DIY titanium anodization?

K

kel_aa

Joined
Oct 1, 2004
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How do you guys think a black G10 scales folder would look if the liner was anodized, coming out some sort of blue color?

I'm asking because I saw a DIY Ti anodization is possible in the August issue of Popular Science, also viewable on the web:

http://www.popsci.com/popsci/how2/article/0,20967,1076497,00.html

The experimenter is Theodore Gray, whom I believe to be knowledagable enough. I am quite confident that this procedure will not be corrosive or damaging, and that it might be removable with some polishing/brushing.

So it is on the cosmetic issue I ask. What do you others think, especially those with sometime like AFCK, Stryker, or what not.
 
Cool link, I think I'd practice on some scraps before I tried a knife. I can see the rednecks trying it with car batteries. "A rednecks famous last words: "Hey ya'll, watch this!"
 
I have a BM 690 that has a Carbon Fiber Bolster and a beautiful Wood Handle. The liner is Titanium that is a purplish color which is very striking. Possibly it was anodized and it does give the knife a very nice look.
 
I've done it using 9volt batteries. Problem is it is a pain wrestling all the wires and making the clips stay on the battery terminals.

It works pretty good using Diet Coke if you link three batteries in series and dunk the part you want colored instead of using a towel. I can see the towel coming in handy for just a pattern. The link doesn't go into the details of how to hook up the batteries very well. You have to do them in series. Positive from the first battery, to negative on the second battery to positive on the third. Then you hook up the negative to the scrap piece of titanium and the positive to the piece you want to color.

Dunk them in the coke liguid and watch it bubble. Always wear safety glasses and it is best to put on some rubber gloves too. Ideally you should have a hook to hold the clip or folder body or whatever part you are coloring made of a non corrosive metal also so your alligator clip doesn't get into the coke.

But you can get away with doing it one side and flipping it around to do the other. Your scrap piece of ti should be submerged about the same depth as the piece you color according to the guy that showed me how to do it. I was just about to buy an anodizer before I learned that you can do this very easily with just some simple tools around the house.

Doing it like this link showed is going to be the long way if you want to do say a whole folder liner set or pocket clips. I would guess you will actually have to place the wet towel on the titanium and run the alligator clip all up and down where you want it to color the metal. I have trouble believing that just clipping to the wet towel is going to do much at all. For faster results just dip it and a scrap piece of titanium in coke like described above.

Also for the best results you really want to make sure that your metal you plan to color is clean of all oils and that you have it finished as you want. Any residue or body oils from your fingers and anything else will screw up the results. It is also true that if you are going to want two pieces to look the same you are better off doing them at the same time. Results can vary from piece to piece from coke bottle to coke bottle. Check your batteries with your bare hands now and then to see if one or all are getting hot. If they are getting real hot it is time for new ones before you continue. Don't risk blowing them up.

Three batteries in series makes the metal a nice purple color. Two is kind of rust colored and one doesn't seem to do much at all IMO.

Here are a couple of pics after and before of my Spyderco Salt 1 upgrade I made for myself and the titanium clip I made and then anodized using the method for 9 volt batteries in series as described in the link above only I dunked the clip instead of the towel method.
 
Welcome to Bladeforums! I'll move this thread to Shop Talk for you -- that's where the knifemakers hang out.
ThreadMoving.jpg
 
Okay, thanks for the hints everyone. I'm going to try it on the only piece of titanium I have (besides some in my body), which are the liners on a 800 AFCK. It'll be my tactically [un]tasteful folder. I'll post a pic when I can.
 
This really baffles me..... I was thinking about getting an anodizer... Whew!!!

I think that I am going to try this for the first time.... this upcoming week. thanks....

Daniel


thinking more.... how about the large flashlight battery??????
 
Hi STR,

Great writeup about the Coke. You did this all without a voltage adjustable power supply?

How long did you let the items 'bubble'?

I tried to replicate your experiment using around 27v worth of batts but they coke doesn't draw enough current from the batts at all. I'm getting like 100ma current in the coke only. Are the 2 parts supposed to contact in the coke ala short circuit? That puts extreme load on batts way beyond their recommended load.

Am doing to try it again with diet coke, but not sure if that makes any difference...

Any more tips welcomed!! :D
 
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