Anodized Lian-Li ---- Questions

[Blieb]

I saw some company is sellin' Anodized Lian-Li's ... I'm dyin' for one, and am about to bite the bullet on a Lian-Li ... but the Anodized thing threw this whole mix in my plan.

Has anyone ever Anodized anything? I saw a few tutorials, but when you're messin with $185worth of product, you certainly don't want to invest the time and money to screw up, nor would I dare pay $150 to get the anodization on top of the $185 for the case.

SO .... the point ... does anodized aluminum conduct heat as if it were not anodized? Or would it make the case more insulatory?

 

[Beau]

<----- Dumbass got anodized and galvanized mixed up

 

[Blieb]

Uhm ... from what I've been reading ... this is what I've inferred:

People who anodize aluminum dunk a product in a vat of battery acid, and apply a charge to the battery acid for a little while.

Then the take out the product and wash it off ... then put it in boiling water with a color dye of whatever color they want.

Then after that, they rinse it off ...

 

[Beau]

<----- Dumbass got anodized and galvanized mixed up

 

[Finality]

Hmm any suggestions of a local type company that would do it cheap like a garage of some sort?

 

[sygyzy]

That is not true. You annodize aluminum in order to give it color. The other ways are paint (look at VoodooPC. They use alum Coolermaster and they PAINT it) or powdercoat. I personally think annodizing looks the best.

 

[Blieb]

bump ...

 

[Thooor]

An aluminum part, when made the anode in an electrolytic cell, forms an anodic oxide on the surface of the aluminum part. By utilizing this process, known as anodizing, the aluminum metal can be used in many applications for which it might not otherwise be suitable. The anodizing process forms an oxide film, which grows from the base metal as an integral part of the metal and when properly applied imparts to the aluminum a hard, corrosion- and abrasion-resistant coating with excellent wear properties. This porous coating may also be colored using a number of methods. Colored coatings are made possible by creating a porous layer of oxide on the base metal.

Frequently, designers of electronic devices are inspired by the thought of using anodized aluminum for heat sinks. The idea is very appealing, since aluminum is a very good heat conductor and anodize is a dielectric. The idea of a dielectric thermal conductor is too good to pass up. This never works, however, because of the nature of anodizing. Anodizing fails this application because it cracks at sharp corners, thus ruining the dielectric properties desired.

Because your functionality question refers to anodized cases and not dielectric heat sinks, I feel confident saying that the anodizing will not adversely affect your cooling. If not for the cracking at the corners, anodizing would be used on heat sinks. If the coating is good enough for a heat sink, I think it will do just fine on your PC case.

As a bonus, anodized aluminum is much more abrasion resistant than any other coating you'll find on a PC case.

Good luck.

 

[Blieb]

Sweet!

Thanks for the info ...

Have you ever anodized anything?

 

[Thooor]

I have worked in the industrial finishing business for over 7 years now. I have coated metal in just about every way possible: anodize, electrocoat, powdercoat, and chrome/nickel plating to name a few.

My crown jewel project was anodizing a mountain bike frame for a friend. It turned out so sweet.

 

[Blieb]

Thooor - first off, think an amateur with no experience could pull it off?

so lemme see if I get this straight ... (more/less):

big vat of battery acid
+/- attached to the metal object you're gonna bathe
Crank up a 12v power charger/power source
Leave that sucka connected for a few.

Rinse the junk off.
Boil water with special coloring coat/powder/whatever 1/2 color 1/2 water ...
Boil for like 15 mins ... then let cool.

Rinse.

??? Does that sum it up?

 

[punkrawket]

<< Thooor - first off, think an amateur with no experience could pull it off? >>

i'm not Thooor.... but i say no

 

[Thooor]

Sorry Billy, but anodizing is best left to the pros. Especially if you are talking about a $150-200 case. A great amount of experience is needed to get good results. Here are some of the variables that must be controlled carefully: acid type, acid pH, dwell time in the acid bath, knowledge of aluminum allow composition, etc...

I spoke of anodizing a mtn bike frame. Just to let you know, I took the frame to a customer's anodizing plant and let him do it.

If you find someone who is selling anodized cases, chances are they are "jobbing out" the anodizing, or they are anodizers and not computer parts resellers. I would be very surprised if a computer building company had their own anodizing line.

 

[sygyzy]

I agree. Annodizing is not something simple or trivial. You need huge tanks to do it especially for computer cases. The ROI is not worth it unless you already operate an annodizing business.

 

[Blieb]

I figured as much ...

I would have started with a bolt or something to see if I could do it ...

Maybe this way I'll blow the $100 in supplies on a dremel tool ...

*evil twinkle in eye*

 

[HappyPuppy]

BTW, Billy, an aluminum case is not going to stay any cooler than a comparable steel case whether it's anodized, painted or coated with chocolate frosting. Proper air flow through the case is the key to cooling and every case is different.

 

[Blieb]

I'm more into the weight and look of the Lian-Li's ... I have been dyin' for a new computer for the last year or so ...

I'm still sittin' on a PII 400mhz at home ... granted I have some decent hardware in it ... but I'd LOVE to get into a new rig ...

 

[NiceGuyEddie]

Do some reading:

Anodize at home
Anodizing Aluminum
Anodizing 101

 

[Egrimm]

<< ... or coated with chocolate frosting. >>


What a great idea for a truly unique mod. And when you got hungry you could eat your case... Have you any experience with such a mod? Is it hard to make?

I'm sorry, lame joke, but I couldn't resist it given all the great and/or strange mods I've seen.