How to Anodize Aluminum Parts at Home & Advantages of Anodized Aluminum | CNCLATHING

1) Prepare what you need in aluminum anodizing

– Standard aluminum alloy parts
– Container: thick plastic basin or bin
– A fabric dye
– A degreaser product
– 2 lead long cathodes
– A roll of aluminum wire
– Enough distilled water
– Baking soda
– Rubber gloves and mask
– Several gallons of sulfuric acid (battery acid)
– Lye
– A constant power supply of at least 20 volts

2) Clean the machined aluminum parts

First, use the soap (or gentle detergent) and warm water to clean off all the dirt on the aluminum part and dry it with a clean towel. Then apply some degreaser to remove additional oil from the part. Finally, put the aluminum product into a scouring solution (44 ml of lye in 3.8 l of distilled water) to remove any existing anodizing on the surface, and rinse it thoroughly with clean water after soaking 3 minutes, note to wear the rubber gloves.

3) Make the anodizing bath

The process should be done in well-ventilated space, better in 21 to 22 degrees Celsius. After selecting the operating area, you can start to set up the power supply on non-flammable material. Connect the positive wire from your battery charger or rectifier to long aluminum wire and connect your negative wire from your battery charger to an aluminum wire connected to 2 lead cathodes. Then tie one end of the aluminum wire to the anode (aluminum part) and wrap the middle of the wire around a thin wood plate, which is used as the leverage to lift the aluminum part out.

Put a lead cathode on each side of the tank and string aluminum wire between them to connect the two cathodes with the wood, but not touch the anode. The next step is to mix distilled water and battery acid of 1:1 ratio in the plastic container, ensure the mixture can submerge the aluminum anode. Note: add water before acid; wear mask and gloves when pouring acid; if the acid spilled or splashed, cover it with baking soda immediately. Connect the aluminum wire leads from anode to the positive electrode of power supply and connect another aluminum wire from the lead cathode to the negative electrode. Ensure there is no acid solutions spill outside the container and all of your skin is covered, turn on the power supply.

4) Anodizing and dying aluminum

Turn on the power source to the ideal amperage (12 amps per every 0.09 square meters of material ) gradually. Keep the power supply constant for 45 minutes and prepare the dye in another container during the process. Turn off the power supply when the time is up and wash the aluminum part with distilled water. Put the aluminum part in the dye for about 15 minutes. Once the dying is completed, place it in the boiling water for 30 minutes. The last step is to take the dyed aluminum off on the clean towel to cool it and seal the surface.