polished anodize

[bdnorth77]

I am doing some parts and pieces for my archery stuff and am trying to match the original limb pockets and cams that are polished..
How do I get the new polished items to stay looking that way after anodizing?The original items do not seem to have urethane on them and thay are still pretty shiny.The new parts I have done look matt or almost greyish silver..They look great and the ano turned out nice,I was just trying to match original...

Do you think this is Hard ano on originals or must be urethaned?

[blackcote]

Without seeing exactly what your trying to achieve, it will be hard to reccommend anything. Experimentation is your friend. Try different ano thicknesses, CD, ano bath temps, polishing methods, sealing methods, etc. There are many variables in anodizing that can be tweaked. Simply polishing the anodize lightly afterward might get what you are looking for.

[acidrain]

You have to polish the parts before ano. If they are turning out matte, it may be that you are experiencing desolution, or are etching the parts after polish.
What is your prep process before ano?

[bdnorth77]

First I polished the pieces to a mirror like shine ,degreased with hot soap and water untill clean and free from oil and grease.
I anodized at 8 apf (just a little past the 1 amp on the rectifier) on a 20" piece for 72 min. I was going for the .8 mil.
I etched tin caustic before polishing and not after .I then placed the piece in boiling water for about 20 min.

It looks good ,but not the look I was going for..
Here are some photos.The rest looks almost grey and the limb pockets and cams really won't take a pic because the flash blind it out.

[acidrain]

When you stripped/etched the parts, did they smut? Any idea of the alloy?
It sounds like you may have over-anodized, and parts have desilution. Is the surface chalky?

[M_D]

The limb pockets and cams on that bow are bright dipped and anodized. You can acheive a similar look (actually better) by mechanically polishing the parts before anodizing.

Using my experience, I would say you anodized for too long for @8 amps CD. We do parts about 30-35 minutes at 8-10 amps CD. If you want a thicker coating, you will find that using 4-6 amps CD may work better, because the coating will not tint as much.

The bottom line is: the thicker the coating and the higher the CD used, the further you get from a nice bright clear anodize.

[bdnorth77]

I redid the rest an vualla. a bright and shinny piece came from the depths of electrolite and it does match the bow..
I did over amp the part and kept it in to long.I'm still learning ,and have a long way to go,but I think its worth travelling.My next baby steps will start with PH,tank cooling and many other things ,but I'll be there soon enough.
If anyone has any suggestions PM me I'm all ears..
Thanks again Acidrain for all your help..