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Anode basket questions

I am making anode baskets for my nickel sulfamate bath. I have 4 baskets 3/4" diameter in each corner roughly 12" long in a 2 gallon bath to hopefully make a more even coat. I bought expanded Titanium for the basket I have the rounds in now and some of the balls are so small they fall through the mesh. What can I do to keep them in, and does this set up with 4 baskets sound ok?

Ed Schuster
hobby - LA, California, USA
2004

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First, you should be using a bag cover. Napped polypropylene cloth is very common. These bags need to have the sizing washed out of them before use and should be replaced as they get dirty.

Corners are a poor place to put anodes. You might have to go to a bigger tank. Titanium mesh is made in three sizes. Make new ones out of "micro mesh".

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
2004

Cover the polypropylene cloth around the basket. This is the cheapest method.

Vanajambika Jeyakumar
- Chennai, India
2004

The tank is actually round the baskets are equally spaced around the diameter. I have the bags on order, from a company in Florida, the bags are oversize and I don't want the balls falling to the bottom, if the bag is tight around the basket will this still allow the sludge to fall to the bottom of the bag? The sizing? I am not familiar with this term. We have chemicals to make a bath to wash out the organic materials before it goes into the sulfamate bath, is this what you mean?

Ed Schuster
hobby - LA, California, USA
2004

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The bag should have a tie string at the top, so unless it is grossly oversized, just let it hang and it will work well.

Sizing- used in manufacturing of the cloth for (I think) anti static. In a clean container, soak the bags overnight in a solution of whatever your makeup water is and the same % of wetting agent (anti pit) that you are using. If you want to be real careful, adjust the pH to 4 with the same acid that you will adjust the tank pH with. Then drain, squeeze to damp and rinse in fresh water a couple of times.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
2004