# Bling it up!



## I-S (Jul 8, 2005)

Ok... Some would consider Ti bolts to be mountain biking's "bling".

But I decided that they weren't bling enough. So, with a few household goodies...










Anodised Ti.


----------



## I-S (Jul 8, 2005)

Different colour:


----------



## jean-seb (Jan 15, 2004)

*the first question...*

...that comes to mind is; what did you use ?? 

I can't imagine what household goodies you could use to anodise titanium.

Let us know ?

Thanks,
Jean-Sebastien


----------



## jean-seb (Jan 15, 2004)

Propane torch ???
maybe...


----------



## I-S (Jul 8, 2005)

Simple... some sort of suitable electrolyte (coca-cola!!!), some tin-foil, and I used my lab bench PSU but you could use batteries. Voltage controls colour. That's 28 volt blue and 22 volt purple/gold.


----------



## jean-seb (Jan 15, 2004)

Isaac Sibson said:


> Simple... some sort of suitable electrolyte (coca-cola!!!), some tin-foil, and I used my lab bench PSU but you could use batteries. Voltage controls colour. That's 28 volt blue and 22 volt purple/gold.


interesting... 

where does the tin-foil go ? you just dip it in the electrolyte ?

Thanks for coming up with that technique !

Jean-Sebastien


----------



## I-S (Jul 8, 2005)

I didn't invent it... It's pretty widely written up on the web. Tin foil forms the cathode (I got best results lining a cup completely with it) and the Ti is the Anode

I think better electrolyte solutions may give better results, I may experiment further.


----------



## AndrewTO (Mar 30, 2005)

Isaac Sibson said:


> I didn't invent it... It's pretty widely written up on the web. Tin foil forms the cathode (I got best results lining a cup completely with it) and the Ti is the Anode
> 
> I think better electrolyte solutions may give better results, I may experiment further.


(sarcastic, but friendly) I like this guy. "Yeah, it's a piece of cake, look it up". TEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

C'mon man, give us a link(s)!!!!! THIS THREAD IS USELESS WITHOUT LINKS! 

Please? There's just waaaaay too many hits out there in G-World. I don't have time to check all 100,000 of them.

What about amperage? What about making sure the cat doesn't get any ideas? How many volts is red?


----------



## I-S (Jul 8, 2005)

I mostly worked to this: http://mrtitanium.com/anodizing.html

My psu read a maximum of around 30mA when anodising the bolts. It will depend on surface area of the Ti piece.


----------



## AndrewTO (Mar 30, 2005)

Isaac Sibson said:


> I mostly worked to this: http://mrtitanium.com/anodizing.html
> 
> My psu read a maximum of around 30mA when anodising the bolts. It will depend on surface area of the Ti piece.


Thank you sir! How did I know that "he" would come up?

Looks good! Any report on, dare I ask, scratch resistance?


----------



## milehi (Nov 2, 1997)

Isaac Sibson said:


> Different colour:


If you shake the bolt while it is in the solution, you can get the inside of the socket colored. Somtimes a bubble will form inside the socket and a good shake will release it.


----------



## milehi (Nov 2, 1997)

Vader said:


> If you shake the bolt while it is in the solution, you can get the inside of the socket colored. Somtimes a bubble will form inside the socket and a good shake will release it.


Here's some gold on a first gen XTR deraileur


----------



## Fast Freddy (Dec 25, 2003)

Here is another link....

http://www.popsci.com/popsci/how20/3f178ca927d05010vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html

FF


----------



## I-S (Jul 8, 2005)

Nice pics there Vader. What was the voltage for the pink bolts? Around 90-100? 

I figured the reason for the inside of the bolts not being anodised, but I rather like the effect. Obviously depends on the look you're going for. 

Anyone got a Ti spring on a shock they want doing?


----------



## qwackers (Aug 16, 2005)

This is me "Bling 02 XTR rear mech"
Pollished body
Titanium,pivot,cable clanp and jockey wheel bolts
Carbon fibre rear mech plate 
Titaniun drilled jockey wheels.....


----------



## Jersey (Sep 14, 2005)

how many volts for GOLD?
if i could produce gold ano bolts id have wood for weeks.


----------



## Ultra Magnus (Jan 13, 2004)

Jersey said:


> if i could produce gold ano bolts id have wood for weeks.


Dude, get out more... Breathe some fresh air...

BM


----------



## lucifer (Sep 27, 2004)

My buddy has been doing this on ti body jewelry for years. He does stripes fades ti dye all kinds of cool stuff....


----------



## Jersey (Sep 14, 2005)

relax tough guy, its called a joke.


----------



## Axis II (May 10, 2004)

What about a cotton ball soaked in cola? Pass the current from the battery through the cotton ball with wires and clips. Would this work or do you need the tinfoil in there somehow?


----------



## I-S (Jul 8, 2005)

That would work (as shown on the page fast freddy linked).


----------



## protocol_droid (Jul 7, 2004)

Jersey said:


> how many volts for GOLD?
> if i could produce gold ano bolts id have wood for weeks.


What he said ^? What settings for this?


----------



## Steveorocks (May 30, 2004)

Gold Please!!!!


----------

