Wires breaking in the ano tank

[kmbrly]

I'm guessing that this should not happen. I'll be back later with more details.

[kmbrly]

Re: Wires breaking in the ano tank

O.K. For my first try at anodizing, I used a practice bar and followed the instructions in the manual that came with my LCD kit. Everything went well. The only peculiar thing was that instead of rising, my volts dropped steadily after about an hour in the anodizing tank. I left it in for about two hours (because I did not use the 720 rule) at 1 amp. It came out with a very good anodized surface and took the dye readily.

So, after this successful run, I decided to get a little bolder. I cut several of my practice bars (that came with my LCD kit) in half and drilled holes in one end of each of them. I polished them. I measured them. I took five of the parts and wired them (with 18 ga. aluminum wire through the holes) to a hanging bar made of PVC pipe that has been notched so it will fit over the bucket tanks. I degreased them. I rinsed them. They passed the water-break test. I put them through the deoxidation/desmut tank and then rinsed them. I am using distilled water for my solutions and rinse.

O.K., after that rinsing, I ran a length of 18 ga. aluminum wire down the length of the hanging bar and wrapped the hanging wires around this wire, making sure there was excellent contact. I positioned the bar onto the anodizing tank. The parts hung down on their wires into the solution. The tops of the parts, where they hung from the wires, were about three inches under the surface.

I had measured these parts to be 5 inches long by 1 inch wide each. I used 5 parts. This gave me a surface area of 50 square inches (5" x 2 sides x 5 parts). I plugged this into the 720 calculator and got that for a thickness of 1 mils, I would need to run the batch at 2.08 amps for 120 minutes and that the volts should peak around 16 (I think that's what it said).

I have a 20 amp CC rectifier. I set the amps at 2.1. I connected my copper electrical wire from my rectifier to the aluminum wire that ran across the hanging bar across the anodozing tank. My wires for my lead plates were in place, too. Everything looked good, so I powered it up.

Everything seemed to be going well. At close to an hour into the process, I checked and saw that my volts were at about 25. I looked into the tank to see if the parts were touching anything they should not have been. I was thinking that they should not be touching the lead plates or each other. Well, my plates had floated off the walls of the tank and migrated more to the middle of my tank. I think one of my parts was touching a plate. I cannot be sure because the plastic balls impeded my vision into the tank. I gently scooted the plates back to the walls of the tank. My volts shot waaaaaay up. Then, I just stood there and watched what happened. Well...

The volts went up into the mid 30s. There was a bunch of fizzing where the hanging wire for part that hung from the middle of the hanging bar entered the solution. Then, KERPLUNK! The part dropped to the bottom of the tank. The wire had disentegrated right at the spot where it entered the solution.

I cut the power and fished the bar up out of the bucket.

At this point, I figured that I had nothing to lose and decided to keep trying and see what would happen.

I rewired the fallen part and started back up again. After a few minutes, that middle one burned off, again. I fished it out and started it all again without that middle one. Three dropped off.

O.K., I fished them all out. I calculated what it would take to run just one bar and set the rectifier to that, hung one bar off the hanging bar into the solution and let it go. After 30 minutes, it dropped. Well, at this point, I stopped.

So, what do you think happened? Do I need a thicker gauge wire for doing multiple parts/more surface area? Should I be insulating the wire that comes into the solution? What happens when the parts are touching stuff in the tank (heater, pump, plates, other parts)?

[sswee]

Re: Wires breaking in the ano tank

What acid concentration are you running?
How are you connecting the wire to the part?
Is you cathode connection above the electrolyte level?
Sounds like a connection problem. If the voltage goes up, there is high resistance somewhere in the circuit besides the coating.
SS

[kmbrly]

Re: Wires breaking in the ano tank

My electrolyte is one part (one gallon) NAPA battery acid to three parts (three gallons) distilled water.

I am connecting the wire to the part by running the wire through a hole and then twisting it back onto itself. I am guessing now that this may be inadequate. This is how I made the connection for the first part I ran successfully - BUT, that connection was above the surface. Could that be the problem - submerging the part with that type of connection? What would be a better way to make the coonection?

The cathode connection is above the electrolyte level.

Thanks so much for your help!

[sswee]

Re: Wires breaking in the ano tank

Your connections are your biggest problem. I've gotten spoiled with a sput welder. The connections to the part need to be tight. Force threading a wire into a threaded hole, make your hole just large enough to bend the wire in a V or U on the end and force it into the hole. Remember it needs to be tight for a good connection. Sometimes you can hang them like you did but pinch the wire tight on the part with some channel locks. Not the best way but it works a little. There are many variables to deal with but if your voltage is say over 6 volts off of calculated, there may be something needs attention. Try a 10 Gage wire for your primary feed.
SS

[kmbrly]

Re: Wires breaking in the ano tank

Thanks, that helps! So, I guess I will strip the parts from last night and start over - this time with the connections forced tight like you described. I will also change my primary feed. I'll post the results.

[sswee]

Re: Wires breaking in the ano tank

Let me know.
SS

[quadster]

Re: Wires breaking in the ano tank

Ive been using the grounding wire they sell at Radio Shack. Its like $8 for 30 or 40 feet. Ive only had one connectiion problem. I ran the wire through a hole and twisted it. The part (if i remember correctly) moved on the wire.
After that i made shur the parts were securly fastened. I got alum nuts, bolts, and washers for when i could use them. A lot of the parts ive been doing have a place that hides the connection point. A few parts i drill an eight inch hole as far as i can and push the wire into it with vise grips twisting it back and fourth. If i can only drill in a little (1/4 inch or so) ill press the wire in and then peen it with a small nail set or punch (half on the part and half on the wire). Most of the time the wire will not come out when done and breaks off, but its in a place where it is not seen.
Scott

[quadster]

Re: Wires breaking in the ano tank

Ive been using the grounding wire they sell at Radio Shack. Its like $8 for 30 or 40 feet. Ive only had one connectiion problem. I ran the wire through a hole and twisted it. The part (if i remember correctly) moved on the wire.
After that i made shur the parts were securly fastened. I got alum nuts, bolts, and washers for when i could use them. A lot of the parts ive been doing have a place that hides the connection point. A few parts i drill an eight inch hole as far as i can and push the wire into it with vise grips twisting it back and fourth. If i can only drill in a little (1/4 inch or so) ill press the wire in and then peen it with a small nail set or punch (half on the part and half on the wire). Most of the time the wire will not come out when done and breaks off, but its in a place where it is not seen.
Scott

[sswee]

Re: Wires breaking in the ano tank

Done that before. It works. Forgot about that way.
SS

[cameraman]

Re: Wires breaking in the ano tank

I think one of my parts was touching a plate. I cannot be sure because the plastic balls impeded my vision into the tank.

I'm pretty sure those balls go into the sealant.

I've been attaching my ano wire to parts with nylon hardware with great success. I've used the same 6-32 bolts and nuts on close to a dozen runs now.

The aluminum under the head of the screw and under the nut doesn't anodize of course, so I've also jammed wooden toothpicks and the aluminum shafts from pop rivets into the holes (alongside the ano wire) when I needed the dye to go right up to the hole's edge. The insulation stripped from wires works well too - you hold the bit of insulation in the hole and then thread the wire in beside it. Toothpicks last 2 or 3 runs and then pretty much disintegrate. The wire insulation seems to last for multiple runs until it bounces off into oblivion during disassembly.

[kmbrly]

Re: Wires breaking in the ano tank

Thanks for the tip about the mist balls going in the sealant tank. I missed it in the manual. I was thinking that they must go into the ano tank since the agitation created a lot of mist.

I will remove the balls, rinse them with distilled water and then with a water/baking soda solution, rinse again with distilled water and stick them in the sealant tank.

Thanks, also, for the suggestions regarding nylon hardware. That will definitely help with some upcoming parts that I plan to anodize.

[mcaswell]

Re: Wires breaking in the ano tank

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