power supply for anodizing

A

aurora borealis

Joined
Sep 19, 2014
Messages
2
Hi,
I found a power supply with the following data:
Input:230V AC
Output: 0...120V DC
1A

I learned, that up to 120V are needed to have the full variety of colors available when anodizing titanium. What I am not sure about is, if 1A is enough. I was recommended to use a power supply with 3...5A. However, above mentioned power supply is offered especially for plating and anodizing purposes.
Anyone familiar with these data and experience in anodizing titanium, who could give advice?
Thanks!
Ralph

P.S.: Please feel free to have a look at www.fascination-lapland.com
 
Welcome to the forum. Your post will probably get moved to the Shop Talk -Bladesmith Questions and Answers sub-forum, but for the moment I will respond here.

You don't say where you live, so I'll just assume that you at least have access to equipment available in the United States...

I don't claim to be an expert at anodizing, but I did make my own anodizer and successfully used it. Here is a post I put up in 2006 to explain what I did.

Greetings,

I just completed my anodizer using information gained here and from various tutorials. I mostly used Jason Howell's info howell anodizing tutorial, then stole the rest from this thread bladeforums homemade anodizer

You will need:
1. Variac (Variable AC?) Transformer. Search eBay for Variac. I bought one like this Variac Transformer
2. Full wave bridge recifier. I got this one from radio shack. radioshack bridge rectifier They have changed the part but kept the same part number. The new ones are 8 amp 400 volt.
3. Power cord to plug into the variac and attach to the wave rectifier. This one would work radioshack power cord
4. Project Box. I connected the wiring to my wave rectifier inside of a project box. I didn't like the idea of it just floating around in the open. I used this size because that's all my local Radio Shack had at the time. radioshack project box
5. Female Binding Post and Banana Jacks. I got fancy and used these. I wanted to be able to disconnect the leads from the box. radioshack binding posts radioshack banana jacks
6. Test Leads. I bought parts at the hardware store and assembled my own, but you could buy them at radio shack if you wanted to. radioshack test leads
7. Suitable sized container to hold your TSP solution. I used a plastic container that I got at K-Mart.
8. Plastic Canvas to line your container so that the anode and cathode don't touch. I got mine at AC Moore crafts. It was in the back of the knitting section.
9. Titanium or stainless steel wire (anode) to suspend the part you want to anodize.
10. Titanium or stainless steel to use as the cathode. As I understand it, the cathode needs to be larger than the part you want to anodize.

It took me quite a while to collect all of this stuff and put it together. After I was finished, some SOB posted the link for this DC Regulated Power Source! webtronics DC Power Supply For just a few dollars more than I spent, with NO Aggravation, you could have what looks like a very nice little DC power supply to anodize with. ARRRG!!!

My advice would be to check into this little power unit. If it's what it seems to be, don't waste your time making your own.​

That Webtronics link is now dead, but I think this Power Supply from Circuit Specialists is the same unit. Rio Grand Jewelers Supply sell what appears to be the same unit at Micro Anodizer. (Their unit has a different name and costs about $100 more.) Note that both units are listed as one amp. Reactive Metals Studio does sell a unit that goes up to 7 amps, but it costs $2,762.34.

You might want to check out the Mr. Titanium website for more info.
 
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