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[akhunter]

Greetings all, new here.

Curious if anybody has tried doing any at home anodizing?? Like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGi-nqNnENE

Thanks

[Jefe]

Welcome to the forum. I have not yet tried anodizing myself but I've gathered most of the needed materials except for the lead plates and the battery acid. If anyone has done this I'd like to know where they got the lead and what type of dye was used.

[akhunter]

I used to buy lead from scrap yards when I was casting bullets. You can buy sheet's of lead from many roofing supply places for making flashing. The sheet stuff is 3/32" thick.

All the reading I have done indicates you use aluminum for your cathode. not lead.

I will be doing a lower in the next couple of weeks, & will post pics.

[Jefe]

I think you need aluminum and lead in a bath of acid. If I'm wrong that would be great.

[akhunter]

I have watched multiple video's & read extensively on the subject, everything I see say's you want nothing in the acid bath except the type of metal you are anodizing.

The video I linked in my initial post use's only aluminium, & the result's are quite impressive for such a cheap DIY set up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGi-nqNnENE

Another basic set up for Aluminum

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4TAeCjVEhs

Another very basic set up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfrCPGdOJAk

I have a bunch of aluminum car parts to do, of various sizes, & am going to try these methods to figuire out what works best before doing an upper.

The reason I started this thread was that I was hoping someone else had tried this = good or bad, just looking for feedback. So far I am not impressed with the DIY paint/coating's of any kind. Ceracoat is awesome, but cost prohibitive because of my remote location.

[7.62X39]

The reason I started this thread was that I was hoping someone else had tried this = good or bad, just looking for feedback. So far I am not impressed with the DIY paint/coating's of any kind. Ceracoat is awesome, but cost prohibitive because of my remote location.

Cerakote is a much easier DIY finish than anodizing. Why not just take that route? I do not understand what your location has to do with it.

There is a guy who goes by the name golddiggie on the new england shooters forum who really got into the whole home anodizing thing. Lots of time, energy and research with only fair results to show for all of his effort.

[akhunter]

The reason I started this thread was that I was hoping someone else had tried this = good or bad, just looking for feedback. So far I am not impressed with the DIY paint/coating's of any kind. Ceracoat is awesome, but cost prohibitive because of my remote location.

Cerakote is a much easier DIY finish than anodizing. Why not just take that route? I do not understand what your location has to do with it.

There is a guy who goes by the name golddiggie on the new england shooters forum who really got into the whole home anodizing thing. Lots of time, energy and research with only fair results to show for all of his effort.

Cerakote has to be shipped ground (no air shipping liquids), No ground delivery to Alaska. The guys who professionally do Cerakote up here, get it barged up by the pallet load, & wont sell me small amounts.

[7.62X39]

Ah, that explains it. I probably should have picked up on that by your screen name 

[Jefe]

Ah, that explains it. I probably should have picked up on that by your screen name 

Interesting. I actually thought it meant he hunted with an AK pattern rifle but I can see it as Alaska hunter now too.