[Goober]

Parts Anodizing

Anyone got experience anodizing their parts as a corrosion protection? There’s a lot rattle can and some powder coating, but does anyone use plating or anodizing?

recently got a used working lamp and noticed the bracket, holder and mount (stay) had a greenish brown coating. The parts will hold a magnet and so must be steel or light alloy steel. There is no corrosion on the bracket but there was some on the holder and stay. The lens guard was moderately pitted so I proceeded to vinegar soak these parts. The greenish-brown coating came off.

This might have been a magnetite layer, which would be thinner than paint but easier to apply

I am interested in restoring this finish but already have primer and paint ready to go lol!

Was reading the paper at this link; seems straightforward but I don’t have a great way for heating the solution. But maybe there’s a commercial shop known by members here

http://www.steelanodize.com/

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/c532/91aeb43b2ff35b04d88ee973e8df58e42fca.pdf

 

[retro]

Plating is something I'd like to get into too! I once (long ago) began to collect some equipment and materials to build an aluminum anodizing setup for my own use, but was too busy to spend any time on it and eventually sold off everything I had collected. I'd like to be able to do the yellow (like galvanizing) coatings for steel parts too. I don't know what the green steel coatings consist of, but those would be useful if we could get our hands on the chemicals. Hope you build something... so I can copy it. LOL

 

[LedFTed]

is this similar to chromeing an object? or am i thinking to ancient.

 

[Goober]

Yeah Ted Zackly. Chroming is very similar to what i want to do.

Chrome needs copper which needs nickel on steel. I am sure i can do nickel.

I have seen a titanium process using multietch which looks cool.

More interested in the magnetite process which uses the steel item you want plated, a sacrificial steel item and a heated hydroxide bath. I understand that i could get a double boiler to 125F, with a 2-3 volt charge to deposit a durable magnetite film. The film is not completely sealed as the deposit grows in nanotubes—you have to apply WD40 to completely seal the coating

 

[retro]

I used to have a good regulated, high output, variable voltage/current power supply for plating. I suppose one could be made cheaply enough though, if you knew you were only gonna need a certain voltage and current range? Like you said, supplying the bath and heat would be simple.