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Ranch Dog
06-19-2012, 06:59 PM
Does anyone have a setup to anodize aluminum? I need to scope bases anodized and would be willing to pay to have it done. I've looked at kits and the smallest package to provide the components less a power supply is around $200.

The bases are for my Rossi 92 scout rifles. They are a contoured tapered base, fitting the barrel but Rossi paints all their bases rather that correctly anodizing the product. This paint has caused some issue with the base failing. There are no aftermarket bases for the rifle.
dnotarianni
06-19-2012, 07:05 PM
Find somebody local that does anodizing and or plating. Tell them no rush and they will prob run it with a large order for $20. Thats what I do.
Dave
Ranch Dog
06-19-2012, 07:19 PM
Has anyone used Birchwood Casey's Aluminum Black for a purpose outline above.
Ranch Dog
06-19-2012, 07:20 PM
Find somebody local that does anodizing and or plating. Tell them no rush and they will prob run it with a large order for $20. Thats what I do.
Dave

Thanks Dave but I have tried that. No one locally or within 50 miles that I can find.
MtGun44
06-19-2012, 08:41 PM
If you have a good powerful battery charger, you can do it cheap. Mix up some sulphuric acid in a
stainless bowl, sit it into a container of crushed ice to keep the solution cold and put power on
the workpiece and the bowl. Color control is extremely difficult, but you will get hardness,
try about 15 minutes, but it may take longer to get color. Even the pros have to do an
upper and lower in the same bath to get them to truly match. Different alloys make different
colors, the dark stuff is on 7075.

Boil in fresh water for 10 minutes after anodizing to harden the layer, this is critical.

IIRC, the sulphuric acid is 15%, but if you really mean to do it, spend some time online or PM
me. I have a few books that discuss this in some depth.

Bill
Ranch Dog
06-19-2012, 09:17 PM
Thanks.
Norbrat
06-19-2012, 09:38 PM
Has anyone used Birchwood Casey's Aluminum Black for a purpose outline above.

I have tried it, but didn't get a good result.

The finish just rubbed off on the pieces I tried it on.

The B/C website reviews are very polarised; either 5 stars or cr*p. http://sport.birchwoodcasey.com/Finishing/FinishingDetails.aspx?ProductID=0790cc91-b2e8-488d-a6fa-8820790beefb

Maybe I need to be more careful with the prep or truy it on a different grade of alloy.