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How to Build an Electric Anodizer

Anodizing is the process of hardening the surface of nonferrous metals, most commonly aluminum alloys, to improve their corrosion resistance and durability. This is done by suspending the metal component in an electrolyte solution and passing electricity through the solution. Building an electric anodizer at home is a surprisingly straightforward process.

Things You'll Need

Aluminum wire
Aluminum foil
5-gallon plastic container
Battery charger
Distilled water
Battery acid

Instructions

- 1
  Bend a length of aluminum wire into a paddle shape that will cover most of the bottom of the 5-gallon bucket. Wrap the paddle form tightly in several turns of aluminum foil. Cut the wire from the spool, leaving a few feet of wire at the end.
- 2
  Clip the negative lead of a car battery charger to the end of the aluminum wire. Place the paddle flat at the bottom of the plastic container, with the wire extending over the upper edge of the container.
- 3
  Fill the bottom quarter of the plastic container with distilled water. Mix battery acid with the water until the container is about three-quarters full.
- 4
  Suspend the aluminum part to be anodized in the water-acid solution using aluminum wire. Attach the end of the wire to the positive lead of the battery charger.
- 5
  Turn on the battery charger and run it at 10 volts until the aluminum component stops producing bubbles, about 1 1/2 hours.
- 6
  Rinse the component thoroughly in distilled water.

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