On Thu, 02 Jun 2005 05:52:44 GMT,
(James Lerch) wrote:

Anodizing electrolyte: battery acid from NAPA (about $5) diluted 3:1
(or less) with distilled water.

Temperatu cold is better but room temp works OK.

Current: about 30 mA per square inch for about 90 minutes. An
anodize film made at higher current density or higher temperature
doesn't accept dye as well. Voltage is typically about 12 volts but
make it whatever it needs to be to get the current you need. Battery
charger driven by a Variac, electronics bench lab supply or simple
home brew. I use a dirt-simple adjustable current source, email me
if you'd like a schematic. You could build one with $10 worth of
parts from Radio Shack. Then you don't need a variac -- or a handful
of fuses for when (not if) you get shorts and blow the fuse in
your multimeter being used to measure current.

Be sure you have a good tight connection that will stay connected for
the duration.

After anodizing, check work with an ohmmeter. It should show no
conductivity.

Dye: RIT works OK for most colors except black. For black, best
results are had with real anodizing dye. It's available in small
qty from Caswell Plating and perhaps elsewhere. Dye at 140F for
20 minutes or so.

Seal: just boil in distilled water for 30 minutes or so. There are
sealants available, but just boiling in water seems to work OK.