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Anodizing woes / Etch ideas

Lopaka KaMars

Oakley Non-Expert 🏄 😎🤙
Premium Member
Lifetime Member
18,575
8,143
Kaneohe Hawaii
Aloha peeps. It's kind of a long story, sorry. As a lot of you know, I started anodizing in my garage (mid 2020). And just when it seems I'm getting the hang of things, and fine tuning what I'm doing, I get devastating news that puts a big damper on my anodizing efforts as a whole. Explanation coming up.

The big lull between my two projects was because I wasn't getting the results I was looking for with the purple (project #2). At first, I was getting dull uneven colors. So I ended up changing my etch and ano solutions twice, in trying to repeat the colors/brightness I got with the lower voltages (project #1). The purple parts I used in my last pair was the most bright and even finish I managed to get up to that point. And once again, I let my impatience get to me, and put together a pair I wasn't 100% satisfied with. That is the main reason why I left the eye sockets as is. I lost count how many times I had to strip and redo bad ano results with the bridge and ear stems. But putting out the photos of project #2 inadvertently led to me discovering an anodizing "Road-block". With some reluctance, I put out photos of project #2. Then @SouLFuLFroG made an extremely eye-opening comment about changing my etch solution. BINGO. It took about a half a second to register that comment as one big "DUHHHHH". Up to that point, I had used only used one type of etch, and was only changing how much water to dilute it with. So now for the devestating news part.

My search for a new etch solution began immediately, with one product that was being endorsed by a lot of people as "the best". Multi-etch. And now that I found that info, all I have to do is order the thing and I'm rockin' again. So I call. Then was asked where I live. Then was immediately told they don't ship to Hawaii. With a little more research, I found there are other etch products out there that may be similar chemically, because there are heavy transport restrictions (no plane or ocean deliveries), and I can't get them either. So I'm guessing it's because of whatever chemicals these products have in them. So basically, I'm dead in the water. DAMN. I can't get a good etch product to Hawaii, which explains why no one in Hawaii does commercial anodizing. Yes you heard right. There is 'NO' anodizing done here in Hawaii at all.

So I'm bringing this up here on the Forum. To see if anyone has any ideas for an etch I can try. I'm in Hawaii, so shipping is the biggest issue I face. Hopefully if anyone has a suggestion, it's already on the islands and available. I've been using Whink rust remover for everything I've done.

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You referring to the TSP I use for my anodizing solution? Or is that an abbreviation for a different acid/etch? This is what I'm using for my ano solution. TSP substitute.

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I was referring to TSP, not the substitute. I read somewhere that the phosphate is what does the work. It's cheap enough in Home Depot, might be worth a shot. :idk:
 
If you need the multi etch you can order it and have it shipped to me and I can forward it to you. As much anodizing I've done its by far the best out there. It needs to be heated to around 140f to work its best but it doesn't contain any of the nasties that other etches do for titanium and is what I've used for years.
 
If you need the multi etch you can order it and have it shipped to me and I can forward it to you. As much anodizing I've done its by far the best out there. It needs to be heated to around 140f to work its best but it doesn't contain any of the nasties that other etches do for titanium and is what I've used for years.
PM will be sent.
 
Aloha peeps. It's kind of a long story, sorry. As a lot of you know, I started anodizing in my garage (mid 2020). And just when it seems I'm getting the hang of things, and fine tuning what I'm doing, I get devastating news that puts a big damper on my anodizing efforts as a whole. Explanation coming up.

The big lull between my two projects was because I wasn't getting the results I was looking for with the purple (project #2). At first, I was getting dull uneven colors. So I ended up changing my etch and ano solutions twice, in trying to repeat the colors/brightness I got with the lower voltages (project #1). The purple parts I used in my last pair was the most bright and even finish I managed to get up to that point. And once again, I let my impatience get to me, and put together a pair I wasn't 100% satisfied with. That is the main reason why I left the eye sockets as is. I lost count how many times I had to strip and redo bad ano results with the bridge and ear stems. But putting out the photos of project #2 inadvertently led to me discovering an anodizing "Road-block". With some reluctance, I put out photos of project #2. Then @SouLFuLFroG made an extremely eye-opening comment about changing my etch solution. BINGO. It took about a half a second to register that comment as one big "DUHHHHH". Up to that point, I had used only used one type of etch, and was only changing how much water to dilute it with. So now for the devestating news part.

My search for a new etch solution began immediately, with one product that was being endorsed by a lot of people as "the best". Multi-etch. And now that I found that info, all I have to do is order the thing and I'm rockin' again. So I call. Then was asked where I live. Then was immediately told they don't ship to Hawaii. With a little more research, I found there are other etch products out there that may be similar chemically, because there are heavy transport restrictions (no plane or ocean deliveries), and I can't get them either. So I'm guessing it's because of whatever chemicals these products have in them. So basically, I'm dead in the water. DAMN. I can't get a good etch product to Hawaii, which explains why no one in Hawaii does commercial anodizing. Yes you heard right. There is 'NO' anodizing done here in Hawaii at all.

So I'm bringing this up here on the Forum. To see if anyone has any ideas for an etch I can try. I'm in Hawaii, so shipping is the biggest issue I face. Hopefully if anyone has a suggestion, it's already on the islands and available. I've been using Whink rust remover for everything I've done.

View attachment 839641View attachment 839642View attachment 839643View attachment 839644
Hi! I know this is an older discussion but just wanted you to know that after changing distributors, Multi-Etch is now available to ship to Alaska and Hawaii. You can order directly online as well at www.multietch.com
 

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