green and blue dye probs

[destroyer125]

I recently purchased blue A4 dye and green AEN I believe, first time ive used these colors, I annodize long enough and at the right amps to get a jet black finish but when I try parts in the green and Blue I have I cant get them in a deeper colour, Would my dye tanks temperature have anything to do with this?

[sswee]

Re: green and blue dye probs

What temp are you running your dye tanks at?
SS

[destroyer125]

Re: green and blue dye probs

currently I run all my dyes at room temperature and havent had a prob til now

Also a correction I have green dye SNG (the irish lookin one) not the AEN and fast Blue

[sswee]

Re: green and blue dye probs

It's a good possibility that could cause some problems. When you mixed the dye, did you heat your distilled water to 180*(I think is what it says,I'd have to check) and add the dye to make sure it dissolved good.
I have always heated my dyes to 140* and not had any problems as long as the coating was right.
SS

[acidrain]

Re: green and blue dye probs

You absolutly have to heat your dyes to 140F... both for good penetration, and to fully disolve into the water.

[destroyer125]

Re: green and blue dye probs

I will work on getting some decent fishtank heaters to help the dye, will that heat the dye to the needed temperature

[quadster]

Re: green and blue dye probs

I have tried a couple glass fish heaters(after taking apart and removing the thermo). They work good but they break easy,especially with radical temp changes.For 13$ apiece, the caswell 300watt were the better deal.I'll be getting a couple more!

[sswee]

Re: green and blue dye probs

No, the fish tank heaters don't get hot enough. The cheap and easy is either Caswell 300W heater and thermostat (best) or a large stainless stew pot from the dollar store and a cheap hot plate (will work). The low setting on most hot plates is around 140*.
SS

[destroyer125]

Re: green and blue dye probs

would 300w fishtank heaters work....I found some local

[rclint]

Re: green and blue dye probs

I have been doing a lot of small parts, so I use the rubber made small food stoarge containers (cheap 4 packs like you tak eto work and eat out of) I nuke them in the microwave till I get 140*. It takes about 3 minutes on most of them, I also have some larger ones that may take 6 minutes

Saves a lot of time and power compared to other heating methods, not messy, and so far I have not seen any harm to the dye using the nuker

Clint

[destroyer125]

Re: green and blue dye probs

that isnt an option for most of the parts im doing, but when I do some smaller parts I might try that, I might also do some test pieces that way

[quadster]

Re: green and blue dye probs

The fish heaters will work if they dont have a thermostat.I found a couple on e bay for like 5$ each,then shipping costs and my time to take them apart without breaking them to remove the thermos. Easier and cheaper to buy the 300watt ceramics.