How to Blackwash Titanium

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100hours

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Oct 23, 2013
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Does anyone have any ideas on how to properly blackwash titanium? Specifically grade 5 (6AL4V). I have the stonewashing part down, it's just the pre - darkening of the metal that is a challenge. I have tried etching the surface using a Martronics marking device which makes it near black, but it all seems to get rubbed off during the stonewashing/tumbling. I have also tried the torch method but that can produce spotty results and difficult to prevent other colors like blues from appearing, which throws off the whole look.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.
 
I am a novice in the knife modifications but you can always dunk it in some PCB etchent and leave it for a good 30 minutes (or just check periodically till you get the desired darkness) if you do go this route, wear some gloves or just don't let it get on your skin. Also, you can get a mason jar, do half etchent solution and half water. Did this to a Ontario rat 2 blade, turned out pretty neat though I don't know if titanium would take
 
I'm not an expert in the matter, but it looks to me that when ZT black wahshes their knives they coat it then stonewashed it. I don't think they turn the steel or Ti black by chemical means like an etchant. Would it work to Cerakote it then put it in a stonewasher?
 
You might try to anodize then tumble it. You won't get black though.

Titanium is very corrosion resistant. The most common corrosive acid for ti is hydrofluoric acid, probably not something you have around. Additionally, I'm not sure the AlTi alloy you have corrodes black in HF anyways.

I would just coat it. The most similar (in results) coating to anodizing that will do black is PVD coating, not something you could do yourself.

You best best for what you could do at home would be nitriding the ti. Perhaps by heating it intensely in a HT oven while under a stream of nitrogen?
 
Oxy-clean in hot/boiling water will make it dark gray. It's on the interwebz, so it's true!
 
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