DiezelMonster Posted January 15, 2007 Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 Hey guys I'm looking to find a place that does anodizing or textured finishes on aluminum, especially in canada, I'm looking for black and green anodizing or powder coating, or textured coatings on aluminum. I have some plates that I need to try and match up, let me know Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted January 15, 2007 Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 mmm...talk to dave at fretsonthenet.com...he is a member here and may be able to point you in the right direction. also...at work sometimes we do aluminum handrails,and you can take plain aluminum,brush it in one direction(straight lines) with those micro mesh type pads,clear coat it,and it creates a brushed finish...though it,s not a cross atch pattern like some brushed finishes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davee5 Posted January 16, 2007 Report Share Posted January 16, 2007 (edited) Thomas Register (thomasnet.com) Any industrial service you need can be found there. Might not be the cheapest, and most of those are business to business listings and you will certainly be snubbed a few times finding someone who will deal with "the little guy," but that's where to look. More useful to you is the regional search feature which includes Canadian provinces. Select your area, punch in anodizing, and start making cold calls. Also most ano houses can do small batch work, but the smaller the part and the more esoteric the color or finish, the more expensive it will be. If you were willing to do a common color (clear, etc) and aren't too picky, you can get your stuff thrown in the next batch for a customer with a larger order for a significant discount. Lastly you had best know what alloy you have, it has a huge huge huge effect on the final finish, the actual anodizing process you need, and sometimes the cost. I once made a part out of 2024 to have ano'd and that was a BIG mistake: 2024 comes out nasty brown-black when you do a standard clear process for the more common 6000/7000 series alloys. As for texturing, you're best off experimenting yourself with wire brushes, etc. You might find places to do that for you, but that's real labor intensive and will not be cheap (pay for wha you get, I guess). Good luck! -Dave P.S. to anyone else reading this: all you guys who tell people to buy their screws/mcpherson-style clamps/threaded inserts/etc. from these random online sites need to start using real industrial supply houses (MSC, McMaster-Carr, etc.) If you haven't done it before search around McMasterCarr (www.mcmaster.com) for a bi and you'll find anything you've ever wanted. Put an order in for a drill press, a urinal, M6 left-handed 316 SS socket head screws in a filister head, really ANYTHING on one order. I put in an order for a few hunded today for project parts and tools, great one-stop shop with decent prices. Stop going to the nobody's with high shipping rates and poor selection with questionable suppliers. Edited January 16, 2007 by davee5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted January 16, 2007 Report Share Posted January 16, 2007 MSC has some of the most jacked up prices I've ever seen. Unless it's an item that's hard to find, I avoid them like the plague. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted January 16, 2007 Report Share Posted January 16, 2007 hmm...well i have a drill press and i don't need a urinal...and i don't like to be snubbed...so i really think i will continue to support the little guy with the great service whenever possible... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davee5 Posted January 16, 2007 Report Share Posted January 16, 2007 Hey, I hear you on supporting the local guy, and I alwyas alway do if possible. However there are just some things that are hard to get at the local hardware mom & pop shop. Today I bought fancy-pants threaded inserts, perforated hex-sheet metal, and some end mills (for inlay work, 1/4 the price at LMI). I have MSC because their UI sucks, and both MSC and McMaster have high prices, but you save in the shipping you don't pay from 10 different "cheap" sources. In any case. Anodizing! Yay! -Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted January 16, 2007 Report Share Posted January 16, 2007 well,i did put your thomasnet on my favorites list in case i do need something i can't find elsewhere,so it's all good.but nothing pisses me off more than being taken lightly by a company because i am ony one person. i get that treatment from gilmer..makes me only buy from them when i have to.they have the really good wood though,so i still buy time totime...but i scrounge everywhere else first. i guess i am lucky...i have an ace which has a very large selection of stainless screws 8 miles from my house,a home depot 15 miles away,and in austin i know two good places to get quantities of clear,well dried woods....(regular exotics like mahogany,maple,alder,purpleheart if i wanted that crap..stuff like that) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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