×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Can I anodize AL to look like brass?

Can I anodize AL to look like brass?

Can I anodize AL to look like brass?

(OP)
I am having a 6061 fuel banjo made and would like it to look like the brass banjos that came on the old Webers. Is there a way to make 6061 look like brass? I wanted to have an assortment of colors: black, clear, brass. Are bright dipped parts compatible with gasoline?

RE: Can I anodize AL to look like brass?

You could electroplate the parts with copper.  This is routinely done as the first step in "chrome" plating of aluminum parts like automobile wheels.

Regards,

Cory

Please see FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.

RE: Can I anodize AL to look like brass?

You can make the anodize various shades of yellow. Sealing with sodium or potassium dichromate is one way, but the hues will tend to vary depending on how fresh the dichromate bath is. Alternatively, you can dye the unsealed anodize yellow, once again , in varying shades and then seal with DI water or nickel acetate. Either way, it is kind of hard to predict what the final color hue will be, however.

RE: Can I anodize AL to look like brass?

Drivefast--if you're having a banjo made in the first place, why not make it out of brass instead of aluminum?

RE: Can I anodize AL to look like brass?

(OP)
I have considered that, but I'd like to have the machine shop make me 1 style banjo and then at a later date I can have them colored the color I want.  

RE: Can I anodize AL to look like brass?

In that case, picking up on what CoryPad said--get them plated. You can BRASS plate aluminum fittings, using a zincate pretreatment.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources