So I've been wanting to try my hand at heat anodizing titanium for a while. Problem is, I don't have any sort of torch that would work. So I figured I would wait until funds freed themselves and I could try it. However, I noticed something the other day that I thought might work, so I decided to give it a shot. You see, I am an avid shisha smoker, and the coals for it burn pretty hot, but I didn't think they would burn hot enough for anodizing. Until I noticed the pair of tongs I use to handle coals started getting a little tint of color. Lo and behold, my tongs did appear to be anodized slightly. Pics here.
After I noticed that, I decided, what the heck, might as well try it. So I took the clip off my Spyderco Dragonfly Salt, which if I'm not mistaken, is titanium, sprayed it with a bit of WD-40 and set it atop my coals (WD-40 probably isn't the best thing for your lungs, so I would not recommend this. If you do try this, don't say I didn't warn you). I had some writing that needed to be done, so I set about doing that while I let the clip sit on the coals, adjusting it if it fell of and whatnot, and after a while, I decided to check it for color. It wasn't that colored ): So I re-sprayed it and set it atop again, and got back to writing. Well I just finished my writing and checked it again, and it gained a nice subdued goldish tan color. I may try later to get a darker gold, but for now I am pleased with the results. I did not really expect it to work, so I am pleasantly surprised.
Also, as a side-note, I also discovered that the wire clip from the Dragonfly also fits on a Caly 3.5, and the wire clip from the Caly 3.5 fits on the Dragonfly (although now it has a clip half as long as the handle but oh well. I carry the Caly more anyways). I also have the SB sprint of the Caly 3.5 and the subdued gold looks really good with the gray G-10. Clip retention doesn't appear to have been lessened on either, on the Dragonfly it even got better.
Picture time
Not the best pictures, but you get the idea of how it turned out.
So all in all, if you are looking for a way to anodize pocket clips and you happen to have a shisha and coals, fret not for there is a way.
After I noticed that, I decided, what the heck, might as well try it. So I took the clip off my Spyderco Dragonfly Salt, which if I'm not mistaken, is titanium, sprayed it with a bit of WD-40 and set it atop my coals (WD-40 probably isn't the best thing for your lungs, so I would not recommend this. If you do try this, don't say I didn't warn you). I had some writing that needed to be done, so I set about doing that while I let the clip sit on the coals, adjusting it if it fell of and whatnot, and after a while, I decided to check it for color. It wasn't that colored ): So I re-sprayed it and set it atop again, and got back to writing. Well I just finished my writing and checked it again, and it gained a nice subdued goldish tan color. I may try later to get a darker gold, but for now I am pleased with the results. I did not really expect it to work, so I am pleasantly surprised.
Also, as a side-note, I also discovered that the wire clip from the Dragonfly also fits on a Caly 3.5, and the wire clip from the Caly 3.5 fits on the Dragonfly (although now it has a clip half as long as the handle but oh well. I carry the Caly more anyways). I also have the SB sprint of the Caly 3.5 and the subdued gold looks really good with the gray G-10. Clip retention doesn't appear to have been lessened on either, on the Dragonfly it even got better.
Picture time
Not the best pictures, but you get the idea of how it turned out.
So all in all, if you are looking for a way to anodize pocket clips and you happen to have a shisha and coals, fret not for there is a way.