Anodising bimetals

[rnsy (reuben)]

Sending off a couple of throws to an anodiser who I hear does good work. I’m really interested in sending a beater Statement to see how it looks in a full color, but I was wondering if anybody had thoughts on whether that’s advisable at all? My concern is in whether the anodising process does anything to the fit of the stainless steel rings, so I’d be glad to hear your thoughts on that, and also anything that I’m missing out and should consider.

[vegabomb (LJ)]

@jasonwongzero is an expert in this field.

[rnsy (reuben)]

thank you! @jasonwongzero would you have any thoughts on this?

[jasonwongzero (Anodizer)]

Anodizing could change the fit of the rings, especially if the yoyo needs to be stripped first. Also, if the stainless steel rings are finished with a PVD coating or otherwise, I would be concerned about changing that finish in the anodizing bath.

Generally, I probably wouldn’t recommend stripping or anodizing a bi metal yoyo after market. There are a lot of things that could go wrong.

[rnsy (reuben)]

gotcha, thank you : ) i’ll stick to monometals then! i wonder if you could advise me on the following as well –

1. would you recommend masking the bearing seat/post in case it changes the fit? or should i just mask the axle thread?
2. what’s worked best for you in stripping the ano off a yoyo? i’ve read of certain scouring chemicals but would love to hear what’s worked well.
3. does stripping ano chemically alter a finish in any way? for instance, would it have any effect on a blast finish, like ‘softening’ it?

[jhb8426 (Resident Curmudgeon)]

@rnsy

1. would you recommend masking the bearing seat…?
2. what’s worked best for you in stripping the ano off a yoyo…
3. does stripping ano chemically alter a finish…

Check what this guy has to say about sending a yoyo to him for anodizing…

Pankratz Customs Anodizing NEW ANODIZES 4/12/2020

Hey everyone! I’m back open to anodizing. Looks like we’re on batch 2 of 2K20! Work pictured below. Shoot me a message if you’re interested in getting a yo-yo (or anything aluminum) anodized and please read the list of things I would ask you to do before sending the yo-yo or thing to be anodized off to me. Pankratz Customs Pre-Anodizing Checklist Do not try to strip the anodize off yourself with oven cleaner, rust remover, or any other homebrew setup. It is VERY uncontrolled and can very e…

[jasonwongzero (Anodizer)]

@rnsy

• would you recommend masking the bearing seat/post in case it changes the fit? or should i just mask the axle thread?

• what’s worked best for you in stripping the ano off a yoyo? i’ve read of certain scouring chemicals but would love to hear what’s worked well.

• does stripping ano chemically alter a finish in any way? for instance, would it have any effect on a blast finish, like ‘softening’ it?

IMHO, your anodizer should take care of any masking of the bearing seat/thread/axle. Which parts he/she masks or not will depend on whether he is stripping the yoyo and how he racks it. FWIW, I did not typically mask bearing seats or axles when I anodized.

The best way to strip a yoyo is to use a commercial stripper. You can use oven cleaner, but I found the results to be uneven.

Stripping ano does alter the finish by dulling it. Mirror polish finishes will go slightly matte. Aggressive blasts will get softened to the point where some string cutting blasts won’t cut. If you strip too long, you will get uneven areas or pitting where the aluminum is eaten away at different rates.