Anodizing Ti knife handles.

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Mar 6, 2008
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Hi Steve,

I was just wondering how much you would charge to anodize a set of Ti JYD II handles? Can you make the bright, shiny, jeweled colors, or would it be darker in color? How much would a job like this cost?

Thank you!

-Michael
 
The anodizing itself is quite fast usually. Its all the prep that takes a bit of time and work. Normally what I would do is disassemble the folder and then cover the detent ball up good to seal it. But since I need to make em bright I'm going to have to etch it too and to do that its best to take the detent ball completely out so I'd have to force that out if possible. I believe it is on that model because on mine they drilled all the way through the lock which is good for when you need to remove one or replace one.

Once out I'd re-bead blast the entire frame all over real good. Then I'd immediately dip them in my etch to clean it up even more. Once that is done then I'd dip them in my baking soda water to neutralize any of that remaining etch and then finally dip them in my bath to crank the voltage to the right place and color them.

There are several shades of blue really. What I've always called the more blue jean blue is the 25.5 volts. 28 is more of a nice deep sky blue, 30 and 32 are more lighter blue and after that you kind of start drifting into the teal or blue green colors up to olive green then gold after that. See this pic here and pic a blue. :D

For all that I don't know. Hows 20 bucks sound to you including shipped?

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=132246&d=1242361214

STR
 
You know while that is here I can really customize it more if you like. How bout some ti stand off spacers in the rear to replace that plastic one. Of course I can anodize those blue too!

I make a pretty good low rider for that model. So I've been told anyways:D so its possible to do one of them and if you want the full treatment I could put a thumb stud on there too. I did that to mine.

Anyway, it all depends on what ya want. Add $10 for the spacers.
$30 for the low rider clip, and $30 for the thumb stud if you want to do that too.
Your call my friend. By the way, half of that fee or actually a bit more for that stud is the carbide drill I'd need to do it. Those are so brittle I charge everyone for one and get them as needed. Just fyi.

STR
 
You know while that is here I can really customize it more if you like. How bout some ti stand off spacers in the rear to replace that plastic one. Of course I can anodize those blue too!

I make a pretty good low rider for that model. So I've been told anyways:D so its possible to do one of them and if you want the full treatment I could put a thumb stud on there too. I did that to mine.

Anyway, it all depends on what ya want. Add $10 for the spacers.
$30 for the low rider clip, and $30 for the thumb stud if you want to do that too.
Your call my friend. By the way, half of that fee or actually a bit more for that stud is the carbide drill I'd need to do it. Those are so brittle I charge everyone for one and get them as needed. Just fyi.

STR

Holy cow Steve, you've given a man WAY too many options to pimp his knife! :eek::D:thumbup: Yes, the price is perfect!

I will definitely send you an email once I see what I like. EDIT: Here are the colors that I like--I have no clue about the voltage, unfortunately.

Emerald Green color:
http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc353/RxEnergy/BM/Skirm/4.jpg

Sapphire blue color:
(inside the drill-out--the deeper blue color): http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb30/jskeltonshopnbc/Knives/March_01013aacopy.jpg and http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb30/jskeltonshopnbc/Knives/March_01037aacopy.jpg

(Inside the drill-outs--deeper blue color): http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m312/hd0642/HPIM0441.jpg

Purple color / purple-gold:
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s145/pkdmslf/Seb-III.jpg
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj303/KeithAM_photo/IMG_0271.jpg

Backspacer this color? http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee11/tjgalyean/PSJYD7.jpg



Just for grins, can you make it multi-colored--as in the holes one color, the flats another color, and the lines yet another? Is this too much work? I have two of these knives and possibly more since my buddies would LOVE to have their anodized as well--group rate?

How much to drill and tap for tip-up carry for one of your amazing lowriders?

Could I get a pic of the thumbstud that you put on yours?

Sorry for all of the questions :eek: For the past month I just couldn't find anyone who was willing to anodize my knife.

Thanks!

-M
 
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Not sure about the dots. I'd have to look closer at my own and see if I have anything that would fit in those to buff them back to bare ti after the first coat and then anodize all the folder again hitting the dots at a lower voltage than that first run. Some would be far easier than all and less time consuming also.

You just never know.

Hmmm pictures? I think I have a scan of it but not a photo per say. I may have to take one but let me look and get back to this thread.

EDIT: Here is mine. Just two is all I found. Oh by the way. This is a Cold Steel clip I just happened to have that had been replaced for a friend of mine. He let me keep this. I actually had it for years before slapping it on this folder. Don't have another. But I do have ambi and single studs.
STR
 

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Oh and I guess you've seen this but just in case. Here is my tip down clip. Can't find a pic of a tip up one yet but I know some are out there. I will take one of my own tomorrow if I don't find one somewhere on my computer by then.

STR
 

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  • JYDII tip down low rider and pry bar.jpg
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Thank you for the photos--I think I'll pass on the thumbstud option for now.

Just to clarify my earlier questions, would you entertain a group rate for multiple knives?

Can you achieve the colors in the links that I posted both for the handle and for the backspacer?

How much for a drill+tap on this knife handle?

I know you're busy, please take your time to reply :)

Have an awesome weekend!

-M
 
If you are buying a clip I can thread it and position it where needed when its purchased. So its $30.

When you say group rate are you talking about mailing everything yourself all in the same box all at once or stragglers coming in at different times? I'm just not sure how to set something up on that. I can try to work with you and of course if there is one place to ship to it will reduce the shipping bill on my end as well as yours if all are mailed together especially if you maximize it by using one of those flat rate mailers for up to 70 pounds and its still $4.95 or whatever priority mail runs. For me printing my own labels its $4.85. Anodizing as I said in my first reply is a lot of nit picky prep work and getting things all set up to be done step by step. I usually as a general rule try to do all the things at the same time and anodize them together too to keep them as close to 'same oxide' level as each other as possible. This seems to help reduce shade difference from one slab to another.

You know all I can do is try on the colors. Sometimes its hard to tell what voltage someone else is playing with and of course not everyone uses the same solution so its going to be slightly different from one to another. Titanium is always individual and unique also. I've seen times where one slab was a slightly different shade than the other one due to slight alloy differences in the two I suspect. And this even though both were done in the exact same way at the exact same voltage at the exact same time. Most of the ti we get is recycled and we really don't know everything about it or what it may actually contain in the way of impurities. Each one will be slightly unique all to itself but usually they are close enough to match up to the naked eye. There have been instances though where I've actually just bead blasted a finish on some that I anodized two or three times trying to match up that were particularly stubborn about matching up at all. Those were before I started using that multi etch though which helped with those kind of issues tremendously even though it added a step in the middle to prep them.

I showed you the link to the pry bars I've done in that one post. I'm comfortable telling you I can get any of those colors and make it look great. I've done some nice bright blues for folks shown here in my forum and other colors and everyone has been very pleased with them. They always look much better in person than they do on my camera shots though. I don't see colors on those I have not been able to get with my set up.

STR
 
I can send you three of the knives at the same time (all Ti JYD SG2's) and you would just have to send them right back to my address so it won't be any more hassle for you--if that's enough for a group rate.

I understand about the variances, I am not a perfectionist :)

Once I have all of the knives ready (and school is out/there is a lull in tests/midterms) I'll send you a PM/email including the above conversation, and we can finalize colors, pocket clips, stand-offs and everything. Let me know if there's anything else I should do to make it easier for you. It'll probably be a month or two before I'm ready--as a ball-park estimate.

Thank you for everything, you've been extremely helpful!

-M
 
I'll need my work order form filled out and printed to be mailed with the knives. Without it with that kind of time in between I'll forget all about this conversation. Find it in the "Read This If You Need To Mail Me Work" thread top the page. Its one of the sticky posts on page one here on my forum.

Thanks
STR
 
Ok, Steve, you convinced me..... my Ti JYD II will be coming in for the full treatment (minus the thumb-stud).....:D.... and, yes, I am familiar with the protocol. :thumbup:
 
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