Home Anodizing Set-up

[EdK]

Tom,

You might be able to find some plastic molding at a home center that you could RTV to the top edges to seal them. I'm not sure how that would hold up to the chemicals though.
Otherwise how about some flashing that comes in rolls? Just a few thoughts.

Ed

[Mayhem]

RTV?

[dallen]

(02-26-2013, 09:09 AM)Mayhem Wrote: RTV?

Silicone

[TomG]

As in Room Temperature Vulcanizing.

[Highpower]

Very nice Tom.

One option. That is the same formula as the old Behr 600 Tung Oil Finish that was discontinued. I use it to refinish military stocks because it seals them up tight. Moisture runs off it like a ducks back.

I think I would be more worried about spills etc., running down into your power supply if it is going to reside underneath your tanks like that.

Darren: RTV = Room Temperature Vulcanizing silicone sealant. (Beaten to the punch again...)

[TomG]

Thanks Willie.

I think I'm going to bend up a stainless cap to cover the exposed edge and the rest of the bench will just be painted. Once the corners of the box are sealed, it should keep any large amounts of water from reaching the supply. Any dripping will take place from tank to tank and there will be a gutter system to drain it away, so nothing should get down the outside of the bench (famous last words).

Tom

[ETC57]

Looking good Tom.
Jerry.

[TomG]

There's not much to do on the bench until parts start arriving, but I did manage to make the cathodes and mount them in the anodizing tank. They are simply sheets of 6061 aluminum screwed to opposite sides of the tank and wired with some #12 stranded wire. The anodizing tank will also require a bubbler for agitation and a rack to hold the parts, which will travel from tank to tank throughout the anodizing process.



I think I have the heating system worked out. It will consist of 2000 watt heating elements, much like hot water heater elements, except that they are stainless. There will be one in each heated tank and they'll be controlled by a PID temperature controller through solid state relays. The plan is to place a thermocouple in one of the 140º tanks and use it as a master. The other 140º tanks will be slaves, with heating elements but no thermocouple. This way I can get by with one temperature controller for the 140º tanks and one for the 180º tank.

Tom

[Arbalest]

I thought you had to cool down the anodising tank not heat it up? Got the impression only the dyeing and sealing needed to be done hot?

[TomG]

(03-08-2013, 02:25 PM)Arbalest Wrote: I thought you had to cool down the anodising tank not heat it up? Got the impression only the dyeing and sealing needed to be done hot?

The anodizing is done at 68-72º. I keep the shop at 55º in the winter when I'm not working so it will need to be warmed up some before using. I suspect a heating pad underneath the tank will be sufficient.

Tom