Won't take dye, need suggestions

[PDX_Customs]

Hi, I recently ran my second anno batch and ran into some problems. We ran it for about 95 minutes at 2.8 amps (should have been 3 but I remembered the number wrong) with a peak voltage of 14-15. During the 95 minutes there were never any bubbles forming on the part that we could see, and the voltage never dropped off, which is why we left it in for so long, seeing if it would ever reach PAR. After we took it out we left it in red dye at 115 degrees for 15 minutes, it didn't take any color. Now comes the strange part, just for fun I thought I would wash and dry the pieces and then test them for resistance. They all had OL...which means that there was a layer of anodize there. The only thing I can think we did wrong was that when i was trying to get the pH for the red dye right I added to much acid so had to add a lot of base, and that happened a few times so I am not sure if I could have messed up the dye like that. Though that still leaves the question of why the voltage never dropped off?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

[sswee]

Re: Won't take dye, need suggestions

What PS do you use?
What CD did you use?
How was part connected?

[PDX_Customs]

Re: Won't take dye, need suggestions

I used a new CC PS that I bought. With a CD of 6. Two of the parts were threaded into the rack on both sides of a length of aluminum wire, the other two were wrapped with titanium wire. I used a multimeter to check the voltage on the wires connecting the pieces and it was the same as what the PS was putting out.

thanks for helping

[sswee]

Re: Won't take dye, need suggestions

Forgot to ask how the parts were prepped for anodize. Did you water break test them?

[PDX_Customs]

Re: Won't take dye, need suggestions

Yea, did everything exactly like instructions say, degreaser at 150 degrees for 5 minutes, rinsed and it passed water break test and then did de-oxidizer at 100 degrees for 3 minutes. Rinsed again and put in anodize. Another thing that i forgot to mention is the it has been maybe a month or two since I set up the anodize tank and haven't used it since then, I noticed that the water level had dropped so I added more water to bring it back up, does the acid evaporate too? Should I be adding more acid also?

Thanks a lot

[rclint]

Re: Won't take dye, need suggestions

To late now I know, but an easy way to check if it was a dye problem would have been try another dye. You would think if it was only a dye problem that it would at least come out an off color. Looking more like a connection problem to me, you could have got some build up of anodize, but then a connection failure. In anodizing if the connection is not perfect (very good threaded, or sput welder used) more and more stress is put on in and it fails.

Are you running lead or aluminum cathodes ?

Keep up updated. You didn't run the parts in a vibratory tumbler did you ?

Clint

[sswee]

Re: Won't take dye, need suggestions

Had the part been stripped of any possible coating. If it had an anodic coating or other type, it would give the results you got and 3 minutes in deox would not have taken it off.
SS

[PDX_Customs]

Re: Won't take dye, need suggestions

We are using the lead cathodes that came in the LCD kit. The connections seemed to be good but that is always a possibility. We didn't have any other dyes made up, which we should have, so we couldn't try that. Nope didn't use a tumbler. Is there anything I can change or test next time? I am really stumped...

thanks

[mcaswell]

Re: Won't take dye, need suggestions

Just quickly looking at this, the red dye MUST be at 140 f, not 115.

[PDX_Customs]

Re: Won't take dye, need suggestions

I am almost positive that it didn't have anything on it prior to what we did, but that is def a posibility that I had not thought of.

I thought that 140 was right but then when we were doing it I looked at the LCD manuel and it said 110 so we did that. Is 140 for all the colors? Not sure why the manuel would say something different...

Thanks a lot, hopefully we can get this working soon.

[sswee]

Re: Won't take dye, need suggestions

Yes it's 140* for all the colors. The manual is like my setup. Always being upgraded. That part was probably not gotten to yet or missed.

Unless your dealing with a fresh machined part or one that has been blasted, sanded or polished out, they almost always have a coating or treatment to keep them from oxidizing. Just a thought.

SS

[PDX_Customs]

Re: Won't take dye, need suggestions

So next time we will try stripping it frist and see if that makes any difference, as well as trying another color. Also do you know what pH the anodize is supposed to be? Because I think the ratio of wate rto acid might be messed up.

Thanks

[sswee]

Re: Won't take dye, need suggestions

I'll have to go through my notes for the Ph but if you originally mixed it correctly you should just need to top off with distilled or RO water to maintain the correct level. The acid concentration shouldn't change. SS

[acidrain]

Re: Won't take dye, need suggestions

Yeah, 140F for all dyes. But still, usually there is at least some dying effect, even at lower temperatures. I does sound like connection problems. What about the aluminum connection wire... did it dye?

[PDX_Customs]

Re: Won't take dye, need suggestions

The aluminum wires were not put into the dye so I don't know if they would take it. We are running another run today so any last minute ideas would be great.

Thanks a lot