How to Electro Plate ?

[electric]

Seeing some of the ways you have pimped your blades looks great!!
I was wondering what it takes to electro plate with Ti ?
I was thinking of trying this on some of my folders. I've seen some blades with Ti coatings on them. I like colors, and can you electro plate stainless and carbon steel.

Could anybody please inform me of the difficulty of using this process on blades and how it comes out.

Some pictures of some of your work would be nice and act as a springboard some ideas for me

Thanks Guys,
Electric

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Titanium coating is not an electroplating process. It is involved, and requires large, expensive equipment.
Nickel, silver, gold, copper can be electroplated at home. www.caswellplating has supplies.

 

[knarfeng]

Titanium coating is not an electroplating process. It is involved, and requires large, expensive equipment.
Nickel, silver, gold, copper can be electroplated at home. www.caswellplating has supplies.

I agree with Bill. The Ti-Nitride coating process is done by vapor deposition and requires vacuum furnace. It is not a process you can perform in the home workshop.

 

[HeavyHanded]

Seeing some of the ways you have pimped your blades looks great!!
I was wondering what it takes to electro plate with Ti ?
I was thinking of trying this on some of my folders. I've seen some blades with Ti coatings on them. I like colors, and can you electro plate stainless and carbon steel.

Could anybody please inform me of the difficulty of using this process on blades and how it comes out.

Some pictures of some of your work would be nice and act as a springboard some ideas for me

Thanks Guys,
Electric

It's a fairly involved process. I used to do some electroplating and electroforming (plating non-metallic items using conductive "paint"). When I first set up my line I used the blade from a completely rusted out and chopped bowie knife I had lying around. The nickel I put on it was extremely tough. I can see where it might be possible to plate a high carbon steel blade, masking off the edge so you could sharpen it without dealing with the nickel. No more rust, but many people have allergic reactions to bare nickel, you'd have to have it chromed. Not worth the effort to do it unless you can make some money on the side.
As a side note, my workplace has done some experimenting with diamond coatings on cutting blades using vapor deposition and lapping the blade on a similarly treated bed knife. The resulting edge was extremely sharp and durable, but did not work for our application. Initial cost was not very high as I recall, but they company that did the work wanted any follow up business it might have generated, and cut us a pretty good deal.