An easy, DIY alternative to anodizing

[wjr]

Just recently I heard about something called alodine. Having done some anodizing in the past with less then great results I was eager to learn more about it. Alodine is a chemical that essentially does the same thing that anodizing does, it just does it chemically. It oxidizes the outer layer of the aluminum and can then be painted with normal metal paint.

Here's a page with another description:
http://www.matronics.com/rv-list/hovan/tips/AlAnDef.html

I bought some of this stuff from here:
http://www.chemical-supermarket.com/Alodine_Chromate_Conversion-c109.html?gclid=CNS7yY-r5owCFQdyUAodMlx80A

I purchased the Alodine 1200.

I was ver pleased with the results of it. I painted the sight rail and foregrip bracket of my RT Classic just with using normal spray paint and then applied a layer of gloss coating. I was very pleased with the results. With an airbrush I'm sure it could be made to look even better.

When I get home tonight I'll put up some pictures of it.

This is an incredibly easy way to give your gun a new look yourself. But I must say that is still doesn't quite look as good as anodizing.

[mr doo doo]

sounds interesting, but for some reason the links dont work.

[Dark Side]

Tell me more...

[maglover728]

This sounds cool but as stated above, the links don't work.

[Warwitch]

Good for a backup marker maybe but I would be hard pressed to put powdercoat on my rig much less spray paint. (Duracoat is 10x better than any regualr spray paint too).

[wjr]

Links have been fixed.

[luke]

it just does it chemically. It oxidizes the outer layer of the aluminum and can then be painted with normal metal paint.

First thing that comes to mind is will it take a dye like anno? I know that is not the purpose, but may be worth trying..

[wjr]

First thing that comes to mind is will it take a dye like anno? I know that is not the purpose, but may be worth trying..


I thought this same thing as I typed up this thread. I think I may try it when I get home.

[Pneumagger]

this does not remove the current anodize though, does it?

[wjr]

No, it doesn't remove the anodize. You have to strip it first.

Here's what you've got to do:

1) Strip the anodize. Do this by putting the part(s) in Drano diluted with water. Dilute it at about a 1:3 drano to water ratio. After stripping it sand it with 320 grit sand paper and continue sanding with higher and higher grits until about 800. Then use steel wool. After that polish the part with tripoli compound.

2) Rinse the part with water and soap.

3) Use a toothbush to apply the alodine. It'll stick onto the aluminum, making it gold.

4) Wash the part again in water to get the excess alodine off.

5) Paint the part using any paint meant for metals. An airbrush would most likely give the best results. You may want to do two coats. You could put a layer of clear gloss on to make it shinier. If you wanted to take the paint off for whatever reason you can use paint thinner without damaging the alodine layer.

[Hexis]

The purpose of Anodizing is to harden the surface. The ability of dye the surface and color the metal is secondary. Priming the metal for painting is nothing like anodizing.

[wjr]

The purpose of Anodizing is to harden the surface. The ability of dye the surface and color the metal is secondary. Priming the metal for painting is nothing like anodizing.

Alodine does dramatically increase the corrosion resistance of aluminum. That's more then powdercoat or duracoat can say.

If I ever do this to say, a gun body, then I'm going to leave the inside anodized. Raw aluminum is strong enough for the outside.

Also this process is used to paint lots of aluminum things- bicycles, motorcycles, air planes...

[Toll]

Wouldn't mind doing this to my rail/ some beat up asa's I have kicking around.

Neat find.

[Hexis]

Alodine does dramatically increase the corrosion resistance of aluminum. That's more then powdercoat or duracoat can say.

Yes, corrosion resistance. That's great when you are not dealing with impact damage.

[angrysasquatch]

Anodizing is so thin (10 thou for hard anodizing, I believe) that it doesn't do anything noticeable to keep you gun from being dented (hence "impact damage"). Anodizing doesn't protect your gun from anything other than oxidation.

Sounds like a great alternative to beating yourself up for every scratch you put on your gun, since you could repaint just that spot or the whole thing quite cheaply.

[blizpaintball42]

If you're going to rattle can it though, why bother going through all of that just to do the outside? A quick buzz with some 400 grit, then some 600 grit wet paper, a little spray on primer, then paint it. Just seems like a whole lot of work to shoot a 4 dollar can of spraypaint on something.

[wjr]

If you're going to rattle can it though, why bother going through all of that just to do the outside? A quick buzz with some 400 grit, then some 600 grit wet paper, a little spray on primer, then paint it. Just seems like a whole lot of work to shoot a 4 dollar can of spraypaint on something.

Ever painted raw aluminum before? It doesn't work at all. It'll scratch right off. This way it actually sticks.


Here are some pics of it:

http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/4733/60393644xd8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img478.imageshack.us/img478/2209/66265095dg3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/9982/64687304kw3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[ShotOnSight]

It looks like it turned out good. I wonder how it will hold up though. Seems like it might flake or chip after prolonged or rough use, or even just rubbing against other gear in your bag or trunk.

Of course im not the one that did this so only you really know, hows it holding up so far ?

[blizpaintball42]

Ever painted raw aluminum before? It doesn't work at all. It'll scratch right off. This way it actually sticks.


If you sand it, and use an adhesion promoting primer, it will stick...

[wjr]

It looks like it turned out good. I wonder how it will hold up though. Seems like it might flake or chip after prolonged or rough use, or even just rubbing against other gear in your bag or trunk.

Of course im not the one that did this so only you really know, hows it holding up so far ?


It's holding up well I'd say. Like ano, if you take something sharp to it then it will scratch a bit.


If you sand it, and use an adhesion promoting primer, it will stick...

Why would "adhesion promoting primer" take any less time to coat the part with then this stuff? It takes like, a minute to put this stuff on.

[thefool]

Looks great.

hardcoat is 2-4 thou
regular is .5-1 thou

very little impact resistance, its great for corrosion though, and it lets you do much more interesting dying effects than painting.

[blizpaintball42]

Just seems like going through the process of stripping the old ano would take a little more effort than I personally would like to go through just to spray paint something.

I'm not trying to argue or be a jerk... just offering an alternative.

[mr doo doo]

haha, you actually did it!! looks good from here. update us when you use it or something to see if it will last or not. good job!

[ProblemKinder]

i really like the way that looks. the metal brackets look like plastic. yes keep us updated on the condition of that marker.

[Lenny]

Then use steel wool.
I was told never to take steel wool to a non steel paintball gun due to corrosion (dissimilar metals). Would this in anyway corrode the alluminum?

[Lucifer Bob]

It looks great! It's a cheaper alternative than anodizing when you buy parts that are raw :D Hope to hear how it holds up to abuse

[chairman_mao]

I always thought the front bracket on RT's was SS not aluminium. Hmmm, I guess you learn something new every day.

The blue looks good keep us up on how it takes some hard days of play.

[wjr]

I was told never to take steel wool to a non steel paintball gun due to corrosion (dissimilar metals). Would this in anyway corrode the alluminum?


I don't know... Not in my experience. But you could be right. Once you sand it after 800 it looks shiny enough anyways, so I guess I'll stop using it. Thanks for the heads up.

[Jaan]

I was told never to take steel wool to a non steel paintball gun due to corrosion (dissimilar metals). Would this in anyway corrode the alluminum?That's right. Very small bits of the steel can end up in the aluminum.

[JoshK]

I wonder...how would this coating alone look? You said after it is applied it appears goldish? Do you have any pictures with just the coating, no spray paint?

[angrysasquatch]

Can you also let us know more about your draino capers? I'm interested in how long you left it in, because a little while back on PBN a bunch of stupid kids left the guns in draino mixture too long and the tolerances were way off. I'm very interested in doing this to my stuff but i don't want any screw ups.

And your stuff turned out great, can anyone think of a way to easily introduce some variance in the colour so it doesn't look like plastic? Not dissing yours but its not the look I'm going for.

Thanks a lot.

[JoshK]

I believe he said he used matte type paint...I could be wrong. You could use a coat of shiney clear coat which would spruce up the gloss

[wjr]

I wonder...how would this coating alone look? You said after it is applied it appears goldish? Do you have any pictures with just the coating, no spray paint?

I could take some I guess. But the coating alone isn't very nice looking. It just sort of gives the aluminum a goldish tinge.


Can you also let us know more about your draino capers? I'm interested in how long you left it in, because a little while back on PBN a bunch of stupid kids left the guns in draino mixture too long and the tolerances were way off. I'm very interested in doing this to my stuff but i don't want any screw ups.
And your stuff turned out great, can anyone think of a way to easily introduce some variance in the colour so it doesn't look like plastic? Not dissing yours but its not the look I'm going for.

Thanks a lot.

Just check the parts periodically. Take them out and wash the smut off of them. I think it might have taken 30 minutes or so for these parts to strip.

If an air brush and high quality paint is used then the parts will probably look less like plastic.

[bryceeden]

No, it doesn't remove the anodize. You have to strip it first.

Here's what you've got to do:

1) Strip the anodize. Do this by putting the part(s) in Drano diluted with water. Dilute it at about a 1:3 drano to water ratio. After stripping it sand it with 320 grit sand paper and continue sanding with higher and higher grits until about 800. Then use steel wool. After that polish the part with tripoli compound.

2) Rinse the part with water and soap.

3) Use a toothbush to apply the alodine. It'll stick onto the aluminum, making it gold.

4) Wash the part again in water to get the excess alodine off.

5) Paint the part using any paint meant for metals. An airbrush would most likely give the best results. You may want to do two coats. You could put a layer of clear gloss on to make it shinier. If you wanted to take the paint off for whatever reason you can use paint thinner without damaging the alodine layer.
Greased Lightning works really well too. :cheers: