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View Full Version : Cold Galvanizing Compound.... for aluminum?



Dee Gallo
06-22-2010, 5:27 PM
I tested the Cold Galvanizing Compound on a "metal" tin I had and it worked well, so I tried it on a Doughmaker's baking pan... no good!

After thinking a bit, I put a magnet on the first tin and it stuck, but not to the baking pan.

So, is there anyone out there who knows if there is an equivalent compound for aluminum? I realize there would be no reason to galvanize aluminum, but just hoping. I was ever so excited, but now I'm bummed.

I might have to break down and buy some Cermark. All I have is the kind for ceramic...will that work on metal?

Thank you all, dee

paul mott
06-23-2010, 2:43 AM
Hi Dee,

I don't know if you have tried it but Anodizing aluminum is quite easy to do, with the right stuff, and when it has been dyed (any color of your choice) and fixed it can then be laser engraved. The laser engraving just removes the dye to reveal the base color it does not actually pierce the surface.
It's a fun thing and you can make nice stuff.

Paul.

Dee Gallo
06-23-2010, 7:45 AM
Hi Paul,

I'd love to try that, I didn't know it was something I could do in my home workshop... I'll have to research it!

Thanks, dee

Michael Hunter
06-23-2010, 8:06 AM
Hi Dee

Did you try the plaster-of-paris thing?
(A long thread about this about 9 months ago - something like "a new way of metal marking").

(Mix plaster-of-paris into a thinnish paste and paint it onto the metal quick before it starts to set).

I've only tried it on stainless steel (where it works very well), but in the thread someone said it worked on plain aluminium and that you could get different colours according to the power level used.


I'm not so sure about anodising aluminium at home - vats of sodium hydroxide solution, electricity, and worst of all you have to boil the item in water after dyeing it which (for most people) limits the maximum size to that which would fit into a cooking pan.
My experience of having aluminium anodised by outside firms is that the process is quite variable and only the best operators get consistent results.

Dee Gallo
06-23-2010, 9:00 AM
Hi Michael,

Yes, I tried the plaster of Paris thing and it was okay - I'm the one who got the varied colors, BTW. But I'm always looking for tools to add to my arsenal.

I love anodized aluminum stuff in general, and I have done gold and copper electroplating on small items like jewelry, drawer pulls and plumbing fixtures. I assume it is similar, but you're right, the size of a baking pan would require a pretty big container to boil it in. I might have to consider adding a chemistry kitchen to my barn!

Thanks, dee

Chris DeGerolamo
06-23-2010, 9:00 AM
I etched a friend's bar tool recently with settings for stainless steel only to realize that it was made of aluminum. It did yield a black etch though; I believe I used 100% power at about 5% or so speed on a 30W. The plaster of paris does work pretty well on steel - I have not tried too much on aluminum. The original poster said to mix with mothers chrome polish but I found that it did nothing for the etch. I just mix it with rubbing alcohol until it is like runny ketchup or so and pour it onto the material. Let it dry and etch it like you would cermark.

Dee Gallo
06-23-2010, 3:38 PM
No joy on the aluminum with the plaster mix - it just washes off leaving a ghost of an image. Maybe these Doughmaker pans are coated with something to repel burnt on stuff... it would figure in with their superior pans.

:( dee

Dan Hintz
06-25-2010, 10:16 AM
Dee,

If it looks like bare aluminum (i.e., no paint) but is still shiny, it's definitely coated.

Dee Gallo
06-26-2010, 9:19 AM
I got some Cermark from Laserbits (it came in one day!) and perfection reigns. Nothing like the real deal I guess.

cheers, dee

Chuck Stone
06-28-2010, 4:23 PM
I got some Cermark from Laserbits (it came in one day!) and perfection reigns. Nothing like the real deal I guess.

Which one did you get? I just spent several hours doing an aluminum tube
(6063, highly polished) and while it looked fantastic when it was done, it
washed right off. That was at 100% power and 2% speed (30 watt unit)
When I do these in wood, takes about 2.5 minutes. This took about 75
minutes. I tried the paste (thinned with alcohol and sprayed THIN ) and
the spray. I think they were both the 6000 but I forget the letters.

.. I had such high hopes for that piece.. :(

Dee Gallo
06-28-2010, 4:46 PM
Which one did you get? I just spent several hours doing an aluminum tube
(6063, highly polished) and while it looked fantastic when it was done, it
washed right off. That was at 100% power and 2% speed (30 watt unit)
When I do these in wood, takes about 2.5 minutes. This took about 75
minutes. I tried the paste (thinned with alcohol and sprayed THIN ) and
the spray. I think they were both the 6000 but I forget the letters.

.. I had such high hopes for that piece.. :(

I used Cermark LMM-6000. With my 35w, I used one pass at 100 power, 7 speed and 600 dpi. I got the paste, which I thinned with DNA (don't use isopropyl!) and sprayed it through my airbrush to a medium level: you can almost see through it, but not really. If you thin it too much or put it on too thin, it will come off. If you put it on too thick, it will take 2 passes. I allow it to dry about 5-10 minutes.

Hope this helps, dee

Chuck Stone
06-28-2010, 5:07 PM
Sounds like just what I did .. DNA, thin coat, dried smooth.. looked great.

Maybe I'll just have to go back to the idea of having someone anodize them
for me, since my attempts didn't work out so well..