Question on Anodizing

[dynamiks]

I am very interested in getting my case Anodized, and I would like to know if anyone has any experience with any Anodizing companies and how they charge the customer. I just finish writing an email to a local Anodizing company to request a quote for how much I am looking at to get everything I want done. But I figured I would post in here also, maybe someone can tell me how much they paid for any anodizing they got done, or tell me how much they think I should be charged for this. Since I never had this done before, I don't know what is too much or what is a good price. So any help would be appreaciated.

Here is a copy of the email I sent to the company:

Hello I am interested in getting some anodizing and chromating done to my computer case.

I am going to attach a file with a picture of the case, and I will also leave you the dimensions so you can give me a pretty accurate price quote. You are going to have to download the pictures and look at them so you can understand exactly what I am describing that I want to be done.

The Dimensions of the case are as follows:
Length: 584mm x Width: 227mm x Height: 536mm

Okay in the picture of the case. If you look at the front of the case you can see that on the left and right hand side it has two silver aluminum bars going down the side. I would like to have these silver bars anodized to black, with a brushed finish.

Next, if you look at the picture of the inside of the case, it is all grey SECC metal. I would like all of that metal to be anodized or chromated (I don’t know which one) to a semi-gloss black.

Lastly, If you look at the picture of the side panel I sent you. I would like to have all the exterior panels (3 of them: 2 side panels, and 1 top panel) chromated to a high gloss black.

Okay so that is all I need done. I will be bringing the case totally disassembled so it can be easier for you to work on it, and I will just put it back together when the product is finished.

Please get back to me with a price, I am located in upsate Westchester, NY and live too long to drive there just to get a price quote, so I figured I would email first. Also can you tell me approximately how long the whole process would take, and how long I would have to leave the case with you until it gets done.

Thanks,
Damien

And these are the two pictures I sent them:

Also here is a link to the company if anyone is interested. It's located in Long Island, NY.
www.anacote.com

 

[tong]

wicked sick case for fileserving. where did u get it? cane we get a name and linky linky ?

nvm just realized it was a cm stacker.

 

[pigpen]

I think there are directions for anodizing yourself in the sticky. I would imagine they are going to really charge the hell out of you for it.

 

[xonik]

It saves you tons of money to break everything down to parts, and have each part be treated with one process per part. Then you can tell them, "I want this part chromed, and I want this part anodized black..." It would be ridiculously expensive, for example, if you wanted a single part both chromed and anodized.

Also, try several shops if feasible, and shop locally whenever possible. Contact local people either by phone or in person, not by e-mail if you can avoid it.

 

[qdemn7]

I am very interested in getting my case Anodized,

Bad news for you. Steel CANNOT be anodized Your only alternatives are to get the case painted, or powder coated. I first wanted to get my Gaming bomb II case powder coated Candy Blue, too expensive, or else places would not use a single coat candy. Then I wanted to get the case anodized blue. A local company told me any steel in the case, the rivets in this particular case, would be destroyed by the agent in the anodizing bath.

Two places for case painting Tekido and Computers Divine.

Powder coating would run you about $300-$700 depending on how complicated, contact local powder coaters, and then takke the case in for inspection. some places simply will not do an entire case, too much complicated work. Also, powder coating is VERY durable, but also VERY thick. So thick the case might not fit back together properly if taken completely apart.

So it's down to painting for me.

 

[dynamiks]

Bad news for you. Steel CANNOT be anodized Your only alternatives are to get the case painted, or powder coated. I first wanted to get my Gaming bomb II case powder coated Candy Blue, too expensive, or else places would not use a single coat candy. Then I wanted to get the case anodized blue. A local company told me any steel in the case, the rivets in this particular case, would be destroyed by the agent in the anodizing bath.

Two places for case painting Tekido and Computers Divine.

Powder coating would run you about $300-$700 depending on how complicated, contact local powder coaters, and then takke the case in for inspection. some places simply will not do an entire case, too much complicated work. Also, powder coating is VERY durable, but also VERY thick. So thick the case might not fit back together properly if taken completely apart.

So it's down to painting for me.

Yea the guy emailed me back already and told me how I cannot get any metal anodized only aluminum. Then After that I figured I would just get the case powdercoated. Your prices of $300-700 are way high. When I was very much into modding cars, I used to go to car forums, and people would always post their stories about getting their rims powdercoated. They would say its like $50 a rim or something, sometimes less. So I'm sure powdercoating my case can't be more than $100-150. If it is, then it's definately not even worth it. I would paint the case myself, but paint always chips, and I don't wanna deal with that. So since powder coating is my last option, if that is too expensive, then I guess I'm just going to leave the case the way it is, and not even bother painting it.

 

[Tiny]

It is not nice to steal bandwith try and host the pictures yourself (try imageshack.us), cause it is the right thing to do.

You could always get a kit and do it yourself. I am seriously thinking of getting that kit or the deluxe one, but the only thing holding me back is that I know I will start powdercoating everything I can get my hands on.

 

[bigbadgreen]

Just for future reference, sorry about the case being steel though, was a good idea to anodize.

both aluminum and titanium can be anodized. the colored anodizing is just a dye that is applied before the final step. to look for cheaper alternatives, try contacting local universities with anodizing setups, usually in the art department in the sculpture or metals departments and see if any students would be willing to anodize it for you. Sometimes instructors will anodize it for you as a demo for the class.

I was a metals major and we in fact took in several pieces for people and anodized them, and later I anodized some stuff for myself. Just a thought if anybody considers it in the future.

 

[xonik]

Magnesium can also be anodized. Not that anyone here cares, other than NeXt owners and some Panasonic Toughbook owners.

 

[qdemn7]

both aluminum and titanium can be anodized. the colored anodizing is just a dye that is applied before the final step. to look for cheaper alternatives, try contacting local universities with anodizing setups, usually in the art department in the sculpture or metals departments and see if any students would be willing to anodize it for you. Sometimes instructors will anodize it for you as a demo for the class.

I was a metals major and we in fact took in several pieces for people and anodized them, and later I anodized some stuff for myself. Just a thought if anybody considers it in the future.

I think a custom case made totally from titanium, then anodized would be something. Probably cost a couple $K.

 

[Tiny]

Dynamiks, how does that spindle fan that blows over the motherboard work for you? Does it move a good amount of air? How is the sound level on it? Just curious.

 

[dynamiks]

Dynamiks, how does that spindle fan that blows over the motherboard work for you? Does it move a good amount of air? How is the sound level on it? Just curious.

The case doesn't come with that fan, it's an optional piece. So as of right now I do not own one yet. I will probably purchase one in the future, when I am done buying all the other stuff I need.