You can anodize aluminum to make colorful creations.
Anodizing pieces of aluminum allows you to add color in a cheap and durable way. Anodizing aluminum is a popular way to spruce up any aluminum-clad object. Paintball guns, decorations, model cars are three popular applications for anodizing.
Instructions
Applying Current to the Aluminum Object
1. Use the aluminum wire and foil to make a negative ground. This can be done by shaping the end of the exposed wire into a flat round shape and covering that part with the foil. This should create a shape that is 3 inches wide. This flat round shape will be placed in the bottom part of the rubber bucket with the other end coming out of the top of the bucket. The size of the bucket will depend on the size of the object you wish to anodize.
2. Attach the other end of the negative grounding wire to the negative battery terminal. Usually, this is done through the use of a clamp, but it depends on the type of battery charger you have.
3. Create the anodizing solution by combining two parts acid to one part water in the rubber bucket. Pour slowly to prevent splashing.
4. Attach the positive lead from the battery charger to the aluminum piece that you wish to anodize. Put this in the sulfuric acid and water mixture and completely submerge it. Do not allow the two leads (positive and negative) to touch.
5. Turn on the charger and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes. The part will begin to bubble and fizz.
6. Turn off the battery charger and disconnect all items. Remove the aluminum part from the bucket and rinse with cold water.
Adding Color to the Aluminum Object
7. Create a mixture of dye and water within a container. Follow the manufacturer's directions on the dye bottle for mixture proportions. This container must be appropriate for heating on the stove top. Cake pans are a good choice.
8. Place the aluminum object in the pan making sure the entire piece is submerged. Turn the stove burner to a low setting, and place the pan on the stove top. Turn the part every few minutes to ensure it gets even coloring. Keep the aluminum object over heat until the color is slightly darker than what you wish it to be.
9. Remove the aluminum object from dye mixture and place into a pot containing clean boiling water. This step will "seal" the color onto the aluminum object. It also lightens the color a bit, which is why you make it slightly darker in the previous step.
Tags: battery charger, aluminum object, aluminum object, flat round, flat round shape, Remove aluminum