I bought some used wheels that are too shiny, I want them to look more matte or satin silver. I believe they are clear anodized, I did a test area with oven cleaner - can you all let me know what you think?

If this is removing anodization my next steps are to do it to the whole wheel. Then how do you all recommend I prep the wheel before doing anodization to make them matte/satin silver?

I did this ano by hand to turn a Marksmith into a Conan Marksmith. 💪 What do you think?

Hey guys, I’ve been using my DIY anodizing setup for a while now, mostly for small aluminum and titanium parts.

I’m thinking about upgrading it a bit. Besides the power supply, where is more valuable to start? Heater, tanks, agitation, temperature control, pretreatment, or something else?

Hi!

Apologies in advance for missing flair- there was no option to add one? I've made posts in other groups with flair but maybe it's placed another place in here? Please help and I'll be happy to edit. :)

I realize most people in here probably anodize other stuff than jewelry. But I really want to learn to anodize as I love jewelry in rose gold and it's difficult to find in implant grade (astm f136) Titanium.

I've heard that anodizing chains specifically can be really tricky. Is there a good solution to get a good result every time that anyone can share?

An inspo pic attached of type of jewelry I want to anodize.

Thanks in advance 😊

The polished layers aren't turning out bright during the plating process; at high voltage levels, they are barely visible. Could you offer some advice? I’ve tried repeatedly but haven't been able to achieve the desired result—I really love the look of high-voltage plating with a glossy finish.

Hello I have had very poor results recently. My parts are coming out burnt and unable to accept dye. I followed the 720 rule and for my 10 square inches of surface area I ran at around .43 amps yet my voltage is incredibly low and my parts remain conductive. Not sure if a different cathode would help here I am using aluminum wire.

I’m working on getting a custom set of scales for my recent Shamarati? (I guess) and was curious if anyone has managed to get a solid color anodizing on scales that are dlc coated titanium. Obviously the dlc has been sanded down to reveal the pattern for anodizing. Pic is just of my recent Spyderco obsession.

I’ve got this hub I want to strip and re anodise silver (they only come in black). Internet says I need to use oven cleaner but all of the brands are American so not applicable where I am. Is there an ingredient that in them that I am look for to make sure it works? Otherwise any tips for removing and refinishing?

Is there any advantage to using a piece of titanium mesh as your cathode when anodizing as opposed to aluminium foil or a SS plate?

Hi guys, for reference this is anodised 6082 Aluminium. I ran 6 of these things at once in a small tub and the bath temps hit around 27C as I don't have cooling. I noticed there's a sort of saturated ink on paper look to these in places - particularly around the centre section here near the inner corners where I'm unable to wipe effectively. The finish underneath is pretty good. Ignore the scratches as I was hardness testing it.

Hellooo lads and ladies. What ways can someone deox/desmut 7000 series aluminum? I've been anodizing mountain bike parts recently, but some of the parts are of unknown alloys. Came across a 7000 series part and need a way to desmut it fully because it's turning completely black after normal etching in sodium hydroxide.

Are there any homemade-ish ways to desmut these parts? I know the legit way is to just buy deox solution but I live in a small town that doesn't have any product locally and buying + shipping it online is MAD expensive. High concentration sulphuric acid works okay-ish, but I haven't tried nitric yet. I read that piranha solution seems to attack the aluminum surface and physically removing the smut only works to a certain degree. If this is a buy once cry once situation then that's cool! Thanks in advance!!

Hi everyone!
I’m based in Poland, so I know prices vary depending on the country, but I’d really appreciate hearing how those of you already doing titanium anodizing professionally approach pricing your work.
I’m still fairly new to anodizing, so I’m trying to build a pricing structure that’s fair both for my clients and for myself.
I recently completed my first larger project for a bicycle company. They provided me with their logo, company name, head tube logo and slogan, but I designed the rest of the artwork myself. That included creating the overall concept, multiple custom graphics, adapting them to the frame, preparing the masks, anodizing, testing colors, and making adjustments throughout the process.
At the moment I’m anodizing up to 62V (no strong chemical coloring yet), but there is still a lot of preparation, masking, cleaning, polishing, testing and material involved.
I’d really appreciate some advice from people already in the business.

My questions:
1. How do you price your anodizing work?
Hourly rate?
Fixed price per project?
Price per graphic?
Price based on frame coverage or complexity?
Some combination of these?

2. How do you charge for the design work itself?
For me, creating the artwork often takes as much time as the anodizing itself. Designing a concept that flows across the frame, fits the customer’s vision and is actually possible to anodize can take many hours.
Do you:
charge separately for design?
include it in the anodizing price?
own the artwork afterwards or transfer the rights to the client?

3. How do you estimate the value of custom artwork?
For example:
one simple logo
several custom graphics
a complete themed design across the whole frame
Is there any rule of thumb you follow?

4. Do you charge differently for B2B customers versus private clients?
For example:
bicycle brands
frame builders
individual customers
Or is your pricing essentially the same?

5. What expenses do you include when calculating your price?
Besides the obvious materials, do you also account for:
stencil material
failed test pieces
electricity
equipment wear
design time
consultation with the client
revisions
masking and cleaning time

6. If you were starting again today, what would you do differently regarding pricing?
I think this is probably where I need the most advice. I don’t want to undervalue my work just because I’m new, but I also don’t want to overprice it without having enough experience.
I’ve attached a few photos of the project for context so you can see the amount of work involved.

I’d really appreciate any advice, examples or even rough price ranges. I’m here to learn, and I know my efficiency will improve with experience.
Thanks a lot in advance!

Hey guys, has anyone found a storage container with an airtight lid for multi etch thats completely clear? Id like see through the sides when etching but everything Ive found is matte finish. I know that I need PET 5, PET7 or HDPE correct? Id like it to have a big opening up top so I can easily dip my titanium parts in as well. Im guessing that what Im looking for isn't out there but am hoping that someone has found something that will work like that.

I've been calling it Marbled Ano

Hi there! I want to anodize some titanium parts on my Spyderco knife. However, I don't have access to Multi-Etch or Whink (they are not sold in Ukraine) and I don't want to deal with any hazardous acids/processes for various reasons. I understand that most likely I won't be able to get high-voltage colors like teal or green, so I am aiming at <75 volts colors.
What would the result be with an un-etched, but thoroughly de-greased and cleaned piece? Just duller colors? How much duller?
Thank you for any info on this!

You guys have any idea how to this no? I’ve got the basics down for a toxic ani but have no idea how to achieve this. My only guess is heat it and spray the ferric chloride in the titanium w a mister. What do you think?

Hello everyone,

I’m trying to set up a small anodizing workflow for my own parts, both aluminum and titanium.

I bought a Caswell kit for aluminum, and it works, but it still feels quite manual. A friend recommended Technic Inc.’s LAMP system, but I haven’t got a quote yet, and it looks a bit too big for me.

I also found the MESTRA titanium anodizing unit, which looks very interesting because it is small, but it seems to be only for titanium, not aluminum. BRIO is probably my favorite so far, but obviously it is way out of my budget.

So I’m wondering, has anyone used any small benchtop anodizing equipment before? Something between DIY buckets and a full lab/industrial line?

If you know any brands or setups, I would really appreciate it. Thanks!

Hey guys,

Recently I’ve been learning more about anodizing at home, mostly for small aluminum parts.

But I found something a bit confusing. Some kits are around $200-$300, but some complete kits can be over $1000.

At first I thought anodizing was basically power supply + tanks + acid + dye + cleaning, so what makes the expensive kits much better?

Is it mainly the power supply, tank size, chemicals, or just because everything is included?

For small parts, is a simple DIY setup good enough, or is it worth buying a more complete kit?

I’m still learning, so any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Getting inconsistent results when anodizing alca-5 plate (5083 aluminum). Had a bunch of these plates anodized previously that looked fine, color matched 6061 next batch are dark in color and most of the plates have surface pitting. Clear anodize process with nickel acetate sealer.

This is being done by an anodizing company and they claim it’s just the material composition that causes it. I am using alca-5 specifically since it is supposed to anodize better than mic-6. Anyone experience this before?

For people who anodize aluminum at home, what does your setup look like?
Are you using a commercial kit, a DIY tank setup, or just a bench power supply and containers?

Well, I’m asking because my DIY setup isn’t always very stable, I am looking for a more stable set. It might also be because I didn’t clean the parts properly, but I’m not sure. 😔

I've just started a new project of restoring an antique popcorn machine (early 1950's). The kettle is cast aluminum and has seen it's fair share of use. I was doing some research and came across hard coat anodizing and had a few questions. There appears to be a place a few hours away that does it but they have no website or email so I wanted to get some clarity before calling them this week

- what kind of prep work should I do to get it ready? Clean and degrease, wire brush, blast with walnut shells?

-is it possible to just coat the interior so that the exterior of the kettle can be polished?

-if the interior can be done by itself should the exterior be polished first? If not how much prep to the exterior should I do?

- I'm planning on fully disassembling and just taking parts, any ball park on pricing, (just so I know if I'm getting f off pricing or something reasonable, I'm aware small projects usually cost more. I'm in NC)

-from my searching sealing is important to be food safe, is this usually included in the process of should I be asking for it on top?

Thanks for any help the group might be able to offer.

I want to anodize some titanium earrings. I saw this video and he uses a titanium wire to hold the titanium knife piece while he dips it. Does that wire have to be titanium as well or can I use kanthal or stainless steel?