specifically, I'm trying to get something like the effect that Suhr gets where the colour is translucent and you can still see some of the "gain" of the aluminum through the paint - kind of like dyed wood.
If i used some kind of black ink/dye that would wipe on/wipe off to accentuate the brush lines in the aluminum and then use a clearcoat with a pigment in it would i get something close to this?
(http://www.suhr.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/distortion.jpg)
That looks like anodizing to me. You can do it at home, with the proper equipment. Check out Caswell plating for kits and dyes if you really want to replicate it well.
The white part, however, is likely *not* anodized in. You can't anodize white, only clear/silver. Could be screened on after they do the ano.
I'm guessing you could get close by doing a normal toner mask for the lettering after the anodizing step, and then doing the dye. That would make the letters clear silver. Not sure if it would burn off in the bath or not. Plus, you'd have to be careful, as the heat might seal the anodizing before you color, which could have poor results in the dye phase.
DK1
Check out DupliColor Metalcast:
https://duplicolor.com/product/metalcast-anodized-automotive-paint
(https://duplicolor.com/assets/img/product-detail/metalcast.png)
This gives you the look of anodize without the hassles.
Can't really say from looking at pictures. But I've seen things that look like that and definitely have a finish on them. Could be anodized and then clear coated. Or could just be a translucent color finish. One way to tell would be to chip some of the finish off, and see if the color goes with it. Yeah the white is likely screen printing.
The purple color is anodizing, the lettering is direct to substrate printing, "grain" of the aluminum are machining marks created by an end mill during the surface machining of the enclosure. For DIY, you would need to prep the enclosure with the markings you want to show through the anodizing. Using wire brush or pencil eraser or sand paper to make the surface "grain".
IMO :)
(http://www.muzique.com/tmp/flame1.jpg)there was (is?) a tutorial over at instructables.com on how to do these type transparent finishes...
heres the thread...
http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=65278.0 (http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=65278.0)
just wire brush the pattern on, then apply a candy powder coat. done. looks exactly like what they have done.
powder coating is very easy once you invest in a gun. paint is weak and can chip easily, especially since you won't be spraying an etch primer.
here's some i've done:
(http://www.dazatronyx.com/gallery/old-dazatronyx-tremolo.jpg)
(http://www.dazatronyx.com/gallery/impressor.jpg)
(http://www.effectsbay.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ulbrick-20th-anniversary-12axe-overdrive.jpg)
Duplicolor makes and anodized look paint in that very same color.
https://duplicolor.com/product/metalcast-anodized-automotive-paint
You can get it a lot of auto parts stores. I've used it on a couple of pedals and if applied carefully, its a produces a pretty convincing anodized look. The biggest thing is to ALWAYS spray the enclosure with their metalcast ground coat first. Its different than regular primer, and is a big part of the overall look.
As for the labeling, after the metalcast paints has thoroughly dried, if you want that same hand-drawn look, you could do it with a paint pen and then envirotex, to protect your work. Just a thought.