How To Bad Problems While Anodizing Titanium

[Sharp & Fiery]

I'm not usually a fan of the customizing I see going on with folks' CRKs.
Normally, I think the factory gets it right and the aesthetic simplicity is part of what makes a CRK look so great.
With that said, this looks DAMN good. It's still simple and clean but with a serious splash of tasteful color.
Great job sir!!

Thank you for your kind words.

 

[Florian.]

I haven't started anodizing as I misplaced my titanium wire but I have tested the voltage and amps on a digital multimeter.

It would be great, if you would let us know about your experience with anodizing with this power supply. Of course when you get around to anodizing.

 

[Sharp & Fiery]

@Florian

Can you post a picture of your complete setup?

 

[bflying]

I use the Wanptek also. The only time I've ever seen or experienced pitting, is if there has been direct contact (and related arcing) with steel. I use a plastic strainer to help avoid any contact with the stainless bowl.

On amps, I've also experimented with the full range of settings (1-3 amps). I now seldom go above 1, and usually stay around 0.5 amp.

 

[Sharp & Fiery]

I use the Wanptek also. The only time I've ever seen or experienced pitting, is if there has been direct contact (and related arcing) with steel. I use a plastic strainer to help avoid any contact with the stainless bowl.

On amps, I've also experimented with the full range of settings (1-3 amps). I now seldom go above 1, and usually stay around 0.5 amp.

This is exactly why you are getting pitting. If you are just using the stainless bowl...then pitting will occur. Your part to be ano’d should never come into contact with the stainless bowl.

 

[Florian.]

I know the problems when you touch the cathode. My problems occur without even beeing near the cathode.

 

[Sharp & Fiery]

I know the problems when you touch the cathode. My problems occur without even beeing near the cathode.

How close is your piece to the bowl? How small is the bowl?

 

[Florian.]

How close is your piece to the bowl? How small is the bowl?

I mainly use two bowls:
-14cm wide and 8cm deep
-28cm wide and 13cm deep

Pitting occurs even when the anode is in the center and a few centimeters above the ground.

 

[Sharp & Fiery]

I mainly use two bowls:
-14cm wide and 8cm deep
-28cm wide and 13cm deep

Pitting occurs even when the anode is in the center and a few centimeters above the ground.

Can you post a photo of your setup?
Or maybe buy a gold membership so that I can PM you?

 

[Florian.]

Can you post a photo of your setup?
Or maybe buy a gold membership so that I can PM you?

I will try to post a photo. First, I have to learn it.

 

[Florian.]

Here you can see the result of the pitting:

 

[DaveDM]

This channel uses mixture of tsp and baking soda.

 

[bflying]

I have never seen results like that. And I can safely say that I've probably made "almost" every mistake in the book over the course of my learning curve.

My first suggestion would be to throw out your electrolyte and start over. Possibly with completely different catalyst. I've used TSP many times, but have actually gotten some of my best results with liquid laundry detergent, and a little baking soda (in distilled water of course). TSP works, but I think in this situation, the easiest solution would be to play a game of elimination. Heck, for the first year or so of my ano education, I simply used 9 Volt batteries and Coca Cola for the electrolyte. Not the best or brightest of colors, but enough to keep my interest to learn and improve.

Depending on results, continue on with change. Maybe change out the steel bowl, and so on. Something is obviously reacting in a very negative way. And counter to just about everyone here that has done anodizing.

Could anything like that happen if the anode/cathode polarity were reversed? Not sure.

 

[bflying]

My results are nowhere close to what the pros around here get. But good enough to keep me intrigued. Here's one of my full spectrum experiments done after getting my power source. Some of my scales such as the Falcon shown below, have been ano'd, stripped, and redone a dozen times, so any pitting would have been compounded many times over.

And a few more, just for fun.

I also suggest using acetone to clean the item before dip. Possibly a Scotchbrite scrubdown under running water before that. And use gloves that don't have powder on them.

 

[bflying]

Here you can see the result of the pitting:

Doh, one more thought. It appears you have belt ground that sample piece with the heavy pitting. Could it be the result of contaminates from the belt and/or buffer prior to ano? Try another piece with the sole purpose of ruling out contamination. Brand new belt, then maybe hand sand with a different product, also new and unused abrasive. Then thorough Scotchbrite scrubbing, acetone, etc. And ano in new electrolyte batch, ensuring water is from new distilled container as tap water contains all sorts of contaminates that may react negatively.

Just spit ballin' here. But that pitting is really a wild end result.

 

[Sharp & Fiery]

Yup...@bflying’s posts are the first things you should look into...non powdered gloves, new solution, acetone wash before hand. Piece must be clean of all contaminations, oil, grease, and any other particals. Make sure you are using distilled water, not tap water.
Thanks for posting the picture.

 

[Florian.]

Could anything like that happen if the anode/cathode polarity were reversed? Not sure.

If the polarity would be reversed, it would not be possible to anodize at all.

 

[Florian.]

My results are nowhere close to what the pros around here get. But good enough to keep me intrigued. Here's one of my full spectrum experiments done after getting my power source. Some of my scales such as the Falcon shown below, have been ano'd, stripped, and redone a dozen times, so any pitting would have been compounded many times over.

And a few more, just for fun.

I also suggest using acetone to clean the item before dip. Possibly a Scotchbrite scrubdown under running water before that. And use gloves that don't have powder on them.

It looks good!
It definitively shows that this power supply should be capable for this job. I think more and more that I have bad luck with my power supply and that it has a problem.

 

[Florian.]

Doh, one more thought. It appears you have belt ground that sample piece with the heavy pitting. Could it be the result of contaminates from the belt and/or buffer prior to ano? Try another piece with the sole purpose of ruling out contamination. Brand new belt, then maybe hand sand with a different product, also new and unused abrasive. Then thorough Scotchbrite scrubbing, acetone, etc. And ano in new electrolyte batch, ensuring water is from new distilled container as tap water contains all sorts of contaminates that may react negatively.

Just spit ballin' here. But that pitting is really a wild end result.

Thank you! These are good ideas.
I just now cleaned the titanium extremely well, so it definitively had nothing left from the sand paper and tried anodizing: Nothing was different. I also did the same with a part that never was sanded: Every thing was the same.
So, abrasives are not the problem.

 

[ice-pic]

The first thing that stands out to me is that stainless bowl.I read that nothing
should come in contact with the electrolyte but titanium.
So a plastic or glass bowl with big piece (lot of surface area) of Ti for the cathode and
Ti wire to dangle your anode (piece to be colored) might solve the problem.