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I'm curious is anyone knows what grade of cast aluminum was used in 1980s Mark Vs? I'm interested in the possibility of anodizing the cast aluminum parts. Most of my brief searching on anodizing cast aluminum talks about 5080. More brief searching suggests 5080 became popular in 1985. The Mark V 510 I have appears to have been produced in 1988. I'm hoping the 510's parts are suitable.

Some other brief searching shows Hard Anodizing (Type III) could be a pain in the ass to do at home. But that's exactly the type of silliness I like to engage in. If it turns out my Mark V is suitable then I'll probably offer anodizing services to some of my coworkers and neighbors to try and offset the startup cost.

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Dodger wrote: Tue Oct 08, 2024 3:43 pm I'm curious is anyone knows what grade of cast aluminum was used in 1980s Mark Vs? I'm interested in the possibility of anodizing the cast aluminum parts. Most of my brief searching on anodizing cast aluminum talks about 5080. More brief searching suggests 5080 became popular in 1985. The Mark V 510 I have appears to have been produced in 1988. I'm hoping the 510's parts are suitable.

Some other brief searching shows Hard Anodizing (Type III) could be a pain in the ass to do at home.

The castings are large with a lot of surface area. I think that makes the process difficult but I only have minimal knowledge of that. I have contacted a couple of local companies about anodizing parts. Haven't heard from them after sending pictures of headstock and end castings alongside a ruler. Could look really nice. I think the current parts are powder coated which is as durable a finish as Type I and Type II anodizing.