BradG better watch out!!!!!!!!

[Mapster]

A kitless click in aluminum anodized in 2 colors!!!! Yes, you heard right, 2 colors! Mike Redburn and I were inspired after seeing a few colorful pretty butterflies in different colors on a black background done by Brad... We figured we should step up our game a notch :biggrin:.

This was my first kitless click I turned, and we anodized the yellow-green color first, then masked it and anodized the blackish-blueish after. Lets just say things didn't quite go as planned, the pen looked much cooler before all of the dye somehow washed off the pen . Special thanks to Mike for putting up with me for the hours using his anodizing setup...

The pictures aren't great, I am still working on it, but it gives you a general idea. I included a few closeups so you can get an idea of the texture of the pen. Please comment and critique the pen. Be as harsh as you feel is necessary, I appreciate honest information, you won't hurt my feelings!

 

[Harley2001]

That's a great start.i'll be looking for more.i hope my kit less click looks that good.

 

[crabcreekind]

Very nice, i just finished my first. Did you do yours on a metal lathe? Great job on the anodizing btw!

 

[Dalecamino]

Good effort Marshall. I think you're onto something.

 

[BradG]

hey hey! great shot at it. my guess would be that the pores were partially closed when you applied the second dye.

what was your process?

 

[bluwolf]

It looks like it has a rash. Does this look infected to you? :tongue:

Mike

 

[mredburn]

No thats over etching and it was planned that way. Yeah thats the story. Actually Brad, after the results I did some more research to see what was what. We were following an effort Marshall had seen on You Tube. Unfortunatly we didnt have all the information right. However the first thing that I learned is that the acid bath is supposed to be between F 60-70 degrees or C 15-21. My shops ambient tempature is 85 degrees +(30c). That causes the pores to be to large and lets the dye run out rather than seal. Also the process of 2 colors in this case uses bleach to remove the unprotected color and a dip IN (ahem Marshall) Muriatic Acid (hydrochloric) to Open the pores of the anodizing for the second color. Our resulting efforts on the second color caused the etching of the surface. The best part is we tried. We had some success and learned a great deal about what to do and what not to do.

 

[Mapster]

Very nice, i just finished my first. Did you do yours on a metal lathe? Great job on the anodizing btw!

Thanks James, I did do it on a metal lathe, not mine though. It is easier to get the precision for the threading...


Mike, I admit it, you were right! I was partially right but messed up the most important part, although it looked promising at the time . Maybe your muriatic acid will come in handy! You up for round 2 tomorrow?

 

[kruzzer]

Marshall
all I can say is that I remember what was probably your first pen and you have come a loooong way since then. Keep this kind of creative work up.....
Rich

 

[johncrane]

Good try well done

 

[cnirenberg]

It looks like it has a rash. Does this look infected to you? :tongue:

Mike

Too funny. Bring it on!!!! Seriously, Marshall and Mike this looks like an awesome start to something great. Good looking pen, but I may have get my shots up to date before I see it in person.

 

[BradG]

No thats over etching and it was planned that way. Yeah thats the story. Actually Brad, after the results I did some more research to see what was what. We were following an effort Marshall had seen on You Tube. Unfortunatly we didnt have all the information right. However the first thing that I learned is that the acid bath is supposed to be between F 60-70 degrees or C 15-21. My shops ambient tempature is 85 degrees +(30c). That causes the pores to be to large and lets the dye run out rather than seal. Also the process of 2 colors in this case uses bleach to remove the unprotected color and a dip IN (ahem Marshall) Muriatic Acid (hydrochloric) to Open the pores of the anodizing for the second color. Our resulting efforts on the second color caused the etching of the surface. The best part is we tried. We had some success and learned a great deal about what to do and what not to do.

Figured it would have been the second colour Bleach works on organic dyes, but i presonally avoid using hydrochloric. i find it too aggresive. Instead i use very diluted sulphuric acid to open the pores up. any solution too strong damages the pores and creates pitting.

as you quite rightly said you haven't failed at anything. I have a plaque in my workshop which reads a quote from Edison, with his picture.

"I have not failed 700 times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those 700 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work."

I go through this process so so much.... may it be with a new electronic circuit, a piece of software im writing, or a metal finishing process. If you can get it right first time by reading text and watching videos then its evident there was not many variables in the project.

I think you both are doing brilliantly well, and keeping at the pace of experimentation you are both doing, you will be pen anodising pioneers in no time - though be warned... i have a secret weapon in the midst :biggrin:

 

[mredburn]

We swirled it in the anodizing acid bath for the second color as we didnt have the information about the muratic acid at the time. Maybe I should maek/use a weaker solution.

 

[BradG]

A weaker solution would have been more ideal but even so your anodising tank solution should have been fine for a short duration. how strong was the bleach?

 

[mredburn]

houshold bleach full strength

 

[BradG]

I would feel more comfortable assuming that's your issue. If you are going to use bleach dilute it 30% bleach. Either that or just use weak sulphuric acid. Some splash anodiaers I know swear by using nitric acid instead of bleach.

When using the bleach at full strength it should have removed the dye inatantlt. If it took a while its likely the dye is not organic and acid is a better choice

 

[mredburn]

I do have reagant strengh Nitric acid. let me attach a link to the you tubve video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kL44yrf0Q8&feature=fvwrel

Clorox Household bleach is not full strength to start with.

 

[Mapster]

You found the videos Mike! Well done! They are pretty informative, though I didn't see this particular video. Looks interesting... Seems like we are stuck in one of those grey areas where it technically should have worked, but technically it should not have. All I know is something was a little off.

The weird thing is that it took the dye the second time around. The pores had to be open because when we pulled the thing out of the dye it was a nice blackish blue color, so that worked. The problem was once we tried to seal it. I think that is more what we should look into than the bleaching of the rest of the first color. If the pores were not open as they should have been then the color would not have gotten on the aluminum at all, it would have stayed silver after dipping in the dye.

And yes Brad, we actually brought up that same quote when we got done making the pen. Kind of ironic it came to both of our minds... We will work on a few of the things and see what we can come up with. Can't wait to see what you have in store, sounds like something truly exciting!

 

[Mapster]

So the two interesting things I found from the video are the hydrochloric he used to reopen the pores, but also the nickel acetate sealer he used. I think this could possibly be the key to our failure. The boiling water was our problem, maybe the nickel acetate gives a better seal and keeps the dye from "leaking" off the part as much as it did. Just an idea, we will have to give each variable a shot

 

[BradG]

Try steaming it for a while before submerging it. its one way to give it a head start without losing any dye whatsoever. I do this with certain colours

 

[mredburn]

We had better luck today. I will let the pen owner post the results. However we cooled the acid bath as it was anodizing and that made a world of difference.

 

[Stevej72]

Very nice!

 

[BradG]

We had better luck today. I will let the pen owner post the results. However we cooled the acid bath as it was anodizing and that made a world of difference.

Im looking forward to it