Rinse Methods

[edwin247]

According to the Ano-LCD manual it calls for Distilled Water Spray rinse after every step, but with parts that have several hole that traps (acid, cleaner, dye) everything, it would seem easier just to dunk the rack right into a water tank to rinse the part.

Any suggestions for or against this?

Can I dunk after every step?

Does it matter how long it stays in the rinse tank?

Thanks,
Edwin

[PrecisionPB]

Yes, you can dunk....

However, cross contamination can become a problem.

Trapping dye isnt too much of an issue, as the accumulation of diluted dye doesnt seem to effect the sealer overmuch. Smut issues eventually, but if you change your sealer every now and again, I dont see that as an issue.

Trapping acid, however, WAS a problem for me. Following acidrains solution, I mixed up distilled water with some baking soda to neutralize the acid. Works good to get in all the crevices, and keeps the acid out of your dye, and from bleaching the dye off when you dont notice its filled a hole.

I would recommend keeping with the rinsing, unless you want to be replacing several gallons of distilled water with each batch. I found the caswell squirter to be a little less beefy than I would have liked, a spritzer with a little more guts seems to work great for me.

Again, I am still a nob, but a nob with decent anodizing results. Maybe one of the experienced guys can confirm or deny what I have to say on this.

[edwin247]

Well I was planning on making seperate rinse stations for each step. So I don't think cross contamination will be an issue.

Yeah I need to research our the baking soda bath to neutralize. Sounds logical, I just never read the whole manual yet. I am taking it step by step. The only think I have right now is a CC/CV 0-40V 0-25A Power Suppy and 2 7 gallon ice chests.

[sswee]

I mixed my neutralizer 1/2 lb. baking soda per gal. RO water. Seperate dunk tanks for each step is probably the best to guard against cross contamination. I keep a cup of RO water to do a light rinse over each tank before dunking. It keeps tank levels up from evaporation and keeps the dunk tanks from getting too dirty fast.

[jamerson]

would there be any problems using a pressure pump sprayer like the ones they use for pesticides.

[sswee]

I've thought of rigging one like that up but haven't got around to it yet. As long as its clean so you don't get any contamination it should work ok.

[acidrain]

Be careful of the sprayers you get at the garden stores... they are packed with grease at the seals.
Check that they can be disassembled and cleaned before purchasing.
I rinse with distilled water spray (each step) paying special attention to areas that can trap the solution (each rince is allowed to drain into the solution tank). After rinsing, I submerge the parts in in fresh distilled water.
After ano, same thing except after the rinse, a quick dunk in the neutralizer tank (as precision PB suggests), then the distilled water tank.
I go through lots of distilled water! I should buy a reverse osmosis setup.

[stiltner]

Mixing Baking Soda into a tank of water will work for neutralization. Its typically something I will do with cast aluminum materials as their pore structure lends to trapping of the electrolyte to the point of being a PITA.

Hot water rinses IMO are superior to room temp, cold water rinse solutions, especially if prepping for dying of the finish. The hot water will help the acid to drain off, and it opens the pores of the material to more readily accept the dye in the next step.

So, maybe a hot baking soda solution would do the trick all around

[kiwijetpilot]

Hmmm I thought hot water closed the pores...