In a bind... a local machine shop needs some help

[Easttex]

A local machine shop got in a bit of a pickle and had to re run several small parts, thus, they have to be anodized and shipped out overnight. The parts are small and cylindrical in shape. They are made of 6061 and I am not that familiar with the different characteristics of various alloys. I wouln't get them until tomorrow afternoon, they have to be right first run so they can be shipped out. Anything strange about 6061? Anything I need to do differently. I appreciate the input fellas,
Easttex

[elton10]

6061

eastex wrote:
Anything strange about 6061? Anything I need to do differently. I appreciate the input fellas,

as far as I know ..no.We are using 6061 for our cathodes..it is a very high Al content alloy.. shouldnt present any problems..
And I cant believe it..Im actually ANSWERING a question!!!

[Easttex]

All is well, the pieces ran flawlessly. I ran 25 last night. Each one has about 19sq". The owner of the shop wants me to run 3000 of them three times a year.....I don't think I'm up to it. He wants me to run them for about $.45 each, which is what he is currently paying in a big production run anodizing shop up in Oklahoma. Go figure... It would take more time than I have and pay a lot less than I make at my real job. The pieces I ran came out A LOT better than the commercial shop did. I would have to roll the pieces around in the back yard for a while to make them turn out as poor in quality as theirs.....I thought they were the pros.....

Easttex

[Fibergeek]

Everyone here by habit looks over carefully any commercial anodizing they come across, and you guys know what to look for in anodized work.

You're going to notice a large spread in quality coming out of commercial shops. It seems that "pro" in this business only identifies those with large setups, it doesn't actually guarantee skill, knowledge, or workmanship.

[NeoMoses]

Everyone here by habit looks over carefully any commercial anodizing they come across, and you guys know what to look for in anodized work.

You're going to notice a large spread in quality coming out of commercial shops. It seems that "pro" in this business only identifies those with large setups, it doesn't actually guarantee skill, knowledge, or workmanship.

How true it is. I look at EVERY piece of anodized aluminum that I can find, and so far I've found that I can compete with those guys any day on color, surface finish, and hardness/durability. However, I will not try to compete with the big guys on price.

Easttex, if the guy want you to do the work for him, make sure to quote a price that is fair to you. If he doesn't like it, he can always go back to his old anodizer. Anodizing is fun in small batches, but 3000 pieces at a time can take all the fun out of it quickly.

Good work, I'm glad everything turned out well.