New Anodizer-Tank Set Up Question

[BDForgan]

Hello everyone,
Glad to be a new member of this fine group.

I'm just getting started learning how to anodize. I bought Caswell's LCD kit and 5 amp CC. I'm trying to eliminate huge white barrels supplied by CW and will be using the smaller Sterilite tubs that I bought at Wal•Mart similar to what Archimedes set up.

Right now, I will be anodizing small 1" x 1" parts for custom scratch built 1:48 scale sailboats and some tooling for my Sherline Mill and Lathe. I'll have fun with other stuff down the road....

I'm in the process of setting up my tanks and have been testing things with just plain water to see what leaks, what makes a mess, etc. I have a question about the Sealant tank.

By heating up just plain water for now with the 2 ceramic heaters and placing the lid on the tub allows the water to heat up to 210°. However, the condensation and moister seaps out around the perimeter of the lid down the sides of the tub and also up and down the heater electrical cords leaving a mess on the counter top. It's not much but any kind of mess drives me crazy and I know one day I'll have some tools on the bench and not notice they got wet from the sealant bath, and then pick up the tools and get the bath on my hands, rub my eyes or pick my nose – and I'll have a dumb accident happen.

I've attached a diagram. I want to cut some of the blue insulation builders foam you can get at Home Depot to place down about 1" inside of the tub top fairly snug against the sides. This may be enough to insulate the tub

1. Will I be creating some kind of dangerous chemical reaction/fumes with this foam and sealant?
2. Will the foam get dissolved and ruin the sealant
3. I've added some small 1/4" aluminum tubes through the sides of the tube to hang the part on in the sealant. Does the part have to hang in this solution or can it rest on the bottom on the tank or swished around a bit for 15 minutes.

Thanks for the help.
Bruce

[chromo]

I don't know about fumes or such.

What I did for condensing vapors like that and sealing those tanks was use that caulking putty tape stuff like for around doors and windows on metal buildings or trailer houses. It stayed sticky and I could form a round strip with it. I ran it all the way around the top of the tank and also plugged a few holes that were near the handles.
For my lid I had some heavy clear vinyl, factory scraps I think were from table covers. Other heavy plastic sheets should work well also.

I put the plastic sheet over the tank so it would hang low in center to drip then pressed it tight to the putty to seal it, another try I had raised the center so the condensation would run out to the sides and down into tank. Both ways were well sealed and did not make any mess for me. Since you don't need to worry about seperating tanks you could probably do about the same thing but snap the tank top back on above a plastic sheet, or maybe just use the top and the putty.

What I was doing was evaporating liquid from one tank and condensing into the other, a tank in a tank, so I had to direct the drips where as yours can drip back into the tank anywhere.

What stands up to the chemicals in use is always a question. There is that soft rubber weather stripping also that might work. If your tank is like mine was then there are a couple holes near the molded handles that need plugged up and the top fits loose. If the putty and a rubber strip will hold up in use it should make a decent seal.

[hvacman250]

I'll only speak for myself, but I think you wil find my statements to be the general consensus. Most of us use gas or an electric "hot plate" to heat the sealer.

Most use hot plate heating a ceramic lined pot. I use "turker fryer" propane setup heating an aluminum pot to heat my sealer. Heats much much faster then tube heaters.

And most of us hate ceramic heaters. Titanium is where its at, but we only use those for dye, degreaser (I use propane), etc.

[destroyer125]

I use an electric hotplate and different size stainless pots for different size batches.

[BDForgan]

I didn't think about a hot plate. Great idea for a future upgrade when I feel I'm consistent with the current set up. I guess i was focused on not using ANYTHING but HDPE plastic and aluminum.

Can any of you guys or anyone else answer the last question – does the part in the sealant tank have to be hung in the middle of the solution or can it rest on the bottom of the tub? The instructions says to leave it in the tank for 15 minutes. That's kind of long to be standing there swishing the part around by hand. I'm assuming the dye tank requires the part to be hung in the middle of the solution because you'd want to make sure the dye gets absorbed evenly around the part for another 15 minutes. The Degraser and DeOxidizer\Smut tank only requires 3 minutes, so that's easy to do by hand.

Thanks
Bruce

[BDForgan]

Oh, I forgot.
Hvacman250, why do most of you hate the ceramic heaters and what do you mean by titanium is where its at?

Bruce

[acidrain]

You'll have to hang the parts... if they touch the sides or each other, there will be a dark place there.

Don't use aluminum pots for sealer... they will make the sealer chalky and generally unusable.

I use a propane stove and a canning pot, but I'm building a larger tank heated with a 2500w/240vac hot water tank heater.

I think the way you are doing it is fine... just hang the parts with a bit of space between them.
I also use foam for a lot of things including lids. If you build a box sized to hold your bin plus 2 inches of foam as surrounding insulation, it will help support the bin and you'll be surprised how long the sealer will hold the heat. Finish it off with a tight fitting foam lid (that fits inside the vessel), and it will keep condensation contained, and crud out of your sealer.

[hvacman250]

Originally Posted by BDForgan

Oh, I forgot.
Hvacman250, why do most of you hate the ceramic heaters and what do you mean by titanium is where its at?

Bruce

Ceramic heaters are fragile and break all the time. Titanium heaters are better overall.

[sswee]

Originally Posted by hvacman250

Ceramic heaters are fragile and break all the time. Titanium heaters are better overall.

Another note on this. More than once I've had a ceramic heater blow up in a tank. They pop on occasion and you won't know they've blown up every time. If you stick a metal part into liquid, with wires in it, plugged into a wall outlet, it will light you up and good. It's a very good idea to use GFIC plugs on anything around liquids. Just for ya'lls amusement and laughs. Last time it happened, I was sticking a Ti rack full of parts into sealer. As the rack touched the sealer, I was sent into a quiver and the lights went out. The GFIC popped the circuit and I was standing in the dark, hollering for my son to bring a flashlight so I could do something without messing up the parts I had just run. I changed out the blown heater and finished the job but had a little tingle for a bit.
SS

[destroyer125]

I had one break on me...and it did shock me, but it wasnt anywhere near what it seemed to shock you with. It seemed to only get me with ~12v, enough to make my hand tingle.