Anyone done acid washes?

[-AAPB-Eric]

ummm... I have a q about this.

I've done some great acid washes and splash designs.

But, I think that dunking a part that was dyed black, acid washed and then into the acid is not a good idea. You will leach out the black and dull it as well as the remnants (if any) from the acid washed areas....correct?

The only time I would think to use the dunk in acid step is when doing splash.

Another q is this. I find that many anodizers sometimes get some imperfection in some areas with their splash ano. It will turn out silverish. Sometimes on edges, sometimes within the line. There is an ano company that gives you the option of a silver outline on your splash job or not. This is obviously controllable so the question is how do you toggle between getting the silver outlines and not?!?!?!?

[acidrain]

Nobody said dunk in acid after bleaching.
You'll want to acid wash any specific areas that have been bleached so that the next color of dye will not be affected by the bleach.
If the washed effect can be reached with just acid washing, so much the better, but as a rule, the darker colors are not easily washed with just acid.
As for the silver halo effect, I'm not sure how that is achieved.

[destroyer125]

maybe they go over their lines with rubber cement, just a guess

[scamihorn]

the silver halo effect is usually achieved with too strong of a bleach. In my experience.

[-AAPB-Eric]

I think I may have an idea of how to get the silver lines.

Apply the rubber cement WHILE the part is quite wet. Also, apply the bleach just before it is fully set on the sides. The middle part will be protected, the edges may have leakage (which is the desired effect). Let dry. Then the bleach will have enroached and be cemented in so far. Then continue like normal cleaning and dunking in the other dye. It may take some experience knowing the timing of this.