Anodizing Process

[VanGogo]

Please do not misconstrue this thread as spam. Thought it might be interesting to show the different stages in the process for everyone.
Here is an AO member's SFL E-mag we are re-anodizing. In the pic it has just been stripped.
http://www.xpb.us/images/strippedsfl.jpg
I will post more pics as the process progresses.
I hope Smokee see's this and gives me us his AO forum name. If this is your SFL please post a picture of it before we got it.

[VanGogo]

Here is Smokee doing a little detail work before the polishing.
http://www.xpb.us/images/stripmagcarl.jpg

[Load SM5]

Oooh, let me know how that comes out. You know mine will be next. Was it purple when you got it? If so it belongs to Jeffremiller.

Nice to see Carl actually working for a change.;)

[cphilip]

Nice post and looking forward to more.

Oh and feel free to advertize your services over in the Dealers Forum as well.

[VanGogo]

That is his name and yes it was a bead blasted deep purple.

Thank you cphilip.

[cledford]

I'd like to know the tolerance issues that crop up from RE-anodizing a mag. I know that AGD does not recomend it and that it *could* cause problems.

That having been said I'd like to know about having my (currently glossy black) ULE frame, an unfinished ULE rail and a milled, unfinished slug body annoed dust black.

Also, what is "hard" anodizing? I believe AKA and Benchmark use it.

-Calvin

[Smokee_2_7]

"Nice to see carl actually working for a change"


Hey, I heard that. . . I always work AT LEAST 15-20 minutes for every shift Im up at the shop, so lay off. .lol.


yes, Jeffremiller is the name for sure. I was meaning to PM that to you the other day, but wasn't given too much time on the computer- - we were headed out the door to go do the birthday thing. (girlfriends' birthday)

Hope to have some more pictures up by tonight sometime. . .


Carl

[Load SM5]

I guess he sent it completely disassembled? Or did you guys have to worry about that threaded washer (whatever it's called) in the mainbody, that's so critical to align correctly?

[Smokee_2_7]

It was sent in completely dissasembled. We're not getting into disassembly and reassembly, primairly because we dont' want to risk loosing a little bitty set screw from someone's marker, or potentially mess somthing up putting it all back together again.
At mardi gras, Jeffremiller was telling us that he had been able to remove the infamous washer a few times already, and reinstall with no problems. Well, if it's all taken apart we can anno it, so we are. As long as he can get the washer back in there right like he has done before, I dont' think he will have any problems.


Carl

[Load SM5]

Well great, now all I need is a raw, unmilled no-rise breech and I'll send her in.

[cledford]

How about the tolorance issues?

-Calvin

[jeffremiller]

Thanks for the pics!!!! It's nice to see my marker... nude photos even :)

Here's a pic before I had it... when it was new and shiney... before the scratches and such.

http://www.tellcity.net/Peters_sfl.jpg


As for the washer... it was a learning process but I've got it figured out now.

J_

[Ryknow]

you picked a nice place to ge your gunn anodized man. They do a great job. They did mine, the purple/chrome z-gripped mag.

[yeahthatsme]

ah yeah...the purple gun..i remember that from sippl! thats a nice gun...hey jeff ya gonna be at the next one? i wanna shoot your sfl this time....:D


hope it comes out good!

[jeffremiller]

probably miss this sippl for the TN PRA event. But next month we will be there.

[PsychoBaller]

Dunno how i missed the first pass of this thread...... but dang.... if u want to talk about scratches (and even some dings and dents) wait till the megameet and ask to see my battle damaged SFL...... getting NASTY....... o wait... already is...

[jeffremiller]

well... this is actually the third time it's been anodized.

Once when new... once with a bead blast finish and then this shiney glossy pimp-daddy job that XPB is doing for me.

Can't wait to see the polishing :)

remember Carl... Deep and Shiney.

J_

[VanGogo]

Jeff what did you use to blast this gun with?? Sand??!!?? You are so lucky I am not charging you 10 BILLION DOLLARS! The extra prep time, because of the blast and dings, would have normally cost an extra $75 minimum.

Ok on to the "process"

Since Jeff "bead" (more likely sand) blasted his gun, and also apparently used it to drive nails, more than a couple of hours was spent dremel sanding of deep nicks and scratches, hand sanding in 3 stages of all blasted parts, rough polishing, cleaning and checking the surfaces, re-rough polishing, dremel rough-polishing the hard to buff areas, then finish polishing of all parts, including dremeling finish polishing the hard to reach areas. After the surfaces were finally ready, then they are degreased, rinsed, soaked in alkaline soak cleaner, rinsed, soaked in a desmut solution, and rinsed again.

Here are some parts after being rough polished.
http://www.xpb.us/Misc/step2.jpg

Here are a couple of parts that have finished the polishing stages.
http://www.xpb.us/Misc/step3.jpg

Here the pieces have been polished, degreased, cleaned, desmuted, and are ready for anodizing.
http://www.xpb.us/Misc/step4.jpg

As you can see, the hardest, most time consuming aspect of anodizing is the prep work. And with Jeff's gun it was truely an uphill battle, lol.

[jeffremiller]

Since Jeff "bead" (more likely sand) blasted his gun, and also apparently used it to drive nails, more than a couple of hours was spent dremel sanding of deep nicks and scratches, hand sanding in 3 stages of all blasted parts, rough polishing, cleaning and checking the surfaces, re-rough polishing, dremel rough-polishing the hard to buff areas, then finish polishing of all parts, including dremeling finish polishing the hard to reach areas. After the surfaces were finally ready, then they are degreased, rinsed, soaked in alkaline soak cleaner, rinsed, soaked in a desmut solution, and rinsed again.

I only used it to drive a few nails... it wasn't habitual. But thinking back, it might have been very fine sand that was used on some of the small parts.

All your hard work is GREATLY appreciated. Thanks

J_

[Load SM5]

Hmmmm...That did'nt sound like nearly enough butt smoochin'

CHARGE HIM!:D

[Smokee_2_7]

LOL!!

well, just another update - - Im currently at home when I should be at work (Im heading back in just a minute) As I type, Vangogo is starting the first ano run of the parts. Hopefully more pictures of some nice, shiney, dark purple peices later tonight!

Carl

[Mossman]

Oh my, so psyched for the pics! :D

[cphilip]

I feel like I am right there!

Someone pop us some corn and I go get the Beer... :D

[Dayspring]

*pop* *pop* *pop* *pop* *pop* *pop* *pop* *pop* *pop* *pop* *pop* *pop* *pop* *pop* *pop* *pop* *pop* *pop*
*pop* *pop* *pop* *pop* *pop* *pop* *pop* *pop*
Where's the Keg? :D

[Smokee_2_7]

Well, unfortunately the suspense has to build for a little bit longer. This is the way it goes sometimes- - - (as if we all had not learned the lesson with ULE bodies, X-mags, ect.) Basiclly, pics were not able to be taken last night- - And Im not able to go into work today. Im sure Vangogo is up there right now working on the project. So, for the moment Im in the same boat as everyone else- - waiting for the pics on the net.

Phil, feel free to pass me a cold one. heheh. Popcorn would be nice, too.


Carl

[VanGogo]

Dang pass me the 18pack after I get through with this marker, lol. Oh why wait, pass it to me now. Jeff might end up with a polished acidwash splash fade rainbow E-mag if you do. heheeeee

Sorry all, I forgot my camera today, and because I am going on a short vacation starting tomorrow. No more pics (unless smokee borrows a digicam) untill next Thursday or Friday, because me and my digicam will be at the happiest place on earth. Wait, second happiest. Paintball field is first, Disney second, lol.

Doesn't the suspense have you on the edge of your seat?

Tune in next week when you will hear Smokee say, "Wow I didn't know SFL E-mags could look that good after driving nails.

[Ultimator]

I might be your saving grace :)

If the gun is finished I will bring my digi cam up to the shop tomorrow and snap a few pics.

[VanGogo]

Most laser engraving is still visible. It depends on the depth of the engraving, and the new finish. i.e. bead blast would cover the engraving pretty well for example.

[VanGogo]

Ok, next step after prepping the part is the actual anodizing. The parts, having been priviously racked to run a positive charge through them, are then submerged in an acid bath, and positive current is ran through them, while negative current is ran through cathodes on the sides of the bath. This causes an oxidize layer to form on the metal surface.
Here you can see jeff's battery pack being anodized.
http://www.xpb.us/images/anobath.jpg

After the ano bath and some rinsing the part is ready for dye.
In this pic, you see jeff's parts in the wild violet dye. I know it looks orange, but it produces a violet color.http://www.xpb.us/images/violet.jpg

To achieve the purple jeff wanted we also dipped the pieces in blue to deepen the color. Then a sealer bath. Then the parts must cure for 5-6 hours.

http://www.xpb.us/images/purparts.jpg

[Mossman]

Looks awesome :)

just wondering, when you say cure for 6 hours, what do you cure the parts in? What is the sealer bath composed of?

Thanks
-Sam

[VanGogo]

Cure just means hang dry. lol You can speed up the process by putting them in an oven. The sealer is a special room temp sealer I purchase from my ano supplier, not sure what it is made of though. You can seal using a steam bath for 20 min, but that is a pain.

The process looks simple enough, but trust me it's not. There are many liitle ways it can get messed up in the process if you don't know what you are doing.

[Jonesie]

WOW! I'm not a huge fan of purple, but that is SWEET! :)

Lookin Good Pimp-Daddy Jeff!

[sirmagalot]

do you do all the parts for one gun in a single run?

[VanGogo]

Depends on the size and quantity of parts, as well as the ano bath size and cathode size. So as you can see
SIZE MATTERS!!!! lol

seriously though. Usually I do 2 seperate runs, but what does it matter as long as the color matches?