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Thread: How to: Anodize your buell

  1. #1
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    Just got done with anodizing my first heel guard in my home brew set up and thought I would share my results and a quick how to for anybody that would like to give this a go aswell!

    Components:
    Distilled Water -- grocery store
    A couple of plastic tubs -- walmart
    Rit Fabric dye -- walmart
    Battery Acid -- Oreillys auto parts
    12V / 10amp battery charger -- your garage
    Roebic Crystal Drain Opener 100% Lye -- Lowes
    Aluminum Wire -- I used aluminum electric fence wire from Lowes
    Aluminum sheet -- Lowes
    Rubber Gloves -- Ask your wife
    Baking soda -- Again, Ask your wife







    1) Connect the aluminum wire to the part. The part will not anodize where the wire is touching, so be careful about where you decide to attach it.

    2) Take one tub and fill it with distilled water and some of the drain cleaner. Place the part in the mixture roughly 30 minutes. This will remove any previous anodization and clean the part. Rinse the part when clean.

    3) Take another tub and fill it 1 to 1 with distilled water and the battery acid. (CAUTION: ALWAYS ADD THE ACID TO THE WATER, IF YOU ADD WATER TO ACID YOU COULD GET HURT!!!)

    Place the aluminum plate on one side of the tub and hook it up to the negative side of the battery charger.

    Suspend the part in the solution and attach the positive end of the charger to the aluminum wire. I left it for roughly half an hour. Rinse the part.

    Anodizing tub setup:


    4) Make a strong mixture of the fabric dye in a pot, and heat to "warm". Put the part in the dye and leave until the part is a few shades darker than your goal.

    5) When you are satisfied with the color, move the part to a pot of boiling water. This seals in the color, and lightens up the color of the part a few shades.





    Finished Product:

  2. #2
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    I want!!!!

  3. #3
    Senior Member BuddhaBuell's Avatar
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  4. #4
    Senior Member konarider94's Avatar
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    awesome. what do you think of the quality?

  5. #5
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    Perfect..I barely got rider guards off without stripping the head. couldnt get pass guards off so took black automotive paint to guards and pegs. some parts didnt stick. YOURS LOOK SICK:D

  6. #6
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    awesome. what do you think of the quality?
    Color came out really even and bright. I took my fingernail and scratched at it pretty hard without leaving any kind of mark on it. I'm pretty pleased with it! Going to do the other one tomorrow, will post more pics when I get them on the bike.

  7. #7
    Oh man that is sweet. You cant count me in. For the red :) Next question how much. Gotta have it....

  8. #8
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    Oh man that is sweet. You cant count me in. For the red Next question how much. Gotta have it....
    Well if you already have a battery charger, the next most expensive thing was the acid for $10. I spent maybe $25ish total

  9. #9
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    I do believe this should be stickied somewhere

  10. #10
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    I was wondering about durability, but it seems so simple just to re-anodize if it wears off. Very nice post Wiz. for you my friend.

    - Stickied this topic also.



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