Re: re:DIY anodizing (what is HARD anodising?)

Peter,

It's been awhile since I played with anodising, but I didn't have the
problems you mention with the RIT dye. Maybe an older formulation?
BUT, it certainly was NOT commercial grade, either. Fades quickly,
uneven color (is this what you meant?)

As I said before, great fun to play with, but I'll leave
my "paycheck" parts to the experts... sounds like Jon A may become
one of those :-)

My question for the list. What is 'hard' anodising? How does it
differ from 'plain' anodising?

Ballendo

>I've home anodized many parts and find that RIT dye is almost
>impossible to use. The pigment particles are too large to fit the
>pores in the anodized surface. Any dye used must have very small
>particles, magic marker ink works well though it does fade. I was
>gonna try using stamp pad ink, dipping the whole part before
>steaming. I suspect the reason why commerical anodizing dyes are so
>expensive is the need to make the particles so small. And of
> keeping chemical purity. My two bits.
> Peter
> PS, Clear anodizing is very easy to do....