Colouring Anodized Aluminum

[Sonosailor]

Anybody have a tip on how I can make a grey anodized Lewmar hatch into a black anodized Lewmar hatch?

The colour scheme for my Fountaine Pajot Tobago 35 calls for a black hatch. My hatch needs to be replaced, and even though I bought the hatch from Fountaine Pajot and ordered it in black to match the boat, they sent the standard grey. Sending it back across the pond isn't an option.

I used to sell Hobies with black anodizing, and also sold the repair kit for scratches, but there are no Hobie dealers any more up here and I don't know what was in the kit.

Somebody suggested "gun bluing". Any other ideas?

[DeepFrz]

Try this...google is your friend

Anodizing Aluminum

[Gator81]

Gun bluing won't work, for certain. It's only for ferrous metals.

[Whimsical]

A good anodizer can strip of the old anodizing and redo it. Colour match may be a problem if its close to another hatch. If you ordered black then it should be Fountaines problem not yours
Mike

[Alan Wheeler]

If you ordered black then it should be Fountaines problem not yours

I second that.
The only easy way to change the colour is to paint it black. You will need to use an etch primer first.
If you want black anodising, you need to get it done proffesionaly. I can be done. I have anodised pats myself. It will simply be etched clean and placed back into the anodising bath. Once the pores have opened back up, the process of colouring can be carried out and the surface sealed once again. This would be the most pro looking and most durable. Only issue is that you will have to strip the hatch, and that won't be easy to get the lens out of.

[Sonosailor]

Thanks for the advice. I did do some on-line searching and determined that fresh anodizing on aluminum is highly paintable after just a good soap and water wash. I'll likely have to do it again in 3-6 years, and it will not look exactly like the other hatch, but it will be good enough for the girls I go sailing with.

Thanks again.