Anodizing
I got curious about anodizing during the fuselage portion of my project. Specifically, when I started looking at options of how I wanted to color the brake pedals. Some options I considered were: leave them bare aluminum, prime/paint, powder coat, or anodize. All of these option have advantages/disadvantages and I have seen builders use each with good results. The simple option is to leave bare aluminum Nothing wrong with that at all, and many builders choose this option and they look good and last a long time with little to no upkeep. However, if you want to add some color, you have to consider the options I mentioned above.
I wanted my brake pedals black. I considered just priming and painting, but felt that over time the paint would wear off and would need touch up. Powder coating is very durable, but considering all the parts would probably need to be coated individually and then assembled, I felt the thickness of the powder coating might prevent proper fitment of the parts. Anodizing has its own limitations and should be carefully researched before deciding to use on airplane parts.
I decided anodizing would work well for the brake pedals and decide to give it a try.
I watched a few YouTube videos and found a wide variety of processes used by home anodizers. I found this gentleman's process to be a nice balance. ShopBuilt Anodizing Video
Like most things, the prep work is the hardest part of anodizing. Once you're all set up the anodizing is pretty easy.
I practiced on a couple scrap parts and then decided to start with the vent door assemblies and battery box (easier/cheaper to replace) before working with the brake pedals.
