anodizing aluminum
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,186
Likes: 45
From: detroit area
anodizing aluminum
i'm looking into having some parts anodized since i need a better finish than my round wire brush in a drill press and rattle can clear coat. has anyone had any good luck with anodizing regular 6061 aluminum and what was your cost/amount of parts.... just trying to get an ballpark figure.....
looking to have a shop do it and not interested in doing it myself...
looking to have a shop do it and not interested in doing it myself...
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2003
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From: Sitting in his Nowhere land Hanover Pa
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have you really ever looked at anodized aluminum up close. if so do so before going any further
Racer
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 323
Likes: 0
From: CA
i'm looking into having some parts anodized since i need a better finish than my round wire brush in a drill press and rattle can clear coat. has anyone had any good luck with anodizing regular 6061 aluminum and what was your cost/amount of parts.... just trying to get an ballpark figure.....
looking to have a shop do it and not interested in doing it myself...
looking to have a shop do it and not interested in doing it myself...
Cost is a base min. The finish will be what ever is on the part. Anodizeing is just a coating. glassman74
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,186
Likes: 45
From: detroit area
i have seen anodized aluminum pulleys and fittings.... clear/blue/red/etc..
i was thinking of a greyish color like aluminum or maybe black or silver...
i know there's some sanding prep involved, but i'm more concerned about the finish not flaking off or chipping (compared to the easy chipping with this rustoleum clear i'm using)
i was thinking of a greyish color like aluminum or maybe black or silver...
i know there's some sanding prep involved, but i'm more concerned about the finish not flaking off or chipping (compared to the easy chipping with this rustoleum clear i'm using)
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 12,142
Likes: 54
From: Taylor Michigan
Very popular with the tin on drag race cars with hardly no effort to clean...It also comes in multi mixed colors to trick it out...Shown in the picture in Red/gold/black on the side panels under the engine on my fuel roadster...Nice thing about anodizing is that the fuels used will not harm the finish unlike painted surfaces that can melt under Gas and Nitro...However the only companies featuring the multi color stuff that I know of are on the west coast....the bad side, you just have to be careful because it can be scratched just like paint... The trade off of possible scratches is that it`s really a bitchin look, especially if multi colored with lots of complimentary chrome...
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,813
Likes: 1
From: JOPPA MD
I think this may be cost prohibitive. You only have a small number of parts, and the parts themselves are most likely small as well....you really do not say exactly what the parts are. Be that as it may, if you could hook up with someone here looking to have a few pieces done, then the lot size will start to offset the dollars. If, you have a friend in the aerospace business...they maybe able to slip them in. There are so many over the counter coatings available today, so, depending on what you really need and the finish you seek, I would think you could clean and spray the parts yourself and save a bundle. Just my 2 cents worth....food for thought.
PS...What ever you decide...be sure to remove all the internal moisture from the parts with a small torch, or oven bake...if, you do that much...the coating you go with, will last forever if properly applied....hope this help's.
PS...What ever you decide...be sure to remove all the internal moisture from the parts with a small torch, or oven bake...if, you do that much...the coating you go with, will last forever if properly applied....hope this help's.
Last edited by GREGG-73; Dec 5, 2009 at 08:48 AM.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,186
Likes: 45
From: detroit area
the parts would be for furniture... this is how i'm working with aluminum and looking at other clear/coating process that might help diversify the designs a bit..... i don't like paint and i think powdercoating looks like shyt on furniture
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Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,186
Likes: 45
From: detroit area
went to a shop today and learned a few things about the process... i should have 2 sample parts early next week. the finish will have a matte finish to it, which i want. i think anodizing will be a better process and cheaper than trying to paint parts. they also do powdercoating and hardcoating along with black oxide..... should be interesting
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
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From: Crossville TN
Anodizing does not really change the surface appearance or surface texture. It is a [relatively] clear coating that it plated to the surface and forms a harder "wear surface" onto the soft aluminum. On a C3, the rocker panels are anodized. You see the aluminum surface underneath, but the anodizing helps minimize the road-rash from being much harder and resistant to damage. So, the part must look like you want it to...before anodizing...to get the result you want. If you don't need the surface to be harder, you don't need anodizing.
P.S. Anodizing also 'seal' the aluminum surface so that it will not oxydize and corrode.
P.S. Anodizing also 'seal' the aluminum surface so that it will not oxydize and corrode.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,186
Likes: 45
From: detroit area
i'm looking at options to make aluminum black with out painting/powdercoating and able to keep that 'hard' surface..... even the clear coats i tried tend to flake/chip off and not liking that since i'm trying to develop a higher end product/design...
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,186
Likes: 45
From: detroit area
just got a few samples back and i like how they turned out. i initially sanded them with 120 grit orbital and when the black anodizing was done, it created a nice matte black finish. the shop told me if i wanted a gloss finish, then to polish the aluminum before the anodizing. the shop only charges $65 a bucket per color/style for anodizing. i think a bucket would be the size of a regular 5 gallon bucket, i have to double check that
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,986
Likes: 21
From: Columbus MN
Check you local machine shops
One of our sons is a CNC machinist. Most major machine shops send out large batches of parts to be anodized. Some shops will including your parts in a batch of a certain color for a nominal charge. Check around, especially if you know a machinist or two.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,071
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From: Rotonda FL
Hardcoat anodizing
If you want a matte black, look at either Pizza Hut deep dish pans or the black anodized cookware. This is done with a different process than the common clearcoat anodizing. Hard coat truly IS hard. It is very difficult to scratch and is very slick. If a metal part rubs against it, it may mark from removing some of the metal from the thing that rubbed against it. Should this happen, a mild adrasive will clean it up.
I made all of the Pizza Hut pans, which were hardcoated for ease of cleaning and durability. We sent all of the pans to Pioneer Anodizing, located near Green Bay Wis.
I made all of the Pizza Hut pans, which were hardcoated for ease of cleaning and durability. We sent all of the pans to Pioneer Anodizing, located near Green Bay Wis.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 1999
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From: SE Pennsylvania
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
Oldtimer
I've had a few tons of Aluminum Anodized while I worked for a company 15 years ago. You can have a lot of different colors with the Anodizing, but keep in mind as Nowhere Man has mentioned, the surface is not perfectly smooth and it can be a little porous ? I would go to a company that does this work and see for yourself what Anodized metal looks like. 
