Anodizing Titanium

[Etherealicer]

I presume most people have seen the Blade HQ on anodizing titanium video.


Tried it out with the batteries and got pretty inconsistent results (sadly no picture, but already the 3rd item was golden, not blue) and considering 9V batteries are expensive around here I decided to get a power supply. Taking out my dremel, and some polishing paste I cleaned the anodization off the scales and started over.

First, I tried on some carabines, without cleaning, and it worked pretty well. Then using the polished and cleaned 91mm Ti Scales I re did it. Very happy with the result. Plan on anodizing some more goodies.

[Vidar]

Very nice! 

I haven't seen that Blade video but I guess I will now.

I've never tried anodizing titanium, but I've had some go at aluminium. I remember cleaning being a mess. (I also discovered that aluminium alloys containing silicon (4xxx series) ended up black/ grey after anodizing so those are better avoided - unless you want black/ grey of course).

[zoidberg]

Nice power supply!

My first thought was I don't have anything titanium to anodize.
Then I realized I was drinking coffee out of a titanium camping cup.
I'll send it over yeah, blue please.

Soooo... you going to colour the Anthem?

[Etherealicer]

Very nice! 

I haven't seen that Blade video but I guess I will now.

I've never tried anodizing titanium, but I've had some go at aluminium. I remember cleaning being a mess. (I also discovered that aluminium alloys containing silicon (4xxx series) ended up black/ grey after anodizing so those are better avoided - unless you want black/ grey of course).

baking soda and distilled water... nothing fancy. Seriously, the hardest part is cleaning the titanium and of course taping the electrode to the titanium piece while wearing gloves.

[Mechanickal]

And a Charge TTI in a nice blue color too.
My Bugout scales,
CRK thumb stud...

[Etherealicer]

Nice power supply!

My first thought was I don't have anything titanium to anodize.
Then I realized I was drinking coffee out of a titanium camping cup.
I'll send it over yeah, blue please.

Feel free to send it, but shipping is probably gonna kill that idea. I recommend you do it yourself. It is really easy.

Soooo... you going to colour the Anthem?

I might... will try out the clip, see what I have to do so it takes color. Imagine an Anthem in sweet blue
But first is my Boker Brad Zinker FR (I have to work my way up).

[Mechanickal]

The video does seem to show it's fairly simple...
Interesting!

[Etherealicer]

And a Charge TTI in a nice blue color too.
My Bugout scales,
CRK thumb stud...

Didn't think of that, will put it on my list.
But I also plan on doing a pill-case and put it on the key-chain as a durability test. I think it won't be too durable as you can polish it of, though.

[Mechanickal]

I was thinking the same thing.
But reapplying wouldn't be too hard either I guess...
Right?

[Etherealicer]

I was thinking the same thing.
But reapplying wouldn't be too hard either I guess...
Right?

No, it's not. I already did it to the SAK scales. Used my Dremel and polishing paste.
Still, curious to see how lasting it is.

[Mechanickal]

[zoidberg]

Feel free to send it, but shipping is probably gonna kill that idea.

I was just being silly.      

[GearedForwards]

Very nice! I've done the 9volt batteries in series before and anodised my Boker Access tool and the presentation scale on my Techno, I've also got quite a few Ti scaled knives ano'd by others. In terms of how it lasts, very well as long as you don't scratch it. It'll dull fairly quickly as you handle it, but that's just the natural oils in your hands coating it, you can rejuvinate the colour quickly and easily with a bit of window cleaner (like Windex for any Americans) to remove the oil, I imagine other solvents like isopropyl alcohol would work too.

My ano'd small Sebenza highlights wear nicely (part of the loock is due to the Ti being blasted not polished, so you get a muted colour instead of shiny):



If you look at the lock bar closely you can see the original colour where my thumb doesn't reach onto the bar:



It's a fun home project, especially with all the time we have on our hands at the moment 

[Etherealicer]

Very nice! I've done the 9volt batteries in series before and anodised my Boker Access tool and the presentation scale on my Techno, I've also got quite a few Ti scaled knives ano'd by others. In terms of how it lasts, very well as long as you don't scratch it. It'll dull fairly quickly as you handle it, but that's just the natural oils in your hands coating it, you can rejuvinate the colour quickly and easily with a bit of window cleaner (like Windex for any Americans) to remove the oil, I imagine other solvents like isopropyl alcohol would work too.

My ano'd small Sebenza highlights wear nicely (part of the loock is due to the Ti being blasted not polished, so you get a muted colour instead of shiny):

If you look at the lock bar closely you can see the original colour where my thumb doesn't reach onto the bar:

It's a fun home project, especially with all the time we have on our hands at the moment 

Nice. How much do you use that knife, I see even the thumb-stud color has come off.
But yeah, I suspect it will not last terribly long, but it can easily be re-applied.

[GearedForwards]

Nice. How much do you use that knife, I see even the thumb-stud color has come off.
But yeah, I suspect it will not last terribly long, but it can easily be re-applied.

It's seen a lot of use, I've owned it for 6 years now I think. It saw more use in the past, I'm a bit more hesistant to sharpen my more expensive knives just because my sharpening jobs tend to not look pretty. I had another the same model and did a contrasting ano job on it: where as this one is whole blue with stock clip, the other was polished show side (so it was a very very shiny almost mirror like blue) and blue clip (left blasted so muted) with the lock side still grey. I had to sell that one but I plan to pick another up in future and replicate it.

[Etherealicer]

It's seen a lot of use, I've owned it for 6 years now I think. It saw more use in the past, I'm a bit more hesistant to sharpen my more expensive knives just because my sharpening jobs tend to not look pretty. I had another the same model and did a contrasting ano job on it: where as this one is whole blue with stock clip, the other was polished show side (so it was a very very shiny almost mirror like blue) and blue clip (left blasted so muted) with the lock side still grey. I had to sell that one but I plan to pick another up in future and replicate it.

That sounds like a cool combination. I actually like the "quiet" dull blue you get with the rougher Ti.

Tonight, if all goes according to plan, I will anodize my Boker and a keychain-pill-case (this one is really shiny to begin with). Those two should give me good data on pocket-/usage- wear. Wait... that means... oh no... I will have to leave my Anthem at home and carry that old Boker

[GearedForwards]

That sounds like a cool combination. I actually like the "quiet" dull blue you get with the rougher Ti.

Tonight, if all goes according to plan, I will anodize my Boker and a keychain-pill-case (this one is really shiny to begin with). Those two should give me good data on pocket-/usage- wear. Wait... that means... oh no... I will have to leave my Anthem at home and carry that old Boker

A victory for Bokers everywhere! *waves Exskelibur around*

Make sure to post pics! I do love me some Titanium...

[Etherealicer]

Round 3: More goodies & PRO TIP

Once you have the workings set up, it is actually quite quick and easy. I anodized some 58mm scales for my Rambler, a pill case (shiny). I also anodized the NTK10, to test a large piece. Turned out it works as well, though it took a bit longer. Also, the NTK10 did not fit in my anodizing solution, so I did it in 2 goes. Works really well. This led to my discovery, that you actually can simply hold your wire to your piece, dip it in, turn it around and dip it again. As a result, the electrode is never in the solution, which will help especially if you use batteries.

P.S.: turns out, the clip on the NTK10 is not titanium. Oh and I forgot to anodize the button.

[Etherealicer]

Boker Brad Zinker FR... before and after, difficult assembly.
Love this knife and it turned out so gorgeous

[GearedForwards]

Hey they came out great! Are you going to tinker with other ano shades as well or sticking with blue for now?

And where do you pick up premade Ti SAK scaled like that? Do they just snap on like the stock scales?

[Etherealicer]

Hey they came out great! Are you going to tinker with other ano shades as well or sticking with blue for now?

And where do you pick up premade Ti SAK scaled like that? Do they just snap on like the stock scales?

Mine did snap on, got them from Swiss Bianco Canada.
I gonna stick to blue, my power supply does not go higher than 36V.

[pfrsantos]

Boker Brad Zinker FR... before and after, difficult assembly.
Love this knife and it turned out so gorgeous

Seems someone has got a new hobby.

 

Those look great!

 

[Etherealicer]

Seems someone has got a new hobby.

 

Those look great!

 

And too much Titanium junk...

[Etherealicer]

Small update on the Capsule... it got spotty within a week, not sure if this is the result of poor cleaning before the anodizing, or scratching. So, I will have to re do it.

P.S.: The Boker still looks like on the first day, as it rides in its own pocket.

[Etherealicer]

Oh boy, I might carry an LM again... as Mechanickal suggested, I did the Charge TTi and it turned out 

[Etherealicer]

Finally, I took my first step towards a Benchmade Anthem in BLUE... turned out really nice (though I still have a hard time wrapping my head around what Benchmade was thinking when they chose that clip-attachment).
I do have a custom clip incoming and decided the project is a go. Next step is trying to figure out, how to take the axis-bar out, without damaging it.

[pietervn]

Oh boy, I might carry an LM again... as Mechanickal suggested, I did the Charge TTi and it turned out

That is absolutely beautiful!!!

Pete

[Mechanickal]

That TTI is absolutely stunning!!

[RF52]

Oh boy, I might carry an LM again... as Mechanickal suggested, I did the Charge TTi and it turned out 

Purdy!

Sent fra min FRD-L09 via Tapatalk

[Etherealicer]

Thanks guys, yes it really turned out pretty. And was probably loads cheaper than the official lighter blue one and certainly cheaper than the Charge AL SHINOLA (maybe I should put black tools in mine ).