Bertram31.com General Bulletin Board

Aluminum anodizing

Posted By: Vic Roy
Date: Saturday, 29 January 2005, at 6:50 p.m.

Well, Faithful, today was one of those good days where I learned a lot I did not know. Re-doing the fighting chair, a Release 80#, and most all the metal is aluminum. I have done some metal polishing on the parts, then decided maybe just get it all re-anodized. Turns out there is a huge anodizing plant about 15 minutes from the camp, Production Anodizing in Ponchatoula, LA. Owned by Jeff Fowler, and I called him a couple of days ago. About the nicest guy you will ever meet. True interest in my chair parts, gave me his home phone #, you know the kind of guy. So me & the Bride went over there this morning, met him at the plant (agian, huge place) and he looked at my chair parts and explained the ins and outs of anodizing aluminum to me. Drift was that some of my Release parts were cast aluminum, and you are wasting your time anodizing cast aluminum, too porus. He showed my how to detect if the aluminum has anodizing on it already - use a VOM or any continunity tester as an anodized surface will not pass electricity. All mine did. He thinks Release used a "flash coating" process that put a very thin hard coat on, and it obviously did not last. He says the only real alternative is to have the cast aluminum chrome plated, and says there is only one place in the US that can do this right. Paul's Chrome up in the NE, talk to Fred, 800 245 8679.

Jeff looked at what I had polished out to a mirror shine and liked it. Also was impressed with the Aluma Glow hard coating, and mostly with the Ultra Tef-Gel paste to prevent corrosion around stainless screws in aluminum. He sent me on my way with a smile, said I'm doing it about right. If any of you need any aluminum anodizing, this guy is a wealth of knowledge, and ready to help. Production Anodizing, Jeff Fowler, 985 370 7200.

Then we stopped by the little seafood market by the camp and got some steaming hot boiled crawfish and had a feast on the upstairs porch looking at two beautiful B31's. Came home rather than spend the night since the house cat is sick.

Sunny and 70 over there at the camp, foggy, clammy and cold here, only 30 miles away. Cause is the Mississippi River, that flows right by us here in the Red Stick, is 39 degrees and over flood stage, a true local weather machine.

UV