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Getting a home made griddle anodized

Hello, hope this is the right place to ask this question. I'm in the market for a very large aluminum griddle to put on top of my stove. I'd like either 24" x 24" or 12" x 36". I haven't been able to find anything remotely like it online, so I'm thinking of making my own. I have a few questions I hope you will be able to help me with.

1)I found a local source for aluminum. Does the 6061 alloy seem reasonable for this purpose? Anything else that would be better?

2)What seems like a reasonable thickness? Lots of aluminum cookware seems to be about 1/4" or 3/8". Since this is a pretty big plate, and heat distribution is critical, I thought I'd go with 1/2". Thoughts?

3)Once I have the plate, I intend to sand it smooth, then have it anodized. When I take it to the anodizer, any thoughts on what I should specify? My thought so for is to ask for it to be "hard anodized" in black. Is that sufficiently descriptive?

Any other thoughts that might help make my project a success?

Cedar McKay
- Seattle, Washington
December 14, 2009

Hi, Cedar. You don't need to specify black because the darkness is the natural result of the hard anodizing process -- you don't want a dye added. You probably want to specify "hot water or nickel acetate sealed" (hard anodized surfaces are usually not sealed because that softens them whereas, for you, sealing and the consequent easier cleanability are the important thing, and you do not want a dichromate seal on a food surface).

If you were manufacturing and selling these griddles, you'd want to spend more time on a detailed specification. But for one and for personal use, life is short, and this should be good enough.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
December 15, 2009

Be aware that because you have asymmetrical heat on a stove top, the unit will probably warp over time. Avoid high heat as much as possible.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
December 16, 2009