Clean the Parts
Get out that degreaser and some clean cloths. The surface of the part needs to be
perfectly clean. Rinse the part of with distilled water when you’re done.
Etch the Parts
Get out the lye and mix it with distilled water. The ratio is about 3-5 tablespoons of pure
lye to 1 gallon of water. Make sure you’re wearing your respirator and safety glasses at
this point, lye can be nasty stuff.
Let the part soak for 3-5 minutes, then rinse it off with distilled water.
Pour the Bath
Put your container in a well ventilated area. Anodizing works best when it’s done at
around 70 F. If needed, give your liquids time to acclimatize. Anodizing at a temperature
over 75 degrees won’t give very good results.
Pour the distilled water in the container first. Then add the sulfuric acid. The ratio is 1
part acid to 3 parts water . I know other websites say to do half and half. They’re wrong.
The acid shouldn’t be that strong. This concentration works better and it’s cheaper, too.
Always pour acid into water, not water into acid.
Add Power 2.5amp 30min for lowers
Set up your power supply. Attach the positive side to the wire on your parts. Attach the
negative side to your lead cathode.
Heat Up the Dye
Get out that tea kettle and warm up the dye, checking the temperature with the meat
thermometer. This can be a bit of a fussy step.
Most dyes work well at around 140 F, but some colors perform slightly better at a lower
temp, like 120 F. I’d recommend trying the first batch at 140 and if you’re not happy with
the results, try the next one a little cooler.
Get your Baths Ready
Set up one tub of distilled water.
Put some distilled water in a spray bottle.
Next set up one tank with a mix of baking soda and distilled water. This will neutralize the acid
and make it more likely that there won’t be any blemishes on the parts. I’ll usually use a ratio of
3 tablespoons of baking soda per quart of water.
Part Dunking
Turn off the power to the anodizing tank. Lift the parts partially out of the tank and give
them a few sprays of distilled water. I spray down directly into the tank so it doesn’t
make a mess.
Now swish the parts around in the distilled water tub. You just want to rinse off as much
of the acid as possible.
Then put the parts in the baking soda tub. Swish it around a bit and let it sit for around 5
minutes.
Now rinse off the parts again in distilled water. Be thorough.
Double check the temperature of the dye and adjust as needed.
Dunk the parts in the dye. Stir it around vigorously enough to knock off any bubbles on
the parts, but don’t make a massive mess. This stuff is a pain to clean.
You should be able to see the parts instantly start to take the dye. If the process didn’t
work, the dye will just drip off. If it did work, the part will start to change color. Let the
parts soak in the dye for 10-15 minutes.
Sealing
This part is really easy. Once the soak in the dye is done, boil the parts for about 15
minutes. This is where it’s handy to have either an extra kettle or a hot plate where you
can boil a pot of water.