Blubenza

Maprik

Maprik

Joined
May 17, 2012
Messages
2,779
Well, I had to try it. It was bugging me. So I spent a couple hours tonight working on the Blue anodizing. I don't know why but it's not easy to do. At 25.5 V I only got blusih splotches on the handle but it was still mostly bronze. I decided to try a highly polished scotch brite finish so I scotch brited and then I cranked the anodizer up to 28V and got a kind of splotchy baby blue. NOT uniform at all. I figured I must not have cleaned the handles well enough so I washed them thoroughly wearing rubber gloves and then dipped them in acetone and dried them and them cranked it up to 29.9V (the max my variac will do) and the blue was better. More uniform. But I prefer the stonewashed look so I threw the handles into the stonewasher and then carefully cleaned and re-anodized and this is what I've got. It's a far cry from the electric blue of the thumbstud. I wonder if that is only possible with a high voltage blue? Still, the blue is cool. It has different shades and hues depending on the direction of the light. I'm going to leave it this way for a while and see how I like it. I still like the bronze though. I may have to buy another Seb and have one just for experimentation. I may have to dish out the bucks for a variac that goes to 110V...:grumpy:

I would like to achieve the same blue as the thumbstud...


Blubenza 1 by GermoneGold, on Flickr


bluebenza 2 by GermoneGold, on Flickr


blubenza 3 by GermoneGold, on Flickr
 
I think that looks pretty sweet to begin with! In the last picture it almost looks like you achieved the color. Well at least from my screen it looks like you did lol. But good job! :D
 
the only way to get the exact color from the thumb stud is to polish the handle scales (almost to a mirror) before anodizing. Also, you said you had splotches once you anodized the handles. Remember to fully degrease everything before anodizing.

It seems you have already figured out you needed to clean it before anodizing but Ive used windex to degrease with great success (you might want to try it) Also, If you have the chance ask Chris what voltage his thumbstuds are anodized at, That way you know for sure you have the voltage down.

Keep it up and you have the colors you want in no time at all :thumbup:
 
I think it looks great! Reminds me of a pair of my favorite well worn pair of jeans. I would happily carry a knife like that, it looks awesome!
 
Awesome work man and it's pretty cool you can just keep changing it so it never gets old.
 
wolf5391 said:
the only way to get the exact color from the thumb stud is to polish the handle scales (almost to a mirror) before anodizing. Also, you said you had splotches once you anodized the handles. Remember to fully degrease everything before anodizing.

It seems you have already figured out you needed to clean it before anodizing but Ive used windex to degrease with great success (you might want to try it) Also, If you have the chance ask Chris what voltage his thumbstuds are anodized at, That way you know for sure you have the voltage down.

Keep it up and you have the colors you want in no time at all :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice on degreasing. I will try again and be more careful with this!
 
Another problem I am having is that the oil from my fingers changes the color of the blue drastically. Fingerprint city. This is not so noticeable with the bronze coloring because the change in color from the oil is kind of a darker "graying" of the color. I wonder if higher voltage anodizing solves this issue? I am going to ask the manufacturers of blue Ti handles for their advice.
 
Maprik said:
Another problem I am having is that the oil from my fingers changes the color of the blue drastically. Fingerprint city. This is not so noticeable with the bronze coloring because the change in color from the oil is kind of a darker "graying" of the color. I wonder if higher voltage anodizing solves this issue? I am going to ask the manufacturers of blue Ti handles for their advice.
Click to expand...

fingers prints in the anodizing is probably the #1 problem people have when starting out, that and having a system that holds voltage consistently. My advice is powder free latex gloves after de-greasing to prevent oils or prints messing with the overall finish.

also, people think that if they anodized TI, it can only be done once and the color is stuck on there knife forever.

If the wrong color is achieved buff the color off and degrease and repeat anodizing till the color that you are looking for is achieved.

Anodizing is very forgiving.:thumbup:

I remember my first attempt on heat anodizing took me three times to get right.

Its not a sebenza but you get the idea I anodized the clip and got a very nice range of colors.

DSCN1498.jpg
 
If I pursue the blue I think my little home brew system will have to go. Prep and pre-etching with Micro etch is probably necessary. A better Variac then my little $40 chinese job is probably equally as important. Anodizing is a lot of fun, I'm just realizing that a professional quality job is not an easy feat!!!! Bronze is easy because the color is very forgiving. At the moment I have returned my Seb to it's original state. The blubenza is no more until I develop a better system and I'm not sure that I want to go there... It's been a fun learning experience though for sure!
 
wolf5391 said:
fingers prints in the anodizing is probably the #1 problem people have when starting out, that and having a system that holds voltage consistently. My advice is powder free latex gloves after de-greasing to prevent oils or prints messing with the overall finish.

also, people think that if they anodized TI, it can only be done once and the color is stuck on there knife forever.

If the wrong color is achieved buff the color off and degrease and repeat anodizing till the color that you are looking for is achieved.

Anodizing is very forgiving.:thumbup:

I remember my first attempt on heat anodizing took me three times to get right.

Its not a sebenza but you get the idea I anodized the clip and got a very nice range of colors.

DSCN1498.jpg
Click to expand...

THAT is VERY cool.
 
Maprik said:
Another problem I am having is that the oil from my fingers changes the color of the blue drastically. Fingerprint city. This is not so noticeable with the bronze coloring because the change in color from the oil is kind of a darker "graying" of the color. I wonder if higher voltage anodizing solves this issue? I am going to ask the manufacturers of blue Ti handles for their advice.
Click to expand...

I think it's surface finish that affects it. My blue Seb with the factory sand blast doesn't change colors from prints/grease, but my BM 940-121 with the same blue anodizing with polished finish shows prints and appears to change colors due to it.
 
kreole said:
I think it's surface finish that affects it. My blue Seb with the factory sand blast doesn't change colors from prints/grease, but my BM 940-121 with the same blue anodizing with polished finish shows prints and appears to change colors due to it.
Click to expand...

Perhaps the sand blasted surface with it's microscopic pits doesn't allow the prints/grease to get down into the colors as much? A polished finish will for sure be a fingerprint magnet. The color changing due to the oil is also a major drawback unless you are looking for a kind of multicolored look. Did you do your blue Seb at the lower blue Voltage or the Higher blue voltage?
 
I'm glad to read about your experimentation, and your results are equally interesting. Good for you.
Sonny
 
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