4101 our tap water comes from rainwater tanks so it is relatively pure. If your water supply contains chlorine or dissolved minerals you might be better to use distilled water. You may need to experiment. In my view, the key is to use a large volume of water and dunk/swill the parts. Good luck.

[@brianreid4101]

@@Preso58 Thanks again Mark..

[@allbeit582]

Top video, I learnt a lot just now and have to try it myself.....Just to be clear on the sodium bisulfate solution, did you add the 4 kilos to 16 litres of water, or mix the two until it equaled 16 litres total ?

[@Preso58]

The ratio is not really critical. I added 4 kg of powder to 16 litres of water but over time you do get some evaporation and the level in the tank drops. It doesn't seem to affect the process. Regards, Mark

[@monishgoyani7755]

Can we anodize on pressure die cast parts?

[@Preso58]

That is something I haven't tried. I did anodise a regular sand cast aluminium part and it came out sort of OK. I think that a lot of pressure die castings have a high zinc content which may cause issues. Regards, Mark

[@brianreid4101]

Mark agree with all other comments very well done and informative thank you..My question is will the final rinse in Caustic cause a Satin finish on item yours apears to be quite shiny in end result. Cheers Brian

[@Preso58]

Brian, the caustic solution does etch the surface but in practice, I have never been able to get a highly polished surface to anodise without losing some of the gloss. In commercial situations they use a special acid as a final rinse that chemically polishes the surface. I tend to get a semi satin finish which is quite pleasing and it does help to hide any imperfections in the flatness or polish achieved. I also just recently found out that the PH of the dye is very important. I had a black dye that was almost brand new but it wouldn't give me the deep black finish that I was after. I bought a digital PH meter and checked the level. It was supposed to have a PH of 5.5 and it was more like 8! I was able to add some hydrochloric acid and now it dyes a beautiful deep black in a fraction of the time it used to take. Regards, Mark

[@brianreid4101]

@@Preso58 Mark do appreciate your feedback thank you, my results using your exact formula were very good indeed , semi satin is a good description and no sign of fine scratches as you mentioned so will adhere to your formula ..May I ask another question which is..does the PH become critical with all Caswell Colours ? and should Dye and Solution be stirred before each use if left standing for say 2-3 days or longer? Thank you... I have a friend in Sunrise Road.. Regards Brian

[@Preso58]

@@brianreid4101 Brian, I don't stir my dyes but I do heat them which circulates the liquid via convective currents. The PH is different for each colour. There is a post on the Caswell forum which shows the recommended level for each colour forum.caswellplating.com/forum/anodizing-questions/3885-anodizing-dye-ph I was surprised that my black dye was so alkaline as I made up all the dyes using distilled water which should have a neutral PH. Maybe they go alkaline over time? I have only ever had one batch of gold dye go bad. Maybe it got contaminated with something but all the others I have are several years old and they seem to be still in working order. Regards, Mark

[@TreeTechLLC]

Can you please help.... Recent theft left me without all my tools. I still need to build my prototypes.... Need dial indicater, tool holders tools and more.... Have ,$

[@classicrestouk]

You should talk about hard anodising too

[@Preso58]

Sadly, I've never tried it but it should be doable in a home shop. I was very fortunate to be able to tour a workshop of the Toyota Rally Team here in Australia and they were taking steel parts off the stock Toyota sedans and replacing them with aluminium parts which were hard anodised in an attempt to save weight. The main parts were all underbody parts which were subject to wear and tear from gravel and stone strike. Regards, Mark

[@classicrestouk]

@@Preso58 hard anodised parts are very hard wearing. I don't understand the process myself as it's been a long time since I studied anodising. I know it creates a layer which is penetrated in the surface - so the bond is extremely strong but I can't remember how the process is different to get it from regular to hard.

[@koutaratel8012]

I bought some sulfuric acid today from a place in preston, melbourne. $40 5 litres 98%. No questions asked.

[@koutaratel8012]

No questions asked.

[@Preso58]

That's interesting. I was treated with suspicion when I tried to buy some. However the pool chemical alternative is much cheaper. Regards, Mark

[@richards6452]

Hi Mark, another great video. I use food colouring dyes from Coles. they work a treat and are cheap. Cheers, Richard PS. How do you drink that 4X? Brings state of origin up and I gag !!!

[@Preso58]

Well, no fear of state of origin jibes for the foreseeable future unless the NRL bully Anastasia into submission! I have never tried any other dyes apart from Rit fabric dye and that was pretty hit and miss. I have heard that non specific dyes can be less colour fast than the specialised anodising dyes. They are supposed to be more resistant to UV light and fading. Regards, Mark

[@Hobypyrocom]

if you leave it too long like lets say 2-3 hours, would that mess up the thread of the part if it has it?

[@Preso58]

I don't think so. Sometimes you notice that a part might seem a bit tighter on the fit because the surface becomes encrusted with microscopic pores that grow outwards from the surface but we are talking microns so it shouldn't be an issue. Regards, Mark

[@Hobypyrocom]

@@Preso58 nice... thanks for the video and for the answer...

[@ClovisChitwood]

eh, whats one more list

[@opendstudio7141]

Nice! Could have anodized and dyed your little jeweled test plate as an experiment. More than likely the jeweling would just disappear. 😊

[@Preso58]

The test plate was stainless steel and it isn't possible to anodise stainless. It can be coloured by heating in an inert atmosphere though. Regards, Mark

[@billbaggins]

That all looks simple enuf for a simple bloke to try, now i just need to make something from aloominmoimnim. Hydrochloric acid should be available from Bunnings, I bought a 5l bottle about 18 months ago, or try a concrete supply place.

[@Jack_C_]

You need sulphuric acid, not so easy to get.

[@Preso58]

Bill, hydrochloric acid might etch your parts. Sulphuric acid is more or less inert with aluminium but it's expensive if you can get it.

[@billbaggins]

oops, I must have chemical lysdexia🤦‍♂️ Reminds me of a silly thing from high school now... My science teacher took a drink but he will drink no more, for what he thought was H2O was H2SO4

[@WayneCook306]

You just went from bad to worse with the drinks.

[@n.b.p.davenport7066]

Man this is a fast forward video

[@StripeyType]

Nice one, Preso! But lessons learned: * don't drink the kool-aid. * close the garage door so the 'rona doesn't get in.

[@johnnym1320]

I don't think I can get Al-you-minum in Canada but I can get Aluminum ;-)

[@Preso58]

John, I find it interesting how Canadians and Australians both came from British colonies (depending on which side of Canada you come from) and there are similarities in our cultures but there are so many differences too. Maybe it is just your proximity to the USA. Having said that, the French influence should see metric units being adopted in Canada but I just found out recently that imperial threads are still common. Australia went full on metric back in the late 70's and we went all the way. Not like the Brits that still use miles per hour but metric for just about everything else. Regards, Mark

[@johnnym1320]

@@Preso58 ya I find so weird that the British use MPH, my background is British and Scottish but I guess being close to the US that has an influence as well. I really enjoy your videos and the variety in your content, keep it up. Hope you don't mind my type of humor.

[@grahamhooker5531]

Hi Mark love the video You want H2so4 try Bunings $16.00 for 5L no questions asked used for cleaning up brick work (after laying bricks)

[@Preso58]

Graham, I must say I have never seen H2so4 at Bunnings. HCl yes, that's hydrochloric acid. Sulphuric acid is very difficult to get now. Regards, Mark

[@grahamhooker5531]

@@Preso58 Hi Mark My mistake however after some more googling, Mo Flow is 99% Sulphuric acid used for drain cleaning ? and PH down from pool supplies at 35% Sulphuric acid, (seems to be harder to find in victoria

[@freddotu]

With the kool-aid joke, Mark is one step away from This Old Tony!

[@freddotu]

If one checks the profiles of these "fli*zone" clowns, you'll see they are recent accounts with zero content. Spammers.

[@switchmaster5860]

I used to anodize for a living.. got a new job and this job was getting parts anodized but was unhappy with the product.. he gave me a mission to find out a home set up we can use to do ourselves. Hoping this video will be helpful in about 1 minute in and you sound very educated on the process so I assume I came to the right place

[@Preso58]

Thanks but this has been a long and at times frustrating journey. The thing was I got a good result the first time I tried it and then a lot of failures. It took a long time to work out what I was doing wrong. The key is definitely to have all your parts scrupulously clean and to ensure good electrical contact with the power supply. Heating the dye helps to speed up the process but it's not absolutely essential. Regards, Mark

[@TunaTomgavin]

I watched your video here about a dozen times. I bought everything needed and my first sample piece worked great. I"ve since done several parts I wanted Anodized, and they all turned out better than expected. One thing I've noticed is temp. seems very important. I did one batch that the acid (Sodium bisulfite) bath temp. was only 65 degrees F. and they didn't do as well. The 140 degree F. die (Caswell die) was very slow to penetrate. Since then I've done several more with the acid bath at 78 - 80 degrees F. with exellent results. Thanks so much for your very informative video. ****** 5 stars. I would recommend this process to anyone wanting to anodize aluminum.

[@Preso58]

I am glad you found it useful. I always run my anodising bath at room temperature but I do heat the dyes. I only found out recently that the PH of the dye is critical. My black dye was always a problem. It only ever made the parts a sort of medium grey. I found this page on the Caswell forum forum.caswellplating.com/forum/anodizing-questions/3885-anodizing-dye-ph and checked the PH of all my dyes with a digital PH meter. Nearly all of them were outside the correct range. Most were too alkaline and I added a few drops of hydrochloric acid to bring it back to the correct PH. Bingo! Now my black dye makes the parts jet black and the dye penetrates much more quickly. Regards, Mark

[@bobvines00]

Mark, this is yet another very educational & interesting video. I'm very glad that you thought up this "Metal Finishing with Mark" series. Nearly everyone with a home shop can use some of the techniques on their projects.

[@olfoundryman8418]

I want to know how you can drink that XXXX? 😏😱… Martin

[@Preso58]

It's cheap and, like Vegemite, it's an acquired taste. Regards, Mark

[@toast47624]

Good video mate. Watched all of it. Thanks for this.

[@sodster68]

I'm dyeing to test this myself.

[@Handmadeextreme]

Great job and thanks for the tip about the pool PH adjuster. I'v been using battery acid but like you said it's getting more difficult to get hold off. For your Titanium wire TIG filler is not that hard to get hold off in small quantities. Great video. Keep it up! 👍👍👍

[@Preso58]

I have some tig welding rod on order on Ebay but after six weeks I am still waiting. I could have just driven down to the welding supply shop but I must say I resent driving anywhere. To me, time spent in the car is time wasted. Regards, Preso

[@2lefThumbs]

Turning into a great series, I've been wanting to have a go with anodising aluminium for a while, but sulphuric acid is too messy for my work area, I might try bisulphite, thanks for the tip👍👍

[@garagemonkeysan]

Fine video. Very detailed and full of information. Very useful. Mahalo for sharing! : )

[@wyohman00]

Oy, this Yank wasn't expecting a cordial joke....

[@Preso58]

I really did nearly gag when I tasted that stuff. I used to drink it all the time when I was a kid but it tastes foul now. Regards, Mark

[@bradr4728]

I laughed when you said you can't tip it down the sink. The owner of turf engineering in vic dumps the electro plating acids into the drain or out behind his business on the ground. Seems to get away with everything definitely needs epa to pay him a visit

[@Preso58]

Brad, unfortunately there is a lot of that going on. Apart from the pollution and risk to the environment there is also some personal risk as well. A proprietor of a Chinese restaurant in a nearby town poured caustic soda down a drain in an attempt to clear it and then poured hot water in on top of it. The heat and steam created by the reaction blew back into his face and airways and nearly killed him. He was severely burned and ended up in hospital for months. Regards, Mark

[@chrishayes6458]

First class Vidjeo, very informative. Thanks from the UK. Stay well.

[@coreyelliot8509]

We use that dry acid to remove the mill scale off of mild steel works awesome

[@RockingJOffroad]

I may try this someday!

[@gordon6029]

Just found your channel. Very informative.

[@tomconner5067]

Acid is used to clear out drain clogs, and de scale and recondition the inside of water storage tanks, supply lines steam pipes, and reduce water hardness, it's ok to flush it, just don't pour it on metal fixtures or unglazed masonry or ceramic materials, most soils have a high buffering capacity and can neutralize concentrated acid, but any minerals used that might have contaminated the acid solution, must be completely removed and the solution tested, before disposal. Why would anyone want to dispose of Sf Sulfuric Acid anyway? Filter, distill and store.

[@EddHawkes]

Thanks for this Mark. It's the best video I've watched on anodising (and I've watched a lot over the last couple of weeks). I'm gathering my materials together now, looking forward to getting started :)

[@Preso58]

Glad it was helpful and thanks for watching. Regards, Mark

[@tomeyssen9674]

Thank you for that! You made it straight forward. Great video. Cheers!

[@edgarserrano7900]

my brother drank the dye, not a good thing to do.

[@Preso58]

I don't believe the Caswell dyes are toxic but I am sure they are not good for you. I hope your brother was OK. Regards, Mark

[@Vandal_Savage]

Blue poo?

[@montana1636]

Sodium Sulfate (Sulfuric Acid Salts)

[@yueyue862]

Can I Anodize 18k gold to a blue color?

[@griffo3043]

Thanks legend in doing this.

[@DavidKutzler]

I've watched several of your videos and wondered why you don't have as many subscribers as you should. Then I noticed that I hadn't subscribed. Fixed!

[@Preso58]

Yes, that's something of a mystery to me too. Having said that I got a mention on Jeremy Fielding's channel a few days ago via the comments section and since then I have been getting about 40 to 50 new subscribers each day. 😁 Regards, Mark

[@ianbertenshaw4350]

30yrs ago i used to work at a hardchrome company and one thing we used heaps of was Ajax ! We also used pumice usually after ajax when we needed something real clean - mostly things made of cast iron and after all that cleaning it got wiped down with muriatic acid and immediately put into the chrome solution . Inevitably i will have to sort out a set up like yours - maybe a bit smaller as i know i will get sick of looking a plain aluminium on the model engines i make, one can bare only so many aluminium /brass combinations and i detest painting ! Watch out drinking that XXXX stuff Mark - that stuff will kill a brown dog !☠☠☠☠😁 Thanks for the informative video Mark ! That was probably the clearest explanation i have seen on anodizing in the home workshop !

[@Preso58]

Thanks Ian. I recall watching a video on chrome plating being applied to a massive air cleaner from some sort of American V8 car engine. The number of steps required was incredible. They had to wire up anodes all around and inside the part just to ensure a consistent thickness of plate. Then there were multiple metals applied as well. Copper, then nickel, then the chrome. They didn't reveal how much they charged for the job but I was thinking it must have been at least four figures. I used to send parts out to get anodised and they always came back beautiful but there was a minimum charge and pretty soon you realised that you could invest in your own setup and provided you don't count the cost of your own labour, it's pretty much just the cost of the electricity to do the job. Regards, Mark

[@ianbertenshaw4350]

Mark Presling Many people complain about how expensive decorative chrome is but once i explain the process and how much work goes into the set up they soon see where their dollars are going ! We used to do Hardchrome only which is a Chromium deposit straight onto the parent metal and is used to repair bearing journals, hydraulic rams ,, rollers and to put a low friction - hard wearing surface on dies used in injection moulding machines . This process is much simpler as there is no intermediate coating applied and no polishing operations to perform but i still remember some dies used to take a whole day to jig up - multiple anodes , masking off the rest of the part and then trying to clean everything without disturbing the anodes were all part of the adventure!

[@stixstudios3380]

Great stuff Mark. Good to hear from another Aussie with an (almost) no nonsense approach! Thanks for the info, cheers.

[@Preso58]

Thanks for that. Regards, Mark

[@Thesaurcery4U2C]

I wonder what they were attempting whenever they stumbled across this process. I can't imagine that they did they mathematics on a theory of how to make your alloys blue. It seems like a blessed accident. You know, like Beer.

[@Preso58]

Absolutely! Anodising always seems a bit like alchemy. The best thing is that it hardens up the surface of aluminium parts. They tend not to scuff or go dull over time. Regards, Mark

[@dave_ecclectic]

Caswell also has a chemical called Zincate that allows you to plate aluminum with whatever you want, although the plating process may require a specific metal to plate over first. Since aluminum oxidizes like instantly this chemical prevents that and then dissolves in the plating solution.

[@Preso58]

I did look into the viability of plating over aluminium a while ago. I recall reading about zincate. I think it is also possible to do it with a cyanide copper strike followed by nickel and chrome. Jane kits sell a copper strike solution called Ultra Strike but I have not tried it yet. Regards, Mark

[@greghallihan6149]

G

[@SAM46323]

wish if there is a total package to order it all

[@Preso58]

Caswell do sell entire kits including the power supply but it gets expensive to purchase it that way. You can get started with just a 12V car battery and some bits of wire and aluminium for the cathodes. However I would suggest you buy good quality anodising dye rather than trying to use fabric dye. Regards, Mark

[@ianbertenshaw4350]

I wonder if Yuri has tried this using a raspberry pi? You can run various modified versions of android on them and they are touch screen compatible.

[@Preso58]

I think I have seen some systems that came out very early in the TouchDRO development using Arduino and now that off the shelf touch screens are a thing it would be easy to make a customised system. Regards, Mark

[@Chromevulcan]

A good quality aquarium heater could be a good replacement for the ones no longer available from Caswell.

[@Preso58]

I did buy one of those to heat up a acid etching bath but because they are designed for tropical fish they really don't get to the temperature needed for anodising dyes. I think I was lucky that I bought my Caswell heater before they got scarce. Regards, Mark

[@georahi]

thanks for this information! if I do all the steps and skip the dye part, will I end up for a matte grey finish that has all the same characteristics of durability?

[@ArnoldsDesign]

Those pieces turned out really nice. Strange that it's difficult to get the acid where you're at, but I'm glad to know about the bisulphate now. In US we don't have those restrictions. . . yet. I shot some footage of diy anodizing a couple years back but just never made a video of it. Someday maybe.

[@Preso58]

Well, our federal government loves to get tough on terrorists after the bombings in Bali and a few aborted attacks more recently and we now enjoy restrictions on just about anything that you might be able to make a bomb out of. Which is a bit weird because you could blow up a building with custard powder! Oops, I shouldn't have said that out loud. I recall watching your video on anodising the flagpole finial? I really enjoyed that one. Regards, Mark

[@ArnoldsDesign]

@@Preso58 Custard powder. Who would've thought. They're doing that here too with some chemicals. I don't know what the sulphuric acid would be used for, other than maybe making nitro. Who knows. But for an auto parts store to eye you with suspicion b/c you need some is beyond ridiculous. Like as if there's a high per capita rate of bomb makers.

[@melvinneuble3110]

Hey Mark do you have any tip for both striping and refinishing Zamack?

[@Preso58]

If it's chrome plated it can be very difficult to do at home unless you grind it off. Chemically stripping chrome requires some really nasty acids. I believe there is a way to reverse the plating process but once again, I think it needs a lot of specialised solutions and equipment. Jane Kits sell a copper strike that will work on zinc alloys. Once you have the copper plate you can then nickel or nickel cobalt plate over that. Nickel cobalt looks exactly like chrome but it is easier and safer to carry out at home. Jane kits don't sponsor me in any way but I have used their products for some time and they are affordable and they work well in the home shop. janekits.com.au/product-category/electroplating-kits/ultra-copper-plating-kits/ Regards, Mark

[@j.dtarran8302]

This Is Good advice , I've tried this but this is minimalist no fuss advice.

[@Preso58]

Thanks. I really should do a follow up. I have found out just recently that the Caswell dyes that I use are very sensitive to PH levels and some of my dyes, especially the black, were way too alkaline. I bought a digital PH meter and checked all my dyes and found that a lot of them were incorrect. If the PH is wrong the dye won't penetrate or it takes way too long to get the colour depth you would want. Check this link for the different PH levels for each colour. forum.caswellplating.com/forum/anodizing-questions/3885-anodizing-dye-ph Regards, Mark

[@bradmaas6875]

Could you use any acid as long as it's at least 20%? I was thinking vinegar.

[@Preso58]

If you are referring to the electrolyte in the anodising tank, it is generally recommended to use sulphuric acid or sodium bisulphate. Those are the only two acids I have used. Some acids may etch the aluminium or they may dissolve aluminium into the electrolyte which I believe is detrimental. Maybe there is some room for experimentation though. Regards, Mark

[@donaldspeck9212]

Is it possible to electroplate aluminum??

[@Preso58]

Yes, but it's not a simple process. I have never tried but it can be nickel plated using an electroless nickel solution. I have used electroless nickel on copper and steel and it works well. The electrolyte has to be heated to just under 100C and the part must be chemically clean. It is then immersed in the electrolyte and there is no current needed. The nickel is deposited very evenly since there is no current path required to deposit the coating. The main issue with aluminium is that it is a very active metal and on oxide forms almost instantly after cleaning it. Regards, Mark

[@CraigsWorkshop]

Hey Mark. Very cool. Thanks for breaking it down and making it easy. Those finished parts look the bees knees. I've never cast lead before, but I wondered if I could just level a baking sheet and pour molten lead into that, then pop it out, and bandsaw it down the middle? Those aluminium hanger wires could be made with aluminium tig rods I expect? I'll go back and look at the engine turning one now, and I'm looking forward to the next video too. I hope your delivery happened smoothly today!

[@Preso58]

Craig, casting the lead was easy compared to aluminium. The mould I made was just bandsawn out of two pieces of aluminium sheet. I did it in two parts so I could cut into it from each end instead of having to pierce it. It also made it easier to get the part out at the end. There is another sheet of aluminium underneath and the whole thing is screwed down to a piece of form play. I did find that the lead cooled too quickly to get it to flow out to the edges of the mould so I had to run the blowtorch over the surface to remelt it. This caused the mould to bow upwards at the ends so I had to clamp it down to the bench. As always, by the time I got the second one done I had worked out how it should be done! If you were using a thin metal tray you would need to be careful that it didn't "pop" and splash the molten lead on you. The molten lead is super shiny and smooth but when it cools it gets a crystalline crocodile skin look about it but it doesn't matter for what it has to do. The mill went in OK and I am really happy with it. No damage from transport and the paint is better than I expected. 😁 Regards, Mark

[@CraigsWorkshop]

@@Preso58 Thanks for the info on the casting I'll keep that in mind if/when I try this out. Good news about the mill - can't wait to see it on video. Thanks, Craig

[@graemetho9805]

The local cleaning supply store at morayfield has Mo-Flo, drain cleaner which is sulphuric acid and has 1835gm/L of sulphuric which going by the SG is about pure H2SO4, for $55, Blackwoods about $75

[@Preso58]

That's interesting. I found it almost impossible to buy bulk sulphuric acid from the auto accessory store. You used to be able to buy a 4 litre container for topping up car batteries. Now, you get treated like a bomb maker if you try to buy acids like Nitric and Sulphuric. Regards, Mark

[@graemetho9805]

@@Preso58 Turned out to be $46 inc with an ABN, and no questions asked.

[@TAWPTool]

Awesome video as usual! Thanks for sharing!

[@mattymcsplatty5440]

Greeting from Christchurch. wow I had not idea it was as simple as electroplating.I guess it makes sense now after seeing you do it. I thought anodizing was a trade secret lol Your parts certainly look pretty flash there Mark. Well done, great video.

[@anthonyreddy2834]

Very nice! Tried this a few times but simpler method but wasn't happy with my out come with splotches and light areas. Gonna try your way next! Cheers

[@n.b.p.davenport7066]

What is hard Anodizing?

[@Preso58]

It is very similar to regular sulphuric acid anodising but the coating is thicker, more uniform and more wear resistant. It does require cooling of the electrolyte and is probably harder to do in the home shop. Regards, Mark

[@swdweeb]

Thanks Mark, been looking forward to this since you hinted at it a few days ago. What happens at the spots that they wire hanger comes in contact with the part? Do you end up with a funny spot at that point? I was under the assumption that anodizing was like plating but apparently not. Thanks for showing your process.

[@Preso58]

Perry, I could see a slight imperfection where the wire was touching but the disc will be fitted into a pocket so you won't see the edge anyway. But anywhere the wire touches will leave an un-anodised area. Sadly, anodising is one of those "black arts" like metal casting. It has taken me years to work out a process that is repeatable. When it doesn't work there is little evidence of what went wrong. You just have to start again and make incremental changes to the process. Regards, Mark

[@swdweeb]

Mark Presling thanks, that’s kinda what I expected

[@MrCubflyer]

You do a great job of explaining everything very well thank you.

[@windyhillfoundry5940]

Great demonstration, thanks for sharing👌

[@Preso58]

Thanks for that. It's always a bit nerve wracking waiting to see if the dye starts colouring the part. You can never be sure. It's like dumping out a hot casting from a mould.....😬 Regards, Mark

[@andyl2201]

Excellent video thanks from the UK 👍😊

[@pgs8597]

G’day Presso, good video. Just wondering what the shelf life of the mixed die? Cheers Peter

[@Preso58]

I have had mine mixed up in those tubs for about five years. I have only had one colour (gold) go off and I think it was because I contaminated it with something. I had been using it for lots of parts and it gradually stopped colouring the parts and a sort of scum appeared on the bottom of the tub. The replacement colour came as a powder but I haven't mixed it up yet. I think the best plan is just to mix up just enough to colour the parts you are doing. There is enough concentrate to make up about 7 litres of ready dye. Regards, Mark

[@THEOGGUNSHOW]

Thanks for taking the time to make this informative video

[@markthompson4885]

I subscribed. really like you work. I want to do this so bad.

[@EmmaRitson]

great stuff. i watched this last night and fell asleep without getting up to comment. enjoyed

[@Preso58]

Thanks Emma, Your stickers and cratex went in the post on Thursday. I'll send you a pic of the label inside the box which explains the different grades. Regards, Mark

[@karlsangree4679]

Great video! Very detailed, extremely informative, and well presented. The main thing I learned is that anodizing is WAY to much like work lol. I had no idea that it was so involved with so many steps. Thanks a million for creating this video. In all seriousness, I've marked it as a favorite and will come back to it if I every decide to try anodizing for myself.

[@nikond90ful1]

Thanks for the video Mark. Interesting info. Keep safe and stay well.

[@PROJECT1ZERO3]

Mark, gret video, thanks for the info.

[@mikemichelizzi2023]

Thanks for demonstrating your process. The red seems to match pretty well on my screen! Anodizing is something I've been meaning to try, so it's good to have another point of reference once I finally get around to it.