Help with heat anodizing

E

EMcDannell

Joined
Nov 7, 2010
Messages
354
This is what im looking to do to my zt0551: http://www.rickhindererknives.com/wp-content/uploads/wpsc/product_images/Titanium-Flame-Finished.jpg

I've been trying to find info on how to anodize ti but can't seem to find much. So I'm asking the questions here and hoping someone can help me.

Do I need to put anything on the titanium first? I read maybe wd40.

I have a torch and mapp gas. Will that work or is there somthing better?

What is the proper procedure for applying heat? This is really were I'm looking for the most info. I've been trying to find a step by step with info on order of colors and how to get the coloration like on the rick hinderer bead. If any one could provide some our alof this info or some links they've found it would be much appreciated as I can't find anything and rapport don't want to mess up my knife.

Thanks
Eric
 
Last edited:
I use a paper towel to handle/hold the Ti during and after cleaning and use a coat hanger wire to hold it while flaming. I usually clean Ti with 90%a alcohol and then winded.
 
Charlie Mike said:
I use a paper towel to handle/hold the Ti during and after cleaning and use a coat hanger wire to hold it while flaming. I usually clean Ti with 90%a alcohol and then winded.
Click to expand...

cool I figured itd need cleaned first. Do I need to put anything on the ti or just start heating it up?
 
Nothing needed beyond cleaning. MAPPING will work really fast. I use propane for coloring.
 
Sounds good maybe ill get propane instead so I can go slower and not mess anything up. Thanks for the info.
 
Just got my knife back from ZT. Bumping this thread in hopes of some more info before I attempt this. Thanks for looking
 
I flamed my Sage 2 and while heating it popped the detent ball out, be careful around that.
 
woodysone said:
I flamed my Sage 2 and while heating it popped the detent ball out, be careful around that.
Click to expand...

K thanks for the tip ill keep heat away from that area. So what'd you do just heat alittle then take the heat off and see what color you had and repeat until you got what you were after?
 
I have flamed a couple of knives now, can't get consistent colors but the effect lasts pretty well.
 
Hi,

here is how it works.

- first try to get the parts as clean as u can (alcohol, break cleaner, etc)
- mount the parts on a wire or something similar
- start heating up the parts
- always keep moving the flame a bit, so that oxygen can get to the part's surface
- let the parts cool down

And here's the tricky part:

To achieve the coloration of those Hinderer beads you need to quickly heat up a single spot on the part to a certain temperature
and then let it cool down.
The smaller the part is that you want to apply this coloration to,
the hotter the flame has to be and the quicker you have to be.
(The part has to be unevenly heated to form an oxide layer with unevenly thickness / color.)
The coloring process starts when you remove the Flame, and oxygen gets to the heated surface.
So you will simply have to guess for the right moment. :D

Here's a short color/themperature chart:

pale yellow: 700 °F
orange gold: 725 °F
dark bronze: 748 °F
purple: 774 °F
blue-purple: 799 °F
sky blue: 824 °F
cobalt blue: 849 °F
pale blue: 874 °F
bluish green: 900 °F
...

Here is an example:

subcom_anod.jpg
 
Sweet! This is the info I was looking for. Thanks for taking the time to write that up. Much appreciated.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top