A video I made to show how I do splash & Acid wash Anodizing

[KMDPB]

This Is an ano job I did on a trilogy for OpusX. The theme is 90s Jazz cup. The video is a bit long but wanted to include enough info/steps for others to recreate. Feel free to ask me any questions you may have. I am not stating that this is the "correct" way or process, I am simply sharing the way I do it in hopes others will find it informational or entertaining.

https://youtu.be/345-0NQIb1o?si=HdTJTrxnE65_Hcv5

[OpusX]

For the love of Velcor that thing is damn sexy. Thank you for all the awesome work. I'll get pics once she is built back up and shooting.

[superman]

awesome work. glad someone shared a bit of knowledge on the art that is anodizing.

[NONOBLITUS]

Awesome , came out great

[Psycho91]

WOW that's nice, to bad anno is way out of my budget, very nice trilogy

[KMDPB]

I got everything to do it for less than $150

[Sheepdog]

Holy Crap...

[markdem]

Could you post up a shopping list of all your tools/supplies?

Super cool job, man! Very impressed!

[BLachance75]

Could you post up a shopping list of all your tools/supplies?

Super cool job, man! Very impressed!

I agree with this.

[BrickHaus]

My guy you amaze me. I watched that whole video twice, and I'm intimidated to try the process.

My wife would also kill me if I set that rig up in my house.

Once I got some bits together, can I hit ya up for some jobbers? My brain is either thinking of a trilogy I'm buying soon, or an alley cat for the grins of it.

[OpusX]

Do the kitty!

[KMDPB]

Yeah man, hit me up!

[KMDPB]

Could you post up a shopping list of all your tools/supplies?

Super cool job, man! Very impressed!

-Power Supply: Cheap Chinese one rated for 10 amps, most of the cheap ones are 5 amp which isn't quite enough to do a whole paint gun. I think it was $55 on amazon.

-Buckets: You will need at least 5 buckets, can be bought for 5 bucks or found for free in job site dumpsters.

-Sulfuric acid: You will need sulfuric acid for your ano tank. Most people use battery acid which is expensive and diluted. I use a specific drain cleaner from Walmart called "Kleen Out" it is 100% sulfuric acid and can be had for $6 a bottle. Most drain cleaners are not sulfuric acid, it must be this exact one. Dilute with distilled water to bring the acid concentration to approximately %20.

-Lye: Use for etching and stripping previous ano. Can also be bought as drain cleaner from Walmart in powdered form called "Instant Power Crystal Lye Drain Opener" it is $5. Mix with distilled water.

-Desmut: This is just hydrochloric acid. can be bought online from amazon, eBay or chemical suppliers.

-Degreaser and ultrasonic cleaner: The ultrasonic cleaner isn't necessary but definitely saves time, I use to just scrub parts with degreaser and an old tooth brush. For degreaser I use simple green from Walmart.

-Baking Soda: mixed with distilled water to neutralize acid after the ano bath.

-Dye: I started out with Rite dye from Walmart, it will get you started but not great. some colors work better than others. The black works good. I eventually bought Caswell dyes which are a bit pricey but they are better, but even some Caswell dyes suck, I've tried both their greens with bad results. You will have to experiment with dyes to get what you want. they can also be mixed to get certain custom colors.

-Immersion Heater: This will be used to heat your dyes and can be used to heat your sealant tank if you don't have a hot plate. Got mine from amazon for $15 and it will bring 2 gallons of dye up to 140 degrees in less than 5 mins.

-Nickel Acetate Sealant: This is the only item I believe you have to order from an anodizing supplier like Caswell. For $30 you can get enough to last a lifetime. You can also Just seal in boiling water but in my experience a small amount of color will leach out.

-Fake Mustache: This is used to hide your identity when checking out from Walmart because everyone is going to think you're cooking up meth. $5 on amazon

Anodizing doesn't have to be expensive, I am all in for around $200. If you buy a Caswell kit and source all your materials from a anodizing supplier you're going to pay a pretty penny but if you are resourceful you can do it cheap. Of course if you have to money the "right way" would be to buy all the right stuff but I am not a rich man... Hope this info helps. Feel free to hit me with any questions you may have.

[shooter311]

Great video!!! Thanks for sharing the process!

[cellophane]

That is super cool! I had no idea it was essentially done in reverse- but it makes sense.

Do you know how the graphic anodizing is done? Stuff like the Cherry Blossom.

[KMDPB]

most of the more graphic stuff is done with vinyl cut outs as the mask, not sure how they did the cherry blossom exactly but my guess is the black tree branches were a vinyl sticker mask and the foliage is acid wash.

[Melrosejedi]

As a anno guy with about the same experience and set up,well done. I do some things different but the process and steps are similar. Lot of work and the result is worth it.

[The Hobbit]

Damn, thanks for the video. Makes the process a lot less intimidating lol. Though I think if I ever decide to do my nerve, I’d still send it to someone with experience.

I remember reading back in the day that it is possible to ruin your gun by removing material to the point it will no longer seal. How do you figure out the appropriate time in whichever bath(hydrochloride acid step?) to not damage anything?

[KMDPB]

You're supposed to do 5amps per 1 square foot of surface area, I try to get close to the but it doesnt have to be perfect

[Trbo323]

Super chill watch thanks for doing that

I've question, what kind of consumables are used each time? Like can you use the acid again or do you need a fresh batch for each marker?

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