Colour your steel

As a means of working out where I am going to replace some parts and apearances with red anodize dye, I have found a neat way to see what looks aesthetically right

The method is to colour raw aluminium and polished steel with permanent colour felt tips, as on shiny raw surfaces, it imitates ano dye perfectly. Anything other that is not a shiny silver colour gets painted with acrylic paint for apraisal.

Now although this method is only to let me know what looks good, what is too much and what is not enough I have found it kind of lasts for a while, so giving me what I want unil I can do the job properley.

I have also found waterproof glass painting paints, a type of coloured varnish or laquer to be fairly resilient.

bitd, I alaways wanted coloured ano, but could not afford it, now I just intend to do my own anodising, but the felt tip colouring method is telling me just how much of it I need to do.

good plan!
i did this a couple days ago but it rubs off easily (like onto my jeans :cry: )
aftershave/deodorant/nail varnish remover/alcohol based substance will get it off when your done

W T F ?

How many red Sharpies does it take to colour in a bog stock Zaskar to make it look like a red ano one?

1! sharpies are amazing!
but you will get lots of line marks and such as its so big

Sharpies are excellent but the 'finish' isn't very resilient.

Coloured in a couple of silver cable end caps (black) and even being careful fitting them into the cable stop, they are scratched to bu66ery...

IDB1":30nu6cj0 said:

Sharpies are excellent but the 'finish' isn't very resilient.

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Clear coat.

I used to colour in and touch up all my Alu bolt (and steel for that matter) with that method and it's still in place today Even my brake booster got the treatment (just as hinting though)

FMJ":2pbujxrk said:

IDB1":2pbujxrk said:

Sharpies are excellent but the 'finish' isn't very resilient.

Click to expand...

Clear coat.

Click to expand...

Great pics.
Think you've inspried me.....

And there was I thinking to suggest my cheapskate method of detailing I would get derided, but there is a use for them and if they could be made resilient, via top coat, to me, it is a very viable way of customising.

As an indication of longevity, I sharpied a chain ring a couple of years back and it is still the colour I painted it bar the teeth, which do the same with ano.

It is by no means a long term solution, but of those that polish their machines on a regular basis, touching up the fake ano is not too much of a chore. The beauty of it all, is it is not permanent despite what the pens say, so colour can be changed with new ideas.