Automotive/Motorcycle How to's Thread

[xkenikensx]

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this is a thread about DIY, how to's on certain parts of our auto and motorcycles, if you got something in mind regarding DIY stuff kindly post it here.



How do you make headlight lenses clear again
materials needed:
1.1500,2000,2500 waterproof sandpaper
2. clean piece of cloth
3. lens cleaner

how to? click this how to make your lense clear again

credits to the author of this post

[xkenikensx]

A cheap way of removing those rusty parts..

before :

after:


Materials needed:
1.Vinegar Malt
2. Basin

How to?? click this cheap way of removing rust
credits to the author of this post,

[NeoXdeatH]

how to make chrome shiny again..wash it with coke.
saw that on discovery channel

[xkenikensx]

today's contribution will be
DIY Anodizing

Items needed:


* Tanks to hold sulfuric acid (anodizing bath, or anodizing solution)
* Aluminum parts to anodize
* Power supply. Should be capable of constant current, have a high enough current capacity, and go to at least 20 volts
* Sulfuric acid (battery acid) to make acid bath
* Aluminum wire or titanium wire to hold parts
* Distilled water. It's cheap, so buy lots of it.
* Anodizing dye. Don't bother with the RIT clothing dye, it doesn't work well. Buy good anodizing dyes, they're not expensive, either.
* Degreaser. Aluminum Parts must be surgically clean before anodizing, or the color won't be consistent.
* Desmut (optional)
* Sealer (optional)
* Lye, also known as sodium hydroxide (NaOH). Used to strip existing anodizing off parts.
* Baking Soda. Keep a large amount of this on hand to neutralize acid in case of accident.
* Rubber gloves. I prefer nitrile because they are tough and do not tear as easily as latex gloves. You will want these because you do not want to be touching parts with your hands after they have been cleaned, as the oils in your skin are enough to leave bare spots on an anodized finish.

Getting started:

Basic Steps:

1. Clean the aluminum parts.
2. Degrease the aluminum parts.
3. De-Smut the aluminum parts.
4. Anodize in the acid bath at 12 amps/square foot for 45 minutes. Keep temp at 70-72 degrees (F).
5. Remove parts from acid bath and rinse with distilled water.
6. Dye parts (if desired) in warm dye, ~100 - 140 degrees (F).
7. Seal parts by placing in boiling distilled water for 20-30 minutes.

It should be assumed that the parts are thoroughly rinsed in distilled water between each step.

A typical DIY setup for beginning anodizing is shown on the right. A 5-gallon bucket will work for small parts, the large plastic storage totes offer a variety of shapes and sizes available for larger parts. In my experience, these have worked well. These will be the tanks that will be storing your sulfuric acid anodizing bath, so take caution to ensure they will not leak. Sulfuric acid is a corrosive chemical.


Cleaning the Parts

This is likely the most critical, yet overlooked, step in anodizing. The parts must be surgically clean before anodizing to ensure good results. I prefer a multi-step process to ensure good results. First, put your rubber/nitrile gloves on and wash your hands thoroughly. This ensures the gloves are clean on the outside. Then, go through a 3-step process to clean and de-grease the parts. Step 1: Clean the parts with hot water and dishwashing detergent. Depending on the geometry, a brush might be helpful at this point. After the dishwashing detergent, the parts should be visually clean. Next, clean the parts with a degreaser such as Simple Green. Finally, use an anodizing specific degreaser, usually heated, to get the level of cleanliness needed. I have had good success with the SP cleaner available from Caswell. At this point, water should not bead up on the surface of the part, but form an even sheet over the entire part. If you see water beading up, that shows the presence of grease & oil, and the cleaning process should be repeated.

Now it is time for the Desmut. Dip the parts in the Desmut tank for 1-4 minutes. The Desmut solution can dull the finish on your parts, so if you are going for a mirror-finish, keep it under 2 minutes. What is the purpose of the Desmut step, you might ask? To remove impurities from the surface of the aluminum part. For instance, some alloys have high levels of copper, which do not anodize well without a Desmut step. For consitency, I desmut every time. Once you are quite familiar with the process, you may experiment with differing times in the desmut tank. As always, rinse well after Desmutting.

Anodizing

Finally - it's time to anodize!!! By this point you should have prepared your acid bath by mixing 1 part battery acid to 1 part distilled water. Remember "Acid into water is the way you oughta." That's right, slowly pour the acid into the water, don't pour the water into the acid. You can find sulfuric acid at any auto parts store by buying battery acid. With this concentration of battery acid, you will need to anodize at 12 amps/square foot using a constant current power supply. Constant current density anodizing is one of the easiest ways to ensure consistent results.

[xkenikensx]

up for today..

[chaleh]

Wala naman ni oi. Sayang.