i've just recolored my spoon one a month or so back... used the electrolytic oxydation method....



make sure you get the knob really well cleaned and polished up... i used a polishing buffer bit on a dremel tool.. get it as shiny and mirror like as you can...

http://www.knifenetwork.com/workshop/tut_a...er_warner.shtml

best if you can use this method... especially wired up using a variable controller so you can adjust the required voltage....i used about 43Volts or so ...

here's a good article on how to rig it up... TSP (trisodium phosphate) is a common ingredient in dish washing liquid...

http://www.valhallaarms.com/wyvern/t.../anodizing.htm

full color chart...

 

^1st link is not found ^

 

I think I call recall a year or two back someone posted a thread on how to 'burn' the oem titanium knob. I tried searching and couldn't find it. Does anyone have that link?

 

link fixed...

http://www.knifenetwork.com/workshop/tut_a...er_warner.shtml

this is the instruction i followed... works very well with a variable transformer as i can tweak the color until i'm happy with it

 

Does anybody know if I can still retorch the knob if I failed the first time? The first time I tried it, I got all sorts of funky colors, and nuthing was evenly distributed.

 

That happened to me too. For those of you planning on re-torching it, be very careful. I shot it from the top straight down on the knob and learned quickly that there is a very small window of opportunity to get the color you're looking for. I'd say I torched it for about 5-7 seconds before the color started to change and then about another 10 seconds after that, all hell broke loose and it started turning blue, purple, green and in some places, grey. So I stopped. Propane torch by the way.

 

Also, it seems like from what I'm reading here is that you've got to hit it for a long time (minutes maybe?) to get a consistent color throughout the knob. Is this correct? I think tomorrow I'm going to re-buff it and start over. I'll try to post some pics.

 

it's very hard to get the color you want with a torch... as the color is basically light reflecting off the oxidation layer that builds up when you heat it....

if you want a specific color, use the electrolysis method i posted up...

 

In depth answer:

I work for a welding machine manufacturere and we do titanium welding and I took it to one of our in house experts. He stated that when welding ti you absolutely DON'T want to the blue color because it is basically oxidation on the metal. this oxidation means a decrease in strength. On a shift knob this is a non factor since we're not exerting any appreciable forces onto. He stated that for appearances the oxidation can simple be polished off but the structure of the metal would have changed.

Simple answer:

Yes, you shoudl be able to polish off and retorch the knob

Reality:

I have not tried this yet so I cannot say from first hand experience that these statements are true. But on the first page you can see what kind of work can be done with MAP gas. From my first try of screwing it up thought I would think you need very little heat on the knob. I took an industrial grade oxy torch and burned the living piss out of this thing till 90% of the thing glowed red. Sounds like you need to apply the heat onto the top using MAP gas in a swirling motion for approx 5-8 seconds on a polished surface clear of dirt, water, and fingerprints. At least this is what I'm going to try. I'll let everyone know how it turns out.

 

I was able to polish all of the green, blue, purple and grey off the knob today. Again, the entire knob was an amalgam of color and now it is perfectly silver/ polished again. Actually did it twice because I tried to re-torch it in between the buffing. I've decided that torching the knob is not a very good method (especially if you're trying to change the color of the entire knob). A month or so ago I was able to get the blueish hue around the top of the knob like it had when it was brand new but it only lasted about two weeks so I'm aiming to do the whole knob.

In other words, I'm trying the electrolysis tonight.