Anodized/Matte Alligator Clips

[concon]

Does anyone know where to buy/request Black Anodized Alligator Clips? I've been searching for a long while hoping to find some matte black clips that will work as a specimen holder. I've obviously bought standard ones and have done the whole spray paint thing, but I'm fairly terrible at all that and would prefer to buy them professionally created.

[carlh6902]

I don't think you will ever find them. These clips are made for electrical testing purposes, but black anodizing is electrically insulative. So I'm guessing they don't exist.

Carl

[lonepal]

Hi;

I do not think they exist but they can be anodized by metal work companies.

[Deanimator]

I've obviously bought standard ones and have done the whole spray paint thing, but I'm fairly terrible at all that and would prefer to buy them professionally created.

Exactly what problem are you having painting them?

I'd put them in a cardboard box (around 1' square) with an open top.

I'd hold the can well away from them and move it back and forth. You want to cover them with a mist of paint, not drench them.

Turn them and do multiple coats as necessary.

Alternately, you can stick a wooden skewer in the handle where the wire goes and paint them with modeling paint and a brush. Again, don't overdo the quantity of paint.

I just made a third hand device using an alligator clip, black 12ga.(?) stiff wire and a small spring clamp. I didn't feel any need to paint it, but I might now, just to see what happens. I don't expect any issues.

[ChrisR]

I have seen copper unplated ones, which would take a "Gun Blue" treeatment. Sorry no sources come to mind.
Pop them in acid first to take the shine off.

[Greenfields]

Anodizing ?

Everything depends on the material from which the clip is manufactured.

Anodizing forms a film of oxide on the metal surface.

Its usually done to aluminium alloys because the coating of aluminium oxide is clear, electrically insulating, very hard, sticks tenaciously and can be dyed a huge arrange of colours then sealed in boiling water.

If the clips were simply steel then you'd just form a coating of rust - but you can't do this in a common sulphuric acid anodizing bath. I don't even think it's possible.

https://www.finishing.com/139/70.shtml

I guess that the clips are nickel coated steel but I don't know.

Even if it is possible to anodize this (again, I don't know) the fact that you'd need a special bath and, probably that the protocols are not well known means that it will be unfeasibly expensive to get this done commercially.

I dip the clips in blackboard paint. It takes a couple of days to dry but that makes them black enough not to produce unwanted flare and the coatings have not peeled away.

Henry

[ChrisR]

Without wishing to drag the thread down a rabbit hole of (vaguely remembered, therefore probably imprecise) fascinating but irrelevant info, you can anodize even stainless steel black if you want to. It'll be nearly as shiny as the substrate though.
Getting a matt surface on metal isn't going to be easy.

There are some mattish black foils though, which you could wrap around the jaws.
Seek Rosco Matte Black Cinefoil.
You could use a black rubber sleeve such as by
Hellermann, otherwise slightly shinier plastic
Heat-shrink sleeving.


I'd use paint.
You won't get hold of Vantablack because a disreputable pirate stole it,
and Singularity Black needs heating and is fragile, but
Black 2
is pretty good - worth a try.

[concon]

Excellent! I appreciate the responses and I'm definitely aware of the original purpose of A.clips and why they wouldn't be anodized generically, but people often create random things out of necessity and offer them for sale so it was worth a shot.

I'll definitely look into the cinefoil as well as the heat shrinking options- good leads.

Problems with painting? Is it possible to just be bad at it? My few attempts all resulted in chips or bubbles and I was ultimately just hoping to have something professionally crafted. Crafts have never been my thing

[Searust]

Rather than using a paint, try using an ink. -- Try inking the clip with a black sharpie.

[Deanimator]

You could try instant touch up gun blue.

http://shop.brownells.com/gunsmith-tool ... rbEALw_wcB

Or you could try Cerakote:

https://www.cerakoteguncoatings.com/fin ... &cat=ELITE

[concon]

More great ideas, excellent- going to place an order at a few places right now!

[ChrisR]

There is, so obviously that I forgot about it, material like Protostar!