Do-it-yourself anodizing, electrically!

Dragon1

Dragon1

Joined
Sep 26, 2000
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I'm sure we've all tried anodizing the handles on our BM42s' via heat (lighter/propane torch), but may have run into some problems like being unable to keep the color uniform.

I saw these <A HREF="http://www.rcmodels.com/hamrcclub/howto/anodiznt.htm">instructions on how to anodize titanium</A> posted over at the Chris Reeve forum, and thought I'd share.

Basically you need a couple 9v batteries to provide the electricity, and Clean Shower to use as the solution.
 
Actually that is very cool. I thought something like that would work but never knew the solution to put it in or the voltages. To bad I only have a 42as now.
 
One of the problems with thermal coloring (which is technically not anodization since anodization is, by definition, an eletrical process), is that you can't get all the way up to the blade since you don't want to heat the blade up to much.

Electrical anodization will suffer much the same problem. You must not put the blade in the solution since the blade is steel and will interfer with the chemical reaction (notice the caution they give in this article about not putting the electrical clip in the solution). You can buy clips made for this purpose that are made of Ti and can go into the solution. But, you still fact the problem of not being able to put the blade in. Also, I'm not sure what the pin that holds the latch in is made of. That is probably steel too.

Also, three nine-volt batteries will deliver 25-27V. That's not enough to bring out the full range of colors in Ti. The anodizing voltages for Ti go up to just over 90V. 25-27V will produce some colors, but not the full range in Ti.

Power supplies capable of delivering 90+V at several hundred mA, which is what you'll need for big pieces like the handles from a 42/3/7 are dangerous, especially if you add a conductive liquid to the mix. So, if you give this a try, be careful.

The article I read recommends Spic-And-Span as an excellent solution to anodize Ti in.
 
Oh yes I agree with Chuck in that you must be careful and that you can't do it with the blade but if your willing to sacrifice the warranty (which just by changing it's color they may void it)for it then you could just take it apart and do the entire handles.
 
If anyone is interested, I've done a short tutorial on DIY home Ti anodizing although there's nothing much in mine that wasn't covered in the previously mentioned article. I do however have some photos of the anodizing process "going on", and you can see the end results when done at 2 different voltages. So.. errr... that's that really. ;)
 
Nice article. That's very interesting.

Your cautions are well-placed. These are some pretty hefty looking batteries you've got. That sort of experiment requires caution.

It's neat to see someone playing with this, though.
 
Thanks Chuck, if theres any interest I may make an "advanced" anodizing follow up, and I may even try out some other batteries.

Jay/GuyInBlack
 
Very nice indeed, I'd like to see read more about this process. I also have some Ti screws I may try to anodize myself(don't worry I may be insane but I am cautious). as a little experiment.
 
I'm back from Canada.

I need bigger batteries. Where can I find some? Hey, how many volts do car batteries have?

Also, does the Coke thing mean the same chemical is found in both cleaning products and Coke? Reassuring, isn't it?
 
Car batteries are nominally about 13.5V, and you do NOT want to know what goes into Coke A Cola. The Coke ingredient that is the key to the anodizing process in phosphoric Acid. It's the phosphate that we're after. A lot of cleaning products, especially those sold as good for soap scum, contain Tri Sodium Phosphate, TSP.

The Coke factory in Atlanta probably does not make the Coke you drink. They make a concentrated product called syrup that is sent to your local bottler who mixes it with local tap water, carbonates it, puts it in bottles and cans, and sells it to stores who sell it to you. That syrup is a very corrosive and considered a hazardous material.
 
Kinda off-topic, but is that just one of the myriad number of reasons that drinking too much Coke is bad for you? :D
 
Uh-oh. Maybe I should stop boiling down my Dr. Pepper and drinking the syrup. :) But seriously, Coke syrup was for many years, and still is, sold as a cough medicine. At least I think that's what it's used for. Been a long time since I've had any. Anyway, I don't think the FDA would allow it to be sold as such if it showed evidence of being harmful to humans.
 
No, it's not used as a cough medicine, it is used to quell nausea. Pepsi Syrup will do so as well. Think of it as the exact opposite of Syrup of Ipecac which induces vomiting.

When my Wife was pregnant, she had the Flu so bad, she threw up for about 30 hours, it was horrible. She could take no Tylenol, no Advil, no Aspirin, nothing to stop it.

I kept her hydrated and had to go to several Pharmacies to find Coke Syrup.

It did the trick, within 45 minutes. A teaspoonful does the trick, or, you can pour two teaspoonfuls over one cup of crushed ice and sip it.

It is in no way anything that you would consider a Hazardous Material unless Doctors actively encourage you to stop vomiting with a Hazardous Material.

That is not to say drinking a glass of it is good for you either, I'm sure it is not.

Coke will clean battery terminals, eat the corrosion right off, that's a fact and another interesting tidbit. Hard on the teeth too...
 
Yeah that sounds more like it. I couldn't remember if it was for cough or stomach troubles. Either way, just because it eats at metal doesn't mean it'll hurt organic matter. I know people who drink cider vinegar but I wouldn't get it on my knife.
 
There is a pepsi bottling plant near my house. I know sme of the local cops carry half dilluted syrup for a myriad of reasons.

In case you're going frantic looking for Syrup of CocaCola, do what my dental surgeon told me when he took out my wisdom teeth.

Take a highball glass, big mug, medium bowl basically anything large enough to fill with a decent ammount of cocacola classic (the real coke, not cherry coke, diet coke, caffeine free diet cherry coke....coke) place plenty of ice in this container and pour in however much coke you or the person wants (I prefer using a beer mug half filled with coke and about 3 ice cubes so I dont have to make it so often) Anyway, take this iced down cold coke and stir it till it goes completely flat. You dont need to stir it for more then 2 minutes or so since its only like 16oz. There you go. lots of ice, coke and a spoon is all you need. Helps when you take substantial ammounts of medication too (like 800mg of motrin) and can't eat too well. Its cheaper and more readily available then syrup of coke, and while your wife is drinking a nice mug of flat coke, join her with a refreshing Cap'n Coke (Capt. Morgans rum and coke).
 
Captain Morgan's is good stuff! Haha! Actually, I was walking through a Mall in Maryland back about 1993 and a Lady with a neat little clipboard came up to me and ask me if I wanted to do a taste test.

"Sure, what the hell..."

So, I was part of a national taste test for Bacardi Rum. Apparently for a few years, they were losing some Rum drinkers to Capt. Morgan's and they wanted to develop a Spiced Rum.

So, I had like 6 shots and had to sit their for an hour after and eat a sammich...their rules, had to do with DUI/DWI Liability and whatnot.

Then, they took my contact info, made me sign a waiver that they were not responsible for what they gave me, and they handed me two fifth bottles, clear and unmarked, of the Rum I chose.

It's good stuff too. [Hiccup]

I don't drink at all anymore, but that is a very smooth Rum as well. Much easier and smoother on the downflow than 151 Bacardi! :eek:
 
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