Colored Ti

This is my first try at coloring Ti I need more power for the darker colors.





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C

I am not sure you need more power for the darker colors. Starting at a lower voltage, you should have been able to go first to a gold then bronze then dark purple before a dark blue which then lightens and transists into a gold green then into gold and then into a bright purple.........

A lot depends on the oxide layer already present on the metal and your anodize solution; as well as the power and voltage. Funstuff!!

We need bigger pics!

Did you use heat to color it or anodising to obtain the color?

I have had Ti parts anodised and I think it looks MUCH better then anodised Aluminium. It retain the polished finishing with colors added! Not too sure if it is as durable as hard anodised aluminium though.

I made larger pics available.

I used my 20 v 1.5 amp power supply and lemon juice. I could get it to flow around 400ma and it went straight to purple in about 1 min.
gonna play some more tonite it must be very very clean to color evenly.
C

Sounds strange.

So the result is anodised ti? Meaning a layer of oxide metal? That can scratch? How hard is it? And is there a difference for the colors?

bernie

P.S.: ti is new ... a new frontier ... all exciting!

Hehe.. Bernie, try with your McLux III-T and tell us the result
No frankly, I love the TI's natural color and I don't want to colorized it

Yea Pascal ... love the nat ti , too ... but the future might hold many options ... and once ti becomes more common around here we might be interested in such things.
If it performs ...
bernie

Ti andodizing.

Apparently it depends on voltage as well, although like Don said, the darker colors appear first...

Nice work, Christoph. That's a pleasant royal looking color.

A somewhat talented garage flashlight hack, Don McSomethingorother, did some Ti coloring seen on his site. Look at the clip in the second to last photo.

Ti clip

How durable is this ti anodising?

Bernhard,
Ti oxide is rather hard as it goes but the anodize film is very thin!! Think at molecular level!! Consequently, it can abrade off. I think the most effective use of coloring the Ti is when it is in a area of limited contact with abrasive surfaces. Carvings and etchings in relief or other sub primary surface surfaces are best, me thinks. I have a Boker ceramic/ titanium knife and there are some milled pockets which are anodized wheras the main surface is raw. With enough voltage and power, you can build the clear oxide film up and supposedly repeat through the colors a second time. I would guess that this heaver oxide film would be a more durable shell. With my equipment, If I pump up the voltage to 110 V, I get a marbled gray color that is sort of irridescent and seemingly rather hard! It takes some work with abrasive tools to cut through it and get down to "fresh" metal. When a Ti alloy like 6-4 is heat treated to boost its tensile and hardness way up there, it seems to get a hard surface but will typically not take to anodizing as it is already oxidized I think. :shrug:

There is a cool looking McLuxIII-T out there now and perhaps the owner/ artist will share some photos of it with us! I have an idea I want to visit with a battery tube but don't know about the time or likely success. :green: Maybe I'll give it a shot later.....

irridecent marbled gray sounds cool!

Don, do you have a pic of the marbeled grey irridesent object somewhere?
Sounds interesting...

Also, is it really nescessary to have a Ti cathode?

Hi Guys....

Here`s another vote of support for the natural color of machined titanium.

I appreciate the fact that a good number of folks may like to have their Ti flashlights and/or parts thereof anodized to achieve a different color. Variety is certainly a good thing in life. So, if anodized Ti floats your boat, well....go for it!

But, having said that, one of the things that I like the best about Don`s McLux III-T flashlight is the deep and extremely rich-looking natural color of the machined titanium. The pictures on the CPF just don`t do it justice. You really have to see it in person to truly appreciate its beauty.

The McLux III-T is now a permanent part of my EDC. Every time I pull it out of my pocket to use it, though, I still find myself first gazing at it for a second or two....still marveling at the magic of its natural luster.



Just my two cents.

Most importantly, best wishes to all!

Here are some more pics I am learning the different colors and voltages now this is cool.





my tank

Chris...

I really have to admit, you DO do good work!

:thumbsup:

Thanks Carpe I really like the way different textures get iridescent (sp) highlights to them.Now if I had any artistic talent:naughty: .I'm trying for the blue that Peter A did on his. As this is a thin layer it will wear off on the high points and will show age and use. I will post some more pics as mine aquires this patina.I like this look on my PD because the bare Ti kinda drew the eyes to it's edges which may not be a good thing at times(security checkpoints)This makes it blend in a little.jmho
C

Nice pics! Love the iridescent effect of anodised Ti too! Of course, I too like the looks of bare Ti. But if you have a few Ti light, why not have them done differently.

Here is a pic of a Ti part that I've anodised. Notice the high reflectivity of the anodised surface. Anodised Aluminium will never archieve that kind of shine.

WOW ! oo:
I think we have exciting new territories ahead of us once more ...
bernie

Higher polish will get more solid colors.:wow: