owneds4

Right now i have this piece:
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/85331/dsc01161.jpg">

and i'm trying to paint it like this:
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/85331/directron_1828_19636648.jpg">

I was wondering how i can paint it, black, while still showing the grain on the aluminum?

Woland

that seems to be anodized. You can get the closest look with candy colors

owneds4

can you tell me more about anodizing? like what is it? and what is the process?

owneds4

Can i brush acrylic paint over it? I'm trying to make it light but still very colored, but you can still see the grain. like the lian-li pc case i posted above.

Woland

You oxidize the surface of the aluminum piece in a controlled way. You obtain a porous layer of aluminum oxide all over your piece. You can then fill the pores with paint, dyes, other metal salts, (among many other things). The aluminum will not further oxidize or change, or corrode and depending on the aluminum oxide layer thickness it can be very resistant to scratching (hard anodizing).

Send it out to anodize if you want it to look like the lian case. You can try sanding the part with a 400 grit sand paper and then just cover it with a transparent black paint (candy black).
http://artsupply.com/createx/autoair4.htm
look at the end of the page

WECoyote-SuperGenius

Anodizing is the rapid controlled oxidation of the surface of aluminum. As electric current is passed through the anodize solution, the surface of an aluminum piece is converted to a form of its oxide.

TYPES OF ANODIZING PROCESSES:
There are now four types of anodizing refered to as chromic acid anodizing, sulfuric acid anodizing, hard coat or hard anodizing and PTFE (Teflon) anodizing. Each coating differs in in their basic properties as well as their end uses.



MIL-A-8625: Anodic Coatings for Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys

Type I - Conventional chromic acid anodize


Type II - Conventional sulfuric acid anodize
Class 1 - Non-dyed coatings
Class 2 - Dyed Coatings


Type III - Hard Coatings
Class 1 - Non-dyed coatings
Class 2 - Dyed Coatings


MIL-A-63576: Aluminum Oxide Coatings, Lubricative, for Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys

Type I - Anodic coating with the unsealed surface impregnated with PTFE


Type II - Anodic coating which has the unsealed surface coated with a thermoplastic resin containing PTFE


Type III - Anodic coating which has the unsealed surface coated with a thermosetting resin containing PTFE


AMS-2468: Hard coating treatment of aluminum alloys



AMS-2469: Process and performance requirements for hard coating treatment of aluminum alloys



AMS-2470: Anodic treatment of aluminum alloys, chromic acid process



AMS-2471: Anodic treatment of aluminum alloys, sulfuric acid process, undyed coating



AMS-2472: Anodic treatment of aluminum alloys, sulfuric acid process, dyed coatings