Small Scale Aluminium Anodising in the Home Workshop
A short film sharing what I’ve learnt about low current density anodising of aluminium from my limited experience in the home workshop. This isn't meant to be the right way, or even a good way, it's just the way I do it.
The technique provides a measure of improved durability / corrosion resistance to parts, as well as changing the aesthetic.
Note: The chemical baths can be reused over and over, so no need to remix for every job.
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00:00 - Materials used in this film may now be hard to source in the UK
00:30 - The importance of surface finish of the part
01:34 - Beware hazardous chemicals
01:50 - Dilute your chemicals the safe way
02:53 - Calculating sodium hydroxide etch bath dilution by weight
04:30 - Calculating sulphuric acid anodise bath dilution by weight
07:28 - Discussing anodising dyes
08:57 - Powering the anodising circuit
09:25 - A simple magnetic stirrer
09:45 - Cathode material and layout
10:21 - Estimating the surface area
11:03 - Using the 720 rule to set time and current
11:15 - Connecting the part to the anodise circuit
11:55 - Cleanliness is next to godliness
12:47 - Pre-anodise etch
13:02 - Setting the power supply
13:13 - Completing the circuit
13:57 - Dying the part
14:27 - Hot water sealing
14:40 - The finished part
Useful links and further reading
Changes to the rules surrounding the supply and possession of sulphuric acid in the UK during 2018:
www.gov.uk/government/publica...
and
assets.publishing.service.gov...
For those speculating about the reason for the withdrawal of concentrated sulphuric acid products from general sale in the UK, this article might give food for thought:
www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/articl...
• Acid Attacks In The UK...
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Using sodium bisulphate in place of sulphuric acid:
www.observationsblog.com/scien...
• Anodize and dye alumin...
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A 15% acid solution seems to be what many people aim for. There’s pros and cons to higher and lower concentrations but they’re beyond the scope of my little setup. finish.com has a wealth of information:
www.finishing.com/11/30.shtml
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Some 720 rule calculators.
The one featured is by ‘kreutz’, mainly as I can use metric sizes with it. 1 mil is an optimistic coating thickness for sulphuric anodising -thicker coatings require hard anodising which is beyond the scope of this film.
chemeon.com/p/calculator/
www.hobby-machinist.com/threa...
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POST UPLOAD UPDATE:
Some overseas viewers seem annoyed that the UK government would take steps to try to ensure the safety of their citizens by making it more difficult to obtain something that (a small minority of) the general public has demonstrated they're too stupid to have free access to. I dare say the persistent shopper will still be able to obtain it, but I wanted viewers to be aware of which side of the law both buyer and seller will be on if the relevant paperwork is not available.
I should probably have said “small quantities of clean lead sheet are surprisingly hard to get hold of”. I've since obtained some from a friendly roofer 😉
I’m not a chemist, but I believe having too little acid to mix to the original calculation left me with a solution of around 14.5%. Given my ball park approach, I didn’t think it was worth the re-calculation / re-weighing / re-filming for a such a small difference. With concentration, time, temperature, current density and material all playing a part (and being beyond the scope of my simple setup) I just wanted to get on with it. Note: You can’t just divide the weight of acid by the weight of water to get a percentage, it needs to be the weight of acid by the weight of solution (i.e. acid plus water).
I've had a few messages about MEK. Whilst not to be taken lightly, some comments might be an over reaction:
www.gov.uk/government/publica...
Both etching with sodium hydroxide and anodising liberate gas. In a well ventilated workshop for a short time I see no issues. If you're in a sealed room for a long time, it may be something to take into consideration.
Here are a few other clips where I use the same setup, with pretty good results: • Mini Lathe Cross Slide...
• Machining and Casting ...
• An Improved Work Light...
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Manually subtitled for accuracy (click the CC box)
Shot: DMC-TZ30 1280x720 50P AVCHD
Edit: FCP7 ProRes 422
Mic: C01U
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 😎🇺🇸👍
This is not a you tube video, this is an achievement in presentation, used language, info content, life experience. Hats off and thank you!
This is exactly how all technical videos should be done. This was excellent in every way. Thank you.
At last, someone described/covered every necessary thing descriptively and intelligently. You spoke the language that I understand. Perfect, Thank You.
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..
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.
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 ! ! !
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
By far the best anodizing video on KZhead 👍
I couldn't agree more.
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 KZhead 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!
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.
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).
Only just discovered you. Brilliant video, informative and interesting. I've been looking for another channel like this for ages. Have subscribed. 👍
Appreciated the honesty, the safety instructions, and the clear calculations. Well done!
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.
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.
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
Fantastic tutorial video! I appreciate the care that you took to explain the making of the solutions. The long hand, show your work method fits well with the project, as it lends some seriousness to the work itself. Thank you for sharing.
Best anodizing video on KZhead. 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.
Very well explained! I've always wanted to do this, Thank You!
Hey KZhead 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!
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.
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.
Excellent presentation. I love the mathematical conversions. I’ll post my attempted results on my channel. Thank you!
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 KZheadrs go! Excellent job all the way around, including your math! Thanks alot!!!
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 KZhead.
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. 🎆
Wow! Love your video, very detailed and explained step by step , from safety to calculations to completion! Very professional. Thank you for sharing with us.
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).
Great video! Very informative. Bookmarked to come back to, when I get around to trying some anodising.
Excellent video! Great quality and very informative. You sir, have earned my subscription!👏👐👏👐🎩
Outstanding video. I've always wondered how the anodizing process worked. Many thanks.
Outstanding tutorial. Your presentation was clear, in focus and well lit. Your narration was very easy to listen to. Very well done!
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..
thanks for sharing and your commitment to make an excellent DIY Anodising
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+.
I have to add the compliments. By far the Best Anodising presentation I've come across. Clear and concise. 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.
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.
Really great video. So good to see this from a UK perspective. I have some bits to do myself so will be using your good work here as a reference. Thank you
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
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?
Anodizing made simple, many thanks for a great vid.
This is by far the best tutorial I have seen regarding small scale anodizing. Thanks so much and greetings from Oregon.
An exceptionally well-made video! Love the precision of the math
You have a wonderful narration voice. Enjoyed this immensely...
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.
Awesome video bro. Always wondered how an anodized finish was achieved. Very informative, easily understood.
Loved this video, awesome quality and detail. Perfect help for DIYers. Thank you for sharing.
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.
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.
That was one great demonstration. Thanks for your efforts at being so meticulous. I must try this.
Couldn't have said it better myself... totally super professional presentation and just loved it.
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.
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.
The pictorial illustrations were very very thought provoking and concise. Well done.
Very clear instructions with none of the umms and ahs we hear so much. Fantastic result if quite complex a procedure.
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. :)
You sir just gained a subscriber. Very well done. Keep it up
hey David, nice to see you here. I've been watching your stuff for a long time. this was a good vid.
Really enjoyed your presentation, very easy to follow and well explained for each step. No waffle just presentation.
Thank you kindly, Sir, for your absolutely professional course on Aluminium Anodizing, i will most definately make very good use of this in the future, and share this on...Thank you again...
"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)
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. :)
Thanks for making this it was very informative. I had no idea how much math it takes to do a job like this. Its very good to know
Awesome work. As well, clear and precise. Thanks for sharing.
1:27 Who hasn't had a "should have worn my gloves" moment? Nice video, thanks.
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.
Nice job, thank you for producing this video. Cheers from Florida’s Space Coast.
Wow, that was cool. I never knew how that was done. Thanks for sharing.
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.
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.
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!
Great video sir and thank you for the wonderfully clean clear narration! Very well done! I’m sorry you have such trouble finding supplies to work with.
Don't leave the EU, man. We need you.;-) Good job and effort on the video.
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'..
Very well done video. I love the British refinement.
OUTSTANDING content, delivery, and execution. Will be attempting this process on some accent parts for Art Deco furniture.
"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?
Super Video... Great Narration!
Sounds like Sean Bean .
This was a great guide everything explained the finest possible details. Just subscribed. Thanks.
Great video, very informative and well put together. Thank you!
"I've tried lots of dyes with zero success." You're entertaining. Thank you for the video.
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.
EXCELLENT presentation of a layman’s anodizing operation. Will def save you vid and give this a go. Seems doable - THANKS!
Great video! I loved it, very technical, math + work, theory in action, well thought!
Great math. I use the metric system even though I live in the US.
But I'll bet you still support the right to carry personal nuclear weapons 😁.
One of those measurement hipsters, eh?
The US is technically a metric country; they signed the accord.
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:)
A very educational video with clear instructions and good narration. I can understand why it costs so much now!
Nice to be here, we love anodizing titanium (because it is what we know and built for use) but not aluminum it just comes down to the dies (if warranted we will add it here) for us and while are parts are on the micro-machined scale. Thank you for the share, Lance & Patrick.
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.
That electrolyte solution will get better with use. Once you get some dissolved aluminum in there, the process will finish faster. I also have received better results by using the dye when its heated.
That was a really nice film of how you did it, very easy to follow to duplicate DIY results! Cheers mate!
Great video mate. Loved the level of detail but straightforward explanations throughout.
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.
Gotta love that metric system lol. Oh how much does a liter weigh?? One kilo. A gallon weighs 8 pounds lol
A gallon weighs 8 pounds? I learned a gallon weighs 10 pounds!
Yes Scott you learned the UK Gallon is 10lbs. The US gallon is smaller at 8.3lbs. Anyone know why? Which came first?
@@kevbarry6457 The US Gallon is smaller than the Imperial Gallon. We are talking water which is heavier than hydrocarbons.
"A Pint's a Pound the whole world 'round"
Kev Berry if memory serves me right the reason for the difference between the imperial (UK) gallon and the US gallon is one was based on the english beer gallon and one was based on the english wine gallon. The US system is older than the imperial system by about 50 years, but both are based on english traditional units that are ancient.
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 😉