Anodizing hardens the surface of aluminum, while making it more porous and able to absorb dyes. Making your own anodized aluminum is a great skill to have, allowing you to anodize just about anything in the comfort of your own home. You will need a few materials that you can purchase online or at your local hardware store. Wear thick rubber gloves when anodizing to avoid the danger of shocking yourself!
- Thick rubber gloves
- Nonreactive ceramic tub
- 15-20% sulfuric acid, in water
- Two-electrode system, with an anode and cathode electrode
- Magnetic stirrer
- Magnetic stir bar
Show More
Instructions
-
-
1
Pour the sulfuric acid into the ceramic tub, and place the tub on the magnetic stirrer. Drop the magnetic stir bar into the tub.
-
2
Connect the cathode to the positive side of the power supply, and clip the platinum sheets to the cathode. Connect the aluminum part to the anode, and connect the anode to the negative side of the power supply.
-
-
3
Slowly ramp up the voltage, starting with a very low voltage and moving up to 12 V. Anodize at 12 V for an hour.
-
4
Remove the aluminum from the tub, and rinse it thoroughly with cold, distilled water.