help 'torching' handles

Metis

Metis

Joined
Feb 18, 1999
Messages
742
hey there,

i really liked the look of the the thermally oxidized handles and hoped someone could give me a quick how to.

i'm assuming you're using a propane torch. are you leaving the handles on? does the Ti go through a range of colors and you just stop when you like it, or do you just get random results? how long to heat, etc.

thanks for any help.

be well,

rob
 
Yes, we used a propane torch, no you don't need to take off the handles. What I did was put 2 rods throught the small holes that are closest to the blade and suspended the bali blade first into a full bucket of very cold water (ice water), this prevented the heat from damaging the blade. I lit up the torch and just started at the end of my 42 until it started to change, there is a list of colors that it goes through, mmtmatrix knows the order, the colors aren't random. You cannot acheive black or white since they are not colors and you can't get red, I don't know what other colors you can't get but hopefully someone here does.

It is very hard to get one even color across the bali unless you take the handles off and place them into a furnace (one in a metal shop, not the furnace in your house
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), when you finish torching them make sure you dip the bali into water (don't worry it won't hurt anything) very quickly. Check out my photopoint album for pics of my personally thermally oxidizedally 42
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.

EDIT: BTW, you can get to my photopoint album by clicking on "My Photopoint Album" in my signature
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.

------------------
Cameron

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"Look deep, deep inside and you will find a place of anger, vengeance, and brutality. Go there. It is your last hope to conquer the truly wicked."
uriel.gif

A few of my balisongs
My Photopoint album

[This message has been edited by BalisongMan (edited 11-27-2000).]
 
thanks,

doesn't sound too bad. just have to get the courage up now
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.

rob
 
"Go Rob Go!!! Go Rob Go !!! Go Rob Go!!!"

ahhh...can't...take...the....pressure.....ahhh..

heh,heh. we'll see. my '42 aught to be here next week. now if i can only put it down long enough, hmmm.....

rob
 
It's not hard at all, just kinda nerve racking when a $100+ knife turns red hot because you are holding a propane torch to it so you can get colors.
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Good luck, you'll do fine!

BTW, it does NOT void the warranty.
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------------------
Cameron

011.gif
"Look deep, deep inside and you will find a place of anger, vengeance, and brutality. Go there. It is your last hope to conquer the truly wicked."
uriel.gif

A few of my balisongs
My Photopoint album
 
Don't worry about the blade. You're not gonna get it anywhere near hot enough to affect it. Just keep it out of the flame.

The process is totally uncontrolled. The colors you get will be random.

Have a container of water handy to quence each handle in as it reaches a color combination you like.

Don't try and get more than about 3/4 of the way to the blade.

There is, BTW, no risk that a typical propane touch is gonna heat the Ti handles up enough to do any sort of dammage. So, just go to it.


------------------
Chuck
Balisongs -- because it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!
http://www.balisongcollector.com
 
Just curious, why would one torch their handles to achieve results like the one BalisongMan did (looking at his photopoint album under benchmade knives). Maybe if *one* consistent color throughout the handles could be achieved, it might be interesting. But, based on the results of BalisongMan's torching, the 42 now just looks like old rusted junk. Sorry, hope to not offend :|

-Howdy

 
I have access to a potery kiln. Could I hypothetically set it to the temperature that will obtain the color that I want, put the knife in the kiln for like 5-10 minutes untill it reaches that temp, then remove it and dunk it in water quickly? Would this give a more even color. Would it mess up the blade or anything?

Also, is there anyway to anodize the knife myself my running current through it?
 
Also, is there anyway to anodize the knife myself my running current through it?

someone could probably help you on one of the knife maker forums. i met a guy last summer in my medieval combat group that makes Ti coronets of rank, he had a strip of Ti where the color changed every inch, so a customer could pick out the one they wanted. unfortunately i haven't seen him since. but he said 'all you have to do is control the voltage'. now you just have to find out the voltage for specific colors. i've seen him do green, blue, gold/yellow and purple.

Cpt.- i don't mind the 'mixed' color effect, i just think the plain handles look awful 'sterile', no personality.

take care,

rob
 
Before you can use a kiln or electrochemical anodization, you must disassemble the knife. The temper of the blade would be destroyed in a kiln and the steel in the blade would mess up electrochemical anodization. So far, we don't have a good way to take 'em apart and put 'em back together again.



------------------
Chuck
Balisongs -- because it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!
http://www.balisongcollector.com
 
One thing that Chuck Gollnick pointed out that really helps is making sure the handles are clean before your torch it. Imperfections in the color will result if your don't clean it first. One more pointer is to start at the bottom, heat rises, it just makes things easier.
 
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