Anodizing vs. Heat Coloring Titanium

Peter Atwood

Peter Atwood

Joined
Oct 26, 2000
Messages
2,468
I've been meaning to ask what the general concensus is on this subject. My own experience has been that heat coloring is more durable. It seems to be a little deeper in the metal whereas the anodizing is a very thin surface treatment which wears easily.

It would seem like anodizing would allow for more precise control of colors and would eliminate the possibility of heat warpage. Heat coloring doesn't require fancy equipment though. What have others experienced?

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Peter Atwood

email:fountainman@hotmail.com
 
Peter, I have found also that heat coloring is more durable, but its not repeatable...

You can also electro anodize peices of different sizes and get the exact same color (theoretically) on them at the same voltages..

So I think the only benefit of heat coloring is durability, it lacks in control and consistancy... It much easier to adjust 2-3 volts than it is to maintain 2-3 degrees consistant...

Alan...



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If a Man talks in the forest, and there is no Woman around to hear him, is he still wrong?
 
Alan hit the nail on the head.

I have done some heat coloring on commercially pure Titanium. It does seem more durable than anodising. The big drawback is that you can't control what colors you get. You have to get some high heat in order to get the blue colors and it is almost impossible to get consistent color thruout the entire piece. Your best bet is to place your Ti pieces on a refractory brick and heat them slowly by moving the torch back and forth. Still, you can only control it so much.

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Barry
Jones Knives
"NEW Knives"
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"For DUTY and HUMANITY!"
Curly, Moe, & Larry
 
Hmmm, heat coloring titanium.. I didn't know you could do this and make it last. If you use a small torch like the little butane kind, would it be possible to get a tidied effect, colors swirled into one another???

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Take care!! Michael

Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!
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Buzzards gotta eat, same as worms!!!
 
You can go to:

www.reactivemetals.com

and learn a lot about anodizing titanium.

Since the color depends solely upon the thickness of the oxide creating the effect, I find it interesting that heat would have a significant advantage over electronically anodizing titanium. Maybe it's because the moisture is removed from the metal as it is heated?

I do know that trying to get a consistant color on a piece of titanium that has holes, grooves, or other thin sections is impossible when using heat to obtain color.

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Tom Anderson
Hand Crafted Knives
 
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