[ChrisRobin]

I was thinking of getting a Stratos S7 or an older Monster T that is silver. I know anodizing is pretty cheap to do so I figured that I'd give which ever fork I got a different look. This is possible right?? I just have to give the anodizing guys the crowns and lowers.

 

[ohio]

You're probably best off just asking at the nearest machine shop, but here's what I think (with very little expertise to back it up):

those parts are most likely already anodized (clear), and I think you can only anodize bare metal, so the original anodizing would have to be removed, probably via sandblasting maybe a chemical process. chances are this voids your warranty and adds to the cost of the process. I don't think it will have any significant effect structurally, but if it's sandblasted it might cause problems where the seals and bushings seat in the lowers...

As far as cost goes, it costs the shop the same to anodize a whole bathtub worth of parts as it does a single skewer, so if they're already doing some parts in the color you want, or you can find friends who also want som stuff done, you can probably get the cost down to ~$50 for all your stuff.

Again, though, this is not an expert opinion. Just what I picked up around the shop back when I had a shop to be around, along with venturing some guesses of my own...

 

[StinkyKonaGuy]

Ok, heres the deal.

I am in the same position as you Chris. I picked up a older MonsterT for my new rig i am building up and wanted the fork to be completely black, to match the rest of the bike. I have a machine shop that i am in with pretty good and asked one of the guys what exactly is involved in going about this little project.

Ohio is pretty much on the mark with his comments. Basaically, the original anodizing/painting on the fork will be removed via a strip dip. A strip dip is a chemical process where the metal(this case aluminum) is stripped and eteched, then it goes into the anodizing process.

If you do opt to do this, go the "hard andizing" route instead of the standard anodzing. Cost wise its marginally different, but your parts will be much more wear resistant. The shop i am working through is getting $100 a lot, so get as many parts together as you can to lessen the cost.

This will surely void your warranty, but then again that only applies to new fork purchases. Good luck.

 

[Jorvik]

well, if you want to "ghetto anodize" - here you go


Supplies Needed: The first thing to do is to get the following things together: First on the list is the most expensive item: a 6 to 12 volt battery charger. This item is what might make this too expensive for some. I already have one for my car. If you don't, then you will need to pick one up. They run from $45.00 to $110.00 depending on model, functions, etc. While it may seem like a lot, it does have other uses. (You could charge a battery, for example.) =) The next item, though not that expensive, will take some effort to find: battery electrolyte, a.k.a. sulfuric acid. This should be available at a battery wholesaler for about $2.00/gal. To make the negative ground, you will need some aluminum ground wire and aluminum-foil. The wire can be found at an electronics store for about $35/spool, and you should have the foil in the kitchen. If you happen to be out of foil, you can pick up some more at the store when you go to buy the last item for this project.

No super-special chemicals or solutions necessary to make the colors; just plain-old fabric dye. (Something like Rit dye, for about $5.00.) Rit offers something like 30-40 different colors, so you have quite a number of choices for what color you want your parts to be. An optional item is nitric acid: about $25.00/2.5 L. (This is used to clean parts prior to anodizing, but there are some cheaper alternatives. See end notes.) This is available at chemical supply stores. Should you not be able to find any, you can try to get on the good side of the high school science teacher. He may help you out since you only need a few ounces.

Safety Precautions: There are a few precautions I want to go over to help keep you from blowing up the house or trashing the garage. First of all, do not mix or store your anodizing solution in a glass container. Something could happen to make it break, and most households are not equipped to deal with that kind of spill. You also don't want to knock over the container, so a stable, rubber bucket makes a good choice. You will also need to be certain that the part you want to color will fit in the container without sticking out of the solution, and without touching the negative ground in the bottom of the container. Any acid that you don't use, keep in what it came in, or an old plastic bottle, like a bleach bottle. You can also store your used solution this way for doing more parts later. (Make sure that there is absolutely no bleach left in the bottle. Acid and bleach make chlorine gas. Very bad. Don't breath. Poisonous.) Safety also applies to the nitric acid, but in a different way. It is imperative that you label and keep track of this stuff, as it is a stronger acid than sulfuric, and more dangerous. The breakage/spill problem is not as likely since you won't have that much around. (Unless you bought more than a few ounces from the chem store.) The last note about the acids is to mix properly when adding acid and water. Always pour acid into water, never the other way, and do so slowly, being sure to mix in well. There is a reaction taking place and it releases a lot of energy. During the anodizing process, you will be running electricity through a weak acid solution. This creates hydrogen (just like charging a battery) which is very flammable. This stuff burns at the speed of thought when ignited, so do be careful. (Read as Remember the Hindenburg?) Make certain that there is some way to ventilate the project area, and DO NOT let any sources of ignition near the project area. Other precautions you should take include safety glasses, rubber gloves, and maybe some sort of drop sheet under the area.

Preparations: One of the most essential things you need to do in order to get even color over the whole part is to be sure that the part is absolutely clean. You want it free of all contaminates, from dirt to the oils in your skin. This is where the nitric acid and some rubber gloves will help. A solution of 1-2 ounces of nitric acid in a gallon of distilled water will allow you to clean the surface in preparation for the anodizing. Aluminum oxidizes very quickly when exposed to air, so the easiest way to keep it clean is to clean it just before you are ready to start working on the piece. (You should rinse the part with distilled water before you put it in the next acid solution.) Other options are carburetor or brakes cleaners, or other similar degreasers. Soap and water will work also, or cleaners like Simple Green. These are cheaper, a nitric acid wash is the best. (You decide, it's your money.) =) Make your negative ground with the aluminum wire and foil. Shape the end of the wire into a paddle shape and cover the round part with the foil. What you want to do is create a flat, round shape to sit on the bottom of the bucket, with a lead that comes up out of the bucket. You will clip the battery charger's negative lead to the wire that comes out of the bucket. When you are ready to start, you will want to mix up your immersion solution. In your rubber bucket, combine the sulfuric acid and water to come up with a solution that is about 30% water. (1 part water to 2 parts acid.) Place the paddle in the bucket and attach the negative lead. Then attach the positive lead to the part, making it an anode, and immerse it in the solution. (Remember that the two leads the paddle (cathode), and the part (anode) should not touch.) This is the best time to turn on the charger: once the part begins to fizz, leave it in there for about 10-15 minutes. After about this time the part should no longer conduct electricity. (You can also use an ohmmeter to check conductivity, but this is not needed.) Turn off and disconnect everything, and rinse the part in cold water. Don't use hot water!

A couple of notes: I have read some other procedures that say it is important that the copper lead from the charger does not enter the acid solution. The article says nothing about this, and shows a picture with the lead right in there. It may take some trial and error to find out if this is a problem. It wouldn't be a bad idea to get some scrap aluminum and play with it before you start anodizing your bike's parts. You can check out the above, as well as pick the colors you like best. If you test out some colors, you'll also learn just how long or short you need to work with the color solution.

Color: So now it doesn't conduct electricity, and is ready for color. It's been rinsed and waits eagerly to change to a new look. Don't wait too long to do the color, due to that oxidizing thing again. You want to mix up a strong solution of dye and water, in a container that can be heated. The solution needs to be at low heat, such as on the stove, so bread and cake pans work well. Again, you need something that will fit the whole part, but it's okay if it touches the bottom this time. I would recommend turning parts every few minutes just to make sure that you get all-over color. Inform your mom or wife that the pan can (and will be) washed out. It is important that the heat be low enough. If the solution gets too hot, you will seal the surface, and it will no longer take any color. (See, told you to rinse it in cold water!) Leave it in the dye until the part is slightly darker than you want it. The next step is to seal the surface of the metal in clean, boiling water. This will leech a bit of color from it, thus the slightly darker color in the previous step.

Something to consider when looking for a charger, is how many amperes it puts out. Without getting into any mumbo-jumbo, anodizing relies on 10 to 40 amperes per square foot. For small brackets and such, this is no problem. Larger parts however, may need the higher levels of amperes. The other note about part size, has to do with how long you leave it in the solution. Above it said 10-15 minutes, but that is for a smaller part. The larger parts may not only need higher amperes, but more time as well. I would recommend an ohmmeter, but again, I have one already.

Good luck, but as mentioned in a previous post, it almost certainly voids your warrenty.

 

[ChrisRobin]

Wow...thanks for the info!! I think I'll cut and paste that onto a disk or something. I don't know if I'll attemp it since I don't want to "blow up my house."

Thanks again!

 

[Jorvik]

heh, it'll be cool as long as you don't spill any of the acid or the dye (the dye stains BAD). And for real, keep the acid the hell away from bleach. Chlorine gas is hella bad, its a killer. Its actually a pretty simple way to do it, I've never actually done it, but my friend anodized some stuff for his car, door handles, doorlocks, etc. He said it was pretty damn easy to do, it doesn't take terribly long and isn't too expensive either. If you try it tell me how it works out for you.

 

[StinkyKonaGuy]

Uhm....i think i am going to go anodize my frame purple............err....maybe not Cool intsructions, maybe i will actually get around to trying that one day on some small parts, knowledge is dangerous.