34 replies to this topic

[The Ring Lord]

The bottom line is it's difficult to get custom anodized aluminum rings. It's not impossible. Below I'll discuss all the complications involved and tell you what we can do.

First some terms. We have machine cut and saw cut anodized aluminum. We also have bulk anodized and bright anodized aluminum. All machine cut are bulk anodized only. Saw cut is mostly bright anodized with a few exceptions - i.e. old stock, yellow and orange.

Bulk anodized - you can tell these most easily by the ends of the ring - they are anodized. Bulk anodizing is the only process that will work on machine cut rings. Bulk anodizing will not anodize 100% of the rings; a few rings will be uncolored or miscolored and there will be a few touch marks. We've been doing this process for years and sold hundreds of millions of bulk anodized rings.

Bulk anodized colors (machine cut colors):
Black, Blue, Bronze, Dark Purple, Green, Gold, Orange, Pink, Red, Violet, Yellow

Custom colors available - Turquoise, clear (light grey).

Bright anodized - You can tell these from the bright glossy colors and the fact that the ends are not anodized. There is no color variation within a batch and no miscolored rings. Also the anodized coating is thicker, more UV resistance and all round better. Only saw cut rings can be made with the process as the coils are anodized then cut. We started offering bright anodized in 2010. By the end of 2011 we were fully stocked. We're now expanding the offering to other sizes.
Bright anodized standard colors (saw cut colors)
Black, Black Ice, Champagne, Gold, Pink, Red, Royal Blue, White

Custom colors we run about once a year - we can get any custom color we want and no extra cost so long as we make a min 500 lb order.
Green, Mint Green (light green), Purple, Lavender (light purple)

There are several different cases to consider - each has different requirements.

Q. I want a color you offer, in a size you offer, but you don't stock the combination I want. For example I want machine cut 12g 7/16" pink.
Either you are looking at a size that is a low volume seller (such as 12g 7/16") or a size that is new or maybe be phased out. We might be able to help you but the problem will be a significant minimum order.

A. For machine cut - we'll do it but we typically need a min order of $100 worth of the product and lead-time can vary from 4-16 weeks depending on when our next shipment is going out to be anodized. To be clear this is $100 for each custom item - so if you want a color in 2 sizes that's $200 minimum.

A. For saw cut - we can do the bulk anodized colors with a $150 min order (4-16 week lead time). If you need the bright rack anodized colors you just need to wait - we'll stock all available bright colors in all sizes we carry as soon as possible.


Q. I want a color you offer, but a want it in a size or cut you do not offer. For example 16g 7/32" machine cut.

A. This is tricky. There are 2 options - go big or go small.
Going big - you need to buy the whole batch - the batches are big.
Bulk anodizing (machine cut colors) batches are between 18 and 30 lbs depending on ring size (the bigger the ring the bigger the batch.
Bright anodized batches (saw cut colors) are a minimum 200 four foot long coils (i.e. for 16g that is 150,000 rings). You will get a great volume discount but you still need about $500 investment to get a single color in a custom size.

Going small -
Bulk anodizing (machine cut colors) - we will string some rings on a wire and include in a batch of a different size. $10 fee plus the cost of the closest sized anodized rings. Lead time 4-16 weeks.


Q. I want a custom color.

A. Custom colors will always be handled on a case by case basis. If we like you custom color we'll lower your min order and buy some ourselves. We can buy custom dyes in any color. The dyes can be matched to samples, pantone numbers, etc. The dyes are expensive and you need to order a pile of rings to make it worthwile. We are willing to split custom color costs to make it more possible but you'll need to make at about a $1000 ring order in the custom color (can be multiple sizes).
Bulk anodizing (machine cut colors) - the dyes are slightly cheaper than for bright and last forever - for example the pink is a custom color we bought for the bulk anodizer. You will note that pink is no more likely to be out of stock and does not cost more than other colors.

Bright anodizing (saw cut colors) - the dyes are expensive and have a 6 month shelf life. The anodizer will buy us a custom dye at no extra cost with a 500 lb order (all at once). Its possible to mix sizes so long as there is 200 coil min lots - although its really 400 coil min lots per wire size to make it even trickier. For example we can get 200 coils of 16g 1/4" and 200 coils of 16g 5/16" to complete a full tank. You can also get more then one shade out of a dye. For example our lavender and purple are the same dye at different saturation.

[Brimley's Mom]

Thank you, Jon. This enlightening post will allow me to plan my projects around your stock colours. I don't know about the rest of your customers, but I like being educated and knowing what to expect.

[sugarnspike613]

This is brilliant, and I'm glad to know it's an option for us!

Just a question, I see turquoise mentioned there as one of the custom colours for the bulk anodized? Would that be the same turquoise you guys just phased out because it was too close to the blue?

[PlutoniumX]

Great info! Thanks!

For saw cut - we can do the bulk anodized colors with a $150 min order

Is that per ring size and color, or per color? I am assuming it's not the total order. I guess I mean, would that work if I wanted Pink or Red, in 2-4 sizes?

[Bernice Daniels]

Its $150 per size/ color combo - each line item.

[brunner314]

Is there any plan to make 18ga 1/8' bright anodized aluminum rings or is 5/32'' the smallest 18ga anodized you'll make?

Edited by brunner314, 29 April 2012 - 10:57 PM.

[The Ring Lord]

Nope - no 18G 1/8" in the future. About the only hope for this size is a custom batch of bulk anodized (aka old colors).

[Beadiecat]

Any chance you will be offering anodized aluminum colors in 19G, 3/16" (saw cut) in the future?

Thanks!

Cat

[The Ring Lord]

Yes - we're looking hard at replacing the 19G enameled copper with the new anodized aluminum

[Morvandium]

Maybe this isn't the exactly right place for this question, but here it goes:

What about AA scales in a color you offer AA rings in? Say, for example: large AA scales in yellow.

I read a different post in the trading room about custom scales, but the focus was custom material, not anodizing. It seemed like it was more appropriate to this topic, but if I'm wrong, my apologies.

[calisandra]

I think they said over on the scales thread they were looking into maybe yellow and orange...they are under customer service I think. or it might be the Anodized Aluminum thread

[The Ring Lord]

Hmm - well if you contact me within the next 1-2 days I might be able to get you some bulk anodized large scales in any of our bulk colors in about 5 weeks. (i.e. the shipment to the anodizer is leaving soon. Price $9/100.

We also have bright anodized large scales in the works in the bright colors including the bright gold which is pretty yellow. Not prices yet but in the $0.15 per scale price range.

[calisandra]

ooh bright shiny scales? those will be amazing.

[Morvandium]

Thanks, but the creation of the object of my interest is not imminent, just in planning stages. I'm not ready to purchase parts. At the very least, several months, possibly a year+ away. If, in general, you can do a small batch of large AA scales in a standard color for rings when you're sending a shipment off to be anodized, then it won't be a big deal in the future. (Correct me if I made an incorrect assumption based on your statement.)

How many times a year do you send a bulk shipment to your anodizer? (If you only send out such a shipment every 18+ months, then by all means I'll get a hold of you now.)
.
This is for a personal project without a deadline, so it's not like I'll have someone else tapping their foot impatiently while they wait. Thanks for the reply.

[Xeviat]

Concerning the "Going small" option, so we could order, say, a smallish batch of saw cut aluminum 20g 1/8 rings in the old machine cut bright pink color, rather than the shiny pink used now in saw cut? How many rings constitutes a small batch? I'm assuming that's a $10 up charge on the $4.55 per 750 price for the saw cut 20g 1/8 rings?

[The Ring Lord]

The $10 is a batch "set up fee". After that fee you can order as many bags as you like at $4.55/750 with no volume discounts. If you want to do this get an order in right now. Bulk anodizing is leaving Monday by noon. After this it will be 8-10 weeks until the next batch leaves.

[Malkavian]

If two people wanted the same thing (for example the above suggestion of 20g 1/8" in hot pink), could they split the $10 set up fee between them?

I might be interested in both the pink and the old violet in most of the 20g options (for the next batch of bulk anodizing), but with my relatively low ordering volumes, a $10 on top of each size would be too expensive.

[The Ring Lord]

We'll do saw cut bright pink eventually - I think your best option is to wait for us to get to a new pink.

[Katlee]

Yes, I know, me asking questions again. Sorry. So, if I want to get 18g champagne in 7/32" size, I'd have to order $150 of it, or I'd have to have a $150 total order to be able to also get that? I have a weave I do that 1/4" is too big (the other rings twist and move and change the weave), but 3/16" is too small. I really prefer the 18g, but 19g would likely work ok... but that would mean 19g 3/16" rings, and you don't have them in a champagne either (or any color but black and silver). I really want a more gold ring for those who prefer gold over silver, but I think the 'gold' AA color is just a little too... um... 'gold', if that makes any sense.

[TRL Customer Service]

19g 3/16" champagne will be in stock ~shortly~. I don't have the exact eta. Maybe 1-2 months.

I will discuss 18g 7/32" as a future size in saw cut.