Anodizing ZT 0452

[tjm603]

Hi all,

This is my first time posting to the forum. I recently purchased a ZT 0452CF and am trying my hand at anodizing the scale. So far I’ve done a steel gray blue at about 36V that I am pretty pleased with, but want to experiment more with different voltages/colors. I applied nail polish to protect the lock bar insert and detent ball while the scale was in the anodizing bath, but I couldn’t seem to get it fully coated to where it wouldn’t begin to bubble when voltage was applied.

is it possible to remove the lockbar insert while anodizing? I removed the screw holding the insert in place, but there appears to be a couple of pins holding it in place as well. I tried using a small screwdriver to pry lightly to see if I could remove it but it seems firmly fixed and I didn’t want to screw anything up so I am punting. Is attempting to remove the insert something that would be advisable, or should I just spend more time getting the insert fully covered in polish?

thanks!

 

[115Italian]

Are you trying to anodize the say knife again? Its better to remove everything because it does affect voltage.

 

[tjm603]

Yes, I would like to experiment with some of the higher voltages. This is my first titanium knife so I’m just having fun with it to see what I can do. I noticed that when the lockbar insert was exposed (it was covered in nail polish, but must have missed some spots) in the bath that the reaction seemed to primarily be centered on the steel of the insert and the titanium was slow to anodize. When I put in just the bottom of the handle and the insert wasn’t in the bath the titanium anodized rather quickly. I’m mainly curious if taking the lockbar insert out is a common practice for people who anodize framelock knives? Or do they just do a better job of coating the insert?