How to color anodize Titanium?

[Fred Sanford]

Hey folks,

I'm looking to anodize a few of the Titanium knife clips I have. Mainly on my Spyderco Salt's. I have looked up quite a bit on Google and a few other places.

It appears that you can color Ti via heat and also via electric and acid (phosphoric acid).

Has anyone here done this and if so how? I really would rather do it with electric instead of heat.

I'm wondering if I could hook up about 5 - 9v batteries in series to get about 50 Volts and color a few clips a bluish color? I guess I have to put a negative electrode or wire in the phosphoric acid (or even cola) and the positive end of the wire onto the clip and dip the clip into the acidic solution. Either that or "paint" on the clip with a metal bristle brush connected to the positive electrical current.

Am I thinking right here? Any comments/suggestions?

Thanks.

 

[STR]

Try looking here Dave. Lots of info.

STR

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=413875&highlight=anodizing

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=387358&highlight=anodizing

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=411363&highlight=anodizing

 

[Fred Sanford]

Steve,

Thanks man. I forgot to search. Sorry about that.

 

[Fred Sanford]

Cool. Check this out.

Here's what I did.

I got 4 - 9v batteries and taped them together. I only ended up using 3 of them and I wired them in series (if you don't know the difference between parallel and series look it up).

I put a Tupperware container with water and about a "heaping" teaspoon of baking soda. I stirred it around to mix it in. Then I took it outside. I hooked up 3 of the 4 9v batteries in series and then I put a piece of titanium into the negative alligator clip and submersed it in the water in the container (Making sure the aligator clip was NOT touching the water).

Then I used a titanium hook I had (from an old clip) to lower the clip fully into the water/baking soda solution. I left it there for about 40 seconds (maybe less) and it was a nice dark blue. I then thought it was too dark so I took it downstairs and sanded it with 600 grit paper until the clip was silver again. Then I anodized it again. Worked perfectly.

I recommend stripping the clip with a paint stripper before hand (like I did) and then anodizing it without sanding it at all. The look mine has is after it was anodized dark blue, then sanded with 250 grit and then 600 grit and then re-anodized. It looked very AWESOME being anodized before any sanding at all.

I was surprised how easy it was. I followed (kinda) the instructions linked below (not mine).
http://aphtyr.avara.net/arts/ano/ano.htm (I think this person is a member of Bladeforums but I am not sure). Thanks for the help regardless!