Make:

• HOW TO - Make fake barf!
• HOW TO - Make a USB remote control receiver
• How-to: Cast concrete planters using packing inserts
• DIY: UV Light Box
• The van that thought out loud
• DIY Automatic ball launcher for dogs made from an old scanner

Suggestion is anodize it yourself.

http://www.focuser.com/anodize.html

and dye and other products from

http://www.caswellplating.com/

The cost of a home anodizing kit seems to be feasible for under $300 or so, but I don't have that money right now... There doesn't seem to be many options for one-off part services I guess.

The trick is to find a local anodizing shop and see if they'll throw it in with another batch. Failing that, find a shop that sends out parts to anodizing and see if they'll throw it in.

Personally I'd CNC engrave it or do geometric cuts all over the surface. You could also do a "engine turned" finish like the Spirit of St. Louis. That would look cool and be easy using a drill press or manual mill.

Nice work!

Depending on your existing spare parts, Alex Meadows' Guide might be useful: http://www.shadowguarddev.com/alex/anodizing/

He built a power supply for it using mostly spare parts; the only real thing he had to buy was the dye.

You can do it yourself for less than $75. Take a look at http://www.focuser.com/atm/anodize/anodize99.html - all you need is battery acid, a battery charger, die, and sealer. If you need to buy the charger, make sure you can make a spark with it before you plunk down the cash - the electronics in most of the new, cheap chargers are too smart to allow the current to flow if they don't sense a battery hooked up, and so they are useless for anodizing.
If your local library or a buddy has it, either Home Shop Machinist or Machinist's Workshop had an article on anodizing within the last year - it's a good introduction.

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