[komi]

Well, it is cheap ... just Googe "anodizing kit" ...

Something like this ca do the job, or even smaller:

Aluminum Anodizing Kit

 

[Dougie085]

Caswell Inc. - LCD Aluminum Anodizing Kit

Hmm not as cheap as I had hoped. I wonder how much anodizing I can do with that kit. And I wonder if I mix up a whole batch of stuff will it hold over till later to use again or if I have to start over? If the later then would have to get a bunch of stuff together that I want to anodize and then do it all at once.

 

[sachu]

rather go powder coating...lot more color options and more durable.
And it is cheap..though U can't have DIY kit for powder coating

My EHHA is powder coated..click on the link in my sig to see a pic of it.

 

[komi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dougie085 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Caswell Inc. - LCD Aluminum Anodizing Kit Hmm not as cheap as I had hoped. I wonder how much anodizing I can do with that kit. And I wonder if I mix up a whole batch of stuff will it hold over till later to use again or if I have to start over? If the later then would have to get a bunch of stuff together that I want to anodize and then do it all at once.

Well, you need to setup a place for anodizing, guys use this camping dridges to keep hemicals safe and clean ...

All you need is to time to time refresh battery acid and to buy dye .. And destilled wather ...

You can also go and buy all this stuff in the store by your self .. just look what is in the kit ...

 

[komi]

Maybe is good choice to look around your hometown is there is some anodizing shop ... Audio enclosures are usualy black, and wont be too much for that job ... i mean wont be custom job ...

 

[komi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sachu /img/forum/go_quote.gif rather go powder coating...lot more color options and more durable. And it is cheap..though U can't have DIY kit for powder coating My EHHA is powder coated..click on the link in my sig to see a pic of it.

LoL, there is : Hot Coat



But, on this site is even more metal finish kits for DIYers: Eastwood

 

[Dougie085]

Yeah I was going to say I've seen at home powder coating setups and people bake them in their ovens! Which is a bit crazy unless you have an oven you don't use for cooking.

I found this site that has a lot of info on anodizing.

Anodizing Aluminum

 

[komi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dougie085 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yeah I was going to say I've seen at home powder coating setups and people bake them in their ovens! Which is a bit crazy unless you have an oven you don't use for cooking. I found this site that has a lot of info on anodizing. Anodizing Aluminum

Yeah, is interesting, i would like to do this too .. But - i am in Germany, and they wont ship here, ground shipping only for chemicals ..

 

[Dougie085]

Well I think for now I'd probably just send it all to a shop of some sort. I don't currently have a space that I could dedicate to anodizing.

 

[sachu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by komi /img/forum/go_quote.gif LoL, there is : Hot Coat But, on this site is even more metal finish kits for DIYers: Eastwood

lol I take it back..so they do have kits for powder coating. haha

But sersiouly who wants to deal with the mess..I'd rather have it done professionally. Unless you are getting a lot of stuff powder coated, I'd want to go to a professional service center. For a couple of enclosures they will do it for 50$ (At least in my town) and I can pick from a 100 different colors.
They even sand blast it for you before coating it.

 

[Dougie085]

Part of the problem with powder coating is its quite a bit thicker then anodizing.

 

[sachu]

In some ways this is good as it gives better electrical insulation..Those parts that you don't want the coating on(like the place on a heatsink where the part is going to be mounted) just ask them to mask it and not powder coat that location. This is what I did for my EHHA..the top inside part of the enclosure is not powder coated where the MOSFETs are mounted.

 

[n_maher]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dougie085 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I just did a quick and dirty chassis through FPE and with engravings and everything would of been about 300 bucks. That's 2RU high, 19" wide and 14" deep. That was 4mm front and pack and 2.5mm sides, top and bottom. FPE is kind of pricey in general though.

That doesn't sound at all unreasonable. I'd bet I have more than $300 into the chassis I posted a picture of. The top panel alone was $60 in fab costs with me providing the material.

 

[Dougie085]

Well I figured out that cost didn't include the side panels or their little corner things making it all fit together. I could get a similar chassis from one of the mentioned companies and just make some front and rear panels for less. For 300 I could probably get one of the Modu enclosures from over seas as well which are very nice.