Not Fail Anodizing

YoYos Dipped in Winsauce!

Information


Services I Provide:

I’m an anodizer.  I can magically change the color of your aluminum part.  :D  For the most part, standard techniques are something I can do.  These techniques include, but are not limited to:

  • Solid
  • Two-tone (one half color A, one half color B)
  • Fade
  • Splash
  • “Drizzle”
  • “Splotch”
  • Acid wash

Aside from these techniques, I also have the ability to tattoo.  Tattooing is the masking off shapes, words, logos, etc. to be a different color from the base beneath them.

When I’m done with your yoyo, I will take pictures, and I will post them on my site, if not on others as well.  If you would prefer to wait to see the yoyo until it arrives to you, or would prefer I don’t post pictures until you have had a chance to see it, let me know.

**A Note On Tattooing:

  • Please think about your image.  If it is complex and intricate, it likely cannot be achieved (to my satisfaction).  Simple shapes and straight lines are best.  However, this varies from image to image, so please consult me for this.

Services I Don’t Provide:

As noted above, I am an anodizer.  I am not a beadblaster, and I am not a modder.  I don’t satin and I don’t polish.  Please, please, take care of these things ahead of time if you are interested in them.

Pricing:

What I do is fun, and can be quite artistic (I’d like to think).  Because of the variation of methods used to achieve different results, pricing will vary from person to person.  I tend to get a feel for the project, and give a quote based on that feeling.  However, here is a basic outline for my pricing:

  • For a solid color, I will charge roughly $20.  This includes doing a two-tone (one half color A, the other half color B).
  • For a fade, I will charge roughly $25.
  • For splash, drizzle, or splotch, I will charge roughly $30.  No more than 3 colors for all.
  • For tattooing (even on top of the above methods), I will charge $35-$40 depending on the complexity of the tattoo. Although it is situational, I will charge roughly $5 per tattoo requested.

That’s it.  Pretty simple.

    Colors I provide:

    Here is a list of the colors I provide.  Keep in mind, there are variations of the colors based on length in dye.  Aside from the list here, your best resource to get an idea for colors is to scour the gallery page.

    • Pink
    • Red
    • Orange
    • Yellow
    • Green
    • Blue
    • Turquoise
    • Violet
    • Black
    • Grey
    • Brown

    Things For You To Take Care Of:

    The main idea here is to prepare your yoyo for anodization. It makes everything flow much more smoothly if you can take care of a few items before sending your yoyo. Here are some basic steps to take:

    • Remove the response. Silicone, pads, denim (yeah, it’s been done), whatever it is you have in your grooves, please remove it. I will be grateful. I will not remove it, and if it’s not completely gone, it may cause ano defects. Do not depend on blasting to remove the silicone or adhesive.
    • Remove anything else on the yoyo that doesn’t belong. A prime example of this would be stickers. Some yoyos (i.e. Werrds, prepro YYF, etc.) have stickers on them. Please remove these, and clean the adhesive off the yoyo.
    • Remove the axle, bearing(s), hubstacks, etc. and place them in a tiny baggy.
    • Prepare the surface of the yoyo. This includes things like polish or satin. Just be aware that anodization won’t cover imperfections in the yoyo (i.e. scratches or dings). The yoyo will return to you the same as you sent it, but with color. Feel free to polish out those scratches if you would like a nice smooth surface.
    • Wrap each yoyo half with a paper towel (or something similar).
    • Place halves and accessories in a box for shipping. (I typically like to throw the yoyo afterwards to ensure everything is okay.)
    • Ship it!

    Disclaimers:

    At this point, it is important to understand that anodization is an imperfect process by nature.  There are a large number of variables, and the slightest change in any of these may result in variable results.  Matching colors is nearly impossible, and even the colors that I do have can vary from yoyo to yoyo, depending on several factors, including the surface finish on the yoyo (i.e. beadblast compared to polished surface).  Along the same lines, every yoyo will vary as far as design is concerned.  Splashes, fades, drizzles, etc. all will vary from one yoyo to another.  Think of it as art, and that every piece is different. However, do not be discouraged, as many beautiful things are VERY possible.  However, some disclaimers I feel obligated to list are as follows:

    • I am not responsible for shipping, and anything that may or may not happen to the yoyo in transit.
    • Don’t expect anodizing to make your yoyo smoother.  In fact, it is possible (not likely) for the opposite to happen.  From my experience, yoyos do tend to get smoother, because the bearing seat is enlarged, and that makes for a tighter fitting bearing, which tends to make it smoother.  At the very least, the yoyos I have done have stayed the same with regard to smoothness.

    With the above in mind, you should set your expectations accordingly.  I will make the most beautiful piece I can, but there is variation everywhere.  I don’t tell you these things to make you nervous, but rather to set realistic expectations.

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