ChitownRC

Does anybody know an anodizing shop around here? I have never done but might play around with a few things this winter. What type of cost is involved? Thanks!

there is one on cicero. about 108th. across from the harley dealer. chrome and powder coating.

slaytanic Wrote:Does anybody know an anodizing shop around here? I have never done but might play around with a few things this winter. What type of cost is involved? Thanks!

There are places, how big are the parts you want to have done?

If they are really small, I would be nervous that they might get lost in the process.

I used a place in elkgrove before for some 1:1 car stuff...I will dig up their name, was like a 60 dollar min charge.

I wouldn't mind 60. Was thinking of getting my chassis powdered black and maybe anodizing a few small parts.

Yeah, I mean heck if you got a big enough order to do it might be worth it.

Just to let you know. Anodizing and Powder coating are two different things. Now just to give you a heads up. And this does work because I have tried it. NAPA sells an anodized type paint that after the coating process looks just like anodizing and can withstand heat up to 1200 degrees. I first had a chance to use it on some engine heads and it was like glass when we were done. to this day it still is on without a chip. then i used it on a bunch of RC metal and aluminum parts, Again the paint has not chipped and still looks like anodizind red. here is a picture of the valve covers we did on my buddies Camaro

In the sunlight, it reflects like the anodized aluminum

I know there is a difference.I have done powder coating before. That paint looks interesting. Wonder how it would hold up on the bottom of a chassis.

Wouldn't....Think of how regluar anodizing holds up on the bottom of a chassis...

Eventually it will wear away. Cars that have been raced on dirt/clay for a while eventually have the anodizing polished away. Cars run on the street have scratches in the chassis, only thing to do for those is to either polish it away if its small enough or use a filler and powdercoat it for deep scratches.

Or you can just live with it.

You can also anodize things yourself, but its a smelly process using dangerous chemicals. I haven't done it because I don't have a place I can safely work with acid. There are books and tutorials on the net galore, some free, some not.

Anything you powdercoat or paint, or even anodize will never hold up. The only thing that will hold up would be black ceramic paint. I guarentee that! But I would bet that the paint I suggested would hold up longer than anodizing or powder coating. It has of a Duratrax Evader and you know jow often you can ground out on those. That is the truck that we painted the aluminum parts on. Worst case senario. It does chip or scratch off. It costs you a can of paint to fix it and some sanding paper to wet sand it down. Cheaper than any anodizing or Powder coating. Ohh and i have the Robotrionics Mantis. The bottom is almost all silver, the chassis is originally anodized red.

I know nothing will be perfect but I figured powdercoat would be tougher than anodising. Plus there are many more color options. There are different levels of anodising to. They can lay it on heavier but I think that is a special process.

Ano is the process of electro charging the particals to a surface. the color is embedded into the pores of the metal and only in that process can the thickness be invited. it is what it is, there is no way to make it thicker after one applictation and it generally is stronger then paint. Powder coating is done in a process of electrostatic and then followed by baking a color to the surface and that can be done in layers, this also is stronger than paint but can chip.

powder coating isnt any stronger than anodizing. Your best bet would be to have it hard anodized, but thats usually more expensize if its to military specs

Here, this will show you what I mean when I talk of thickness. It isnt that much of a differance.
Anodizing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Powder coating - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chicago Anodizing in Chicago on Lake Street does VERY nice work, however, they don't like small parts, they tend to get lost, even if you bring an inventory list with you. They do large batch jobs, many colors and can do hard coat as well.

Powder Coating can be done by JDM coatings in Steger IL. does nice work. Ask for Don or Mike.


In your searches you may find information about anodizing service by a guy in Florida by the name of Jeremy.
Avoid him at all costs... months of delays, poor quality work, missing parts and some etched so bad they are unusable...