Low Voltage

[sswee]

I went through the same thing when I started. The larger acid bath will do better when running the larger parts like the one in the pic you posted. The extra electrolyte helps maintain tank temp. by giving the heat generated more room to spread out. It with the aggressive agitation you have will help keep the part cooler and cut down dissolution. With 6061, I rinse over the dye tank and don't get any dye leach out in the boiling sealer that can be seen. With what you've said and the way the part looks in the pic, you're not far off the money.
SS

[archimedes]

Jim or SS,

Are Jim's photos available publicly?
I do find them in the Anodizing Photos section &
I did not see them in this thread . . . . . .

thanks,
archi

[cameraman]

Originally Posted by Jim99

Got some Rite dye and tried it and got OK results.

Are you still using this? You'll get much better results with Caswell's dyes. I've read a number of posts about less than satisfactory results with Rit.

[Jim99]

Hi Cameraman,

I used Rite dye for my first two tries, as I could just drive to store and purchase. Set up small test tank 1/2 gal, battery charger and rite dye.

After getting some reasonable results I purchased Caswell dye and a c/c - c/v power supply.

Jim

[acidrain]

Your tank concentration is off, and can't really be controlled with a hydrometer. A method called titration can tell you your acid and aluminum content, but really isn't necessary... just go with 1:3 battery acid/water, and make a mark inside your tank (a scratch mark works good) so that additional water can be added as evaporation happens.
At the correct acid/water concentration, at 6A/sq.ft. CD, 68F, 6061 alloy, good adjitation, your volts should be in the 11v to 13v. range.

[mcaswell]

"One of my problems is too much information from too many different sources"

Doesn't this say it all?

Thats why I have been a stickler for trying to get our customers to follow ONE system, the LCS system,. It's proven time and time again to work. Don't add 'other stuff' to it. All you need to know is here!