Titanium Nib Magic | Lightning Anodize Finish

[@bradwavemb]

That fully anodized Italia should be an official version. It's simply magnificent.

[@johnlopez3996]

Thank you for reminding viewers to have proper protection available when working with dangerous chemicals. Well ventilated spaces are a must, especially when certain gases are released.

[@Doodlebud]

It's all fun & cool until but not worth risking your health or even worse.... ☠️

[@JuceePeachz67]

Thanks!

[@kanck7909]

underrated fountain pen channel!!!!!!✒✒✒✒

[@Doodlebud]

Hey Thanks 😁 I just love messing around & having fun with my fountain pens

[@MamaTomasu]

Love the look! Great job, thanks for sharing the process with us

[@xerxiusmaximus]

Beautiful process… love the science… turned art. I have the Bock titanium nib… they are epic writers… And after you initially purchased your Ennso Italia… I hopped right on it as well… I love titanium… and what you have shown here are even more gorgeous reasons why… Awesome … Thank you for sharing…

[@Doodlebud]

I just had to try it out to see the results. I love the look & feel of raw titanium, but if there's a chance to try something cool, I'm gonna go for it

[@314jrock]

This nib would look so cool on a Kaweco Supra in fireblue.

[@JuceePeachz67]

Great video as always, DB! Love science and I thank you for bringing different aspects to the fountain pen community.

[@CeitDeVitto]

Totally awesome, congratulations.

[@Doodlebud]

Was fun to give it a try

[@TheDarivan]

Great video and information, thanks for your work.

[@mrcharon6197]

Excellent video! I have a lot of titanium pens. I really need to try this!

[@Javi_C]

Came out pretty cool!

[@afongen]

Cool to watch this process! I appreciate the explanation of the wet nib. My fine titanium nibs are also pretty wet, so this was a bit of a forehead-slapping moment.

[@afongen]

Though now that I’ve watched through to the end, I’m less sure. 😂

[@Doodlebud]

LOL after the video I looked closer and the tines were now wider! So will adjust and check again. That increased surface energy in the nib really makes sense so will have to check it again to test it. Could also be a way to promoted ink flow. Not just the feed but tweaks to the nib 🤔

[@MarcSaegesser]

That was fun. Thanks.

[@Doodlebud]

It was, glad I didn't destroy the nib! 😂

[@jwherron]

Matte looks good. Finish came out nice. Great job!

[@Doodlebud]

Thanks, looks cool with the pen

[@carlharrison9503]

Love the look of that pocket. You did great. I have one and the other is copper. My dad worked with brass and copper.

[@mwGoosman]

The pens and nib look so beautiful! Amazing 😊

[@jorge23483]

For science! And for looking awesome! 😎

[@cajal6]

That looks fantastic!

[@MrG0CE]

HI DOODLEBUD ! CAN U PLEASE MAKE A VIDEO ABOUT USING A STAINLESS STEEL BLACKENER ON A NIB? OR A BLACK COATING ON A NIB? DO THEY WRITE FINE AFTER THE PROCESS? PLEAAASE !!!

[@acerlazereye1232]

Wow. Just.....frikkin...... , Wow!

[@Trafficaloco]

Awesome video and creativity

[@Doodlebud]

👍🤓

[@pnwesty7174]

The re-anodized Ensso looks amazing. As does the nib.

[@Doodlebud]

I was pretty happy with how the pen & nib turned out

[@MrAndrew1953]

Butane gas torch? Some nice colours. Pen I have to try out with is a Delike brass pocket pen. Not go into risk the Majohn 2000 Titanium fountain pen with its fold nib.

[@Doodlebud]

Small torch was butane large one was propane.

[@madpug01]

So cool! I love the look of this treatment. You probably could start a business doing this for people. lol.

[@Doodlebud]

I have the idea rolling around

[@ichirofakename]

Fun experiment. How is the process different from that used on the presumably steel nib in the TWSBI Vac 700 Iris?

[@Doodlebud]

It's a very different process. The coating on the TWSBI Iris is done via PVD

[@niftytubeman]

BON AMI Cleaner Powder 1886 formula Slightly more abrasive and on the nib surface one feed side might be useful to increase flow. I cannot tell if it just removed factory oil or the slightly increased texture helped the handful of nibs I have tried it on. There are some reasons to have the old formula.

[@Doodlebud]

That stuff is good at removing hydrocarbons on surfaces, especially good when painting. But I dont believe it has the same ability to change the fine surface details as a polishing paste

[@slo_carry]

Very cool. I reached out to Ensso earlier this week and it sounds like I'll have another opportunity to grab a titanium Italia. And possibly a full size Piuma in titanium as well. 😃

[@Doodlebud]

Oh that's awesome you can score those pens as well!

[@Danny.._]

this is just so cool

[@keithwhitney7491]

Very interesting. I would not attempt it, but I enjoyed watching a video made by someone who is much more knowledgeable about metals, physics and chemistry. I think my last class in chemistry (never had a shop class or a physics class) was in 1965. I was a math major then, but my mind works well with all the formulae parts of other sciences; I just hat “real world.” Applications are challenging. :) When I dropped out of college and enlisted in the USAF, I scored at the maximum top in 3 of the 4 aptitude/ability test areas. I did score in the 80-something percentile in mechanics, but I was horrified when it looked like I was going to have to enlist in that area. Fortunately for me, an after-enlistment and swearing-the-oath language aptitude test led to the oxymoron area: military intelligence! (I used the old joke line, but found the military to be much more efficient than most public corporations.) I suspect the USAF was much better operationally because I never worked on airplanes! (Retired Business Prof, lawyer & minister…never an engineer1 :))

[@gabrielcedillo9417]

Hey doodle bud! Love it when your doing new thing to you and the community! Here's an idea that may not be as extravagant but have you ever heard of acid etching ebonite to improve ink flow? I can't remember what video I saw but I thought an engineer such as yourself would be interested in deep diving that.

[@Doodlebud]

I haven't heard of that but could look into it 🤙

[@lucm6476]

you just might have started a new trend 👍cool stuff

[@majajamie]

Beautiful job on the Ti nib and the Ensso Piuma Pocket pen in Titanium! I prefer anodization on a shiny metal surface for whatever reason, but the nib looks great on the Italia's matte surface. I was sooo nervous watching you work with acids and open flames---nightmarish flashbacks to my high school and university chem labs lol.

[@Doodlebud]

I was pretty happy for a first go. Was thinking about doing it the just decided "Ahhh the hell with it, just give it a go. What's the worst that can happen!"

[@majajamie]

@@Doodlebud What's the worst that can happen? 🧪 + ⚗️ = 💥 LOL

[@Doodlebud]

@@majajamie yeah that's not so bad... 😁

[@majajamie]

@@Doodlebud You're a brave man, Doodlebud! lol

[@osirisgolad]

You can definitely see some differences between methods. It looks like the quenching method has some more trouble getting in the nooks and crannies like the screw threads. Could be because of the big gas bubbles pushing the acid away from the surface I guess? Suppose that's one of the advantages of having a continuous process in a factory; the part rack is moving through the bath and streaming off the bubbles so you get a more consistent surface finish. I've definitely noticed this trying to get thick electroplating on small items at home, though those bubbles are usually much finer and stickier.

[@Doodlebud]

Guess the camera didn't show but the "lightning" effect does follow through on to the threads, but since its such a small surface its not very obvious. Forming the oxide layer with heat is much easier to do & control in a kiln for large batches, but for this quench technique, it needs to be done very rapidly as titanium loses its heat very quickly.

[@osirisgolad]

@@Doodlebud It shows, but it seems yellow in the areas where the acid had most trouble getting into, like the end of the screw threads. Wouldn't that suggest the acid did most of its work there when the temperature had already dropped a bit?

[@buddydunkel]

It looks so good, I hope a maifacturer will come out with one sometime

[@Doodlebud]

I just may happen

[@tomshult3044]

Safety not guaranteed is a great movie!

[@Doodlebud]

I need to watch it again!

[@archivist17]

Looks very very cool 😎 But I'm not about to get a cup of acid and take a blowtorch to my Piuma Pocket. 😀 I do wonder about how durable the surface treatment is, compared to, say, the Fireblue on my Supra. Any thoughts?

[@Doodlebud]

It can wear off but I have a fix for that in the works

[@archivist17]

@@Doodlebud *intrigued

[@randy25rhoads]

I flame anodized a titanium OMAS nib years ago. Looks great, but it completely ruined the nib in terms of the little flexibility it had. It was soft and bouncy before, but afterwards it was no longer bouncy. Or rather, it was bouncy one way, but wouldn’t return to its normal position. The tines just stay slightly splayed. I mean, it’s still in a pen and being used, and has a frickin rainbow finish, but I have to be VERY careful to not push down on the nib.

[@Doodlebud]

I haven't noticed any difference in performance. Flex is the same as well as snap back. With this one I quence after heating. Not sure how you let your nib cool down after you did the flame anodize

[@stevetownsend4063]

If it was a steel nib, I'd say you annealed the spring temper out of it. I'm not sure what happens when you anneal Ti with or without quench. DB, are you quenching in hydrochloric acid?

[@randy25rhoads]

@@stevetownsend4063 No. I may have quenched it with water, but it was so long ago I can’t remember. Like I said, it’s gorgeous and colorful, just fragile and needs a feather touch.

[@Doodlebud]

I'm quenching in FeCl. HCl would work too it it's a bit more dangerous

[@cynthiaalvarado8610]

Was wondering if you would go with the Ti nib anodizing. These turned out great! Torching and scorching like a boss

[@Doodlebud]

Torchin' n Scorchin'! I Love It! Reminds me of Talladega Nights: Shake'n'Bake! Wwwwwwoooooooo!

[@Soul_Watcher]

Hey Doodlebud! Great vod. I was wondering if you are getting the “swirl” pattern on the titanium pen because of the heat and then dunk in acid? Also if you just heat it up and let it cool naturally will the colors stay as saturated and rich? Or must you sink it in the acid? Because it did change its finish after you dipped it in the acid bath it seems. Also do you have to have the acid heated up as well in the process you showed? I noticed one you dipped it is the acid most of the reds and purples disappeared almost, if not, completely. And I would definitely want the reds and purples as well as the yellow and blues. I haven’t seen this technique done yet until now. In fact I just saw Doug’s video he did months ago as well. The one he and his daughter did on her bolt action ball point pen. They used the battery technique. I think I would like to try both. However I think it would be a safer situation for me to use the battery technique instead. I just don’t know what the device is called to connect all of the batteries together? But now I definitely want to try this. I first need to decide on the best titanium pen first. I know that depending on the titanium alloy the pen is made of will also change the colors you will get. The higher the titanium’s quality, the better reaction one will get. Thanks again for showing this being done. It is very interesting to me. Cheers

[@Doodlebud]

The acid contains Chlorine which reacts with the Titanium when its above a certain temp. If you just let it cool it will retain the color. Unless you have a autoclave it is easier to control the thickness of the oxide layer using a power supply. I did a video on that a while ago and actually was the one who nudged Doug to give it a try LOL. However doing the acid quench if anodizing using the "battery method" won't yield the same results, the Titanium must be above a certain temp in order to do so. There is a way to obtain a similar result without the acid quench but its too detailed to get into in the comment section LOL.

[@Soul_Watcher]

@@Doodlebud thank you for all of your information. I was really wondering. So now I know that if I were to just heat up a titanium nip and leave it as is and let it cool to room temperature on its own, it will retain the color. Perfect, thank you so much again. Cheers

[@eugenborcan]

Nice - love the results you got on that pen! I have a Nero Muse sterling silver pen that I put a #6 Bock nib on it and give it a purple-ish tint - looks good on it :). I was afraid to hit it with the flame... thinking might bend the nib a little, but it turned out OK. I enjoy having fun with titanium - I'm in the same boat with you, titanium is cool! I need to try the acid method, haven't done it yet - ordered like 3 cheap pens from Ali to experiment - waiting for them :|.

[@Doodlebud]

Good luck, hope it turns out well!

[@eugenborcan]

@@Doodlebud Thanks - hope the same :D.

[@ChrisBombria]

It's fun watching someone else that loves to tinker with things. I've heard that the metal in the alligator clips can cause problems. Have you tried a mini grabber with a niobium tip?

[@Doodlebud]

Haven't tried that, but this worked no problem last time. I think it was mainly the batteries were toast & the non Ti wire just made it worse

[@manuelsalazar3938]

I'm curious about what we look for when anodizing with the batteries: Voltage or current? Are your batteries connected in series or in parallel? I have an old power source that is capable to variably deliver up to 24V DC and I think it has a very big current capacity, I haven't tested how much as the value is not printed anywhere on it but given it's size and weight it must be A LOT. Damn good video as usual 😎

[@Doodlebud]

The change in voltage dictates the colour outcome. A 24V DC supply will give a very limited colour spectrum, need something that can get up to around 100V. I did an earlier video on my Ensso Italia Titanium where I did it with this process & it worked pretty well

[@thadtheman3751]

It would be interesting to see on a Yard O-Led.

[@Doodlebud]

Suuuuuuuuuure, you feeling generous? Like $1300 worth! 🤣🤑💸💸💸💸💸

[@ibpopp]

Thank you, Doodlebud, for a fascinating series on this subject. Two questions: (i) How durable is the finish? (ii) Does heating the nib destroy the temper/springiness of the nib? (amateur blacksmith here.)

[@Doodlebud]

The finish is very durable against chemicals etc, but will wear over time from friction. I am working on a coating to extend the lite time of the coating on the body. For the nib, this will definitely change the temper. I don't think the nib goes through any specific heat threatmen profile during production (other than what is originally done to the metal during manufacturing). I don't "feel" any difference right now but will be monitoring how it goes. Nib seems to have the same springyness but who knows over time. Was looking up heat treatments for Ti, looks like it could benefit from a 2hr soak at 600 C, unfortunately I don't have an oven to do that so will see what I can come up with

[@ibpopp]

@@Doodlebud Thank you for the reply. Think I will try heat treating some steel nibs to see the effects. BTW, I think the results are truly wonderful, like a modern rendition of red ripple. Cheers from the Great Southern Land of Oz.

[@stevetownsend4063]

@Doodlebud, if you know a craft-person or a maker space with a pottery kiln with digital controls, that might work for your soak time.

[@Doodlebud]

@@stevetownsend4063 Don't know anyone locally who has one so might even build one in a DIY fashion. I've wanted to make a straight razor & some kitchen knives as well so maybe this is a good excuse to do it

[@trlan55]

While I like both pens, my favorite is has got to be the pocket pen because of the shine. Can something like this be done to a stainless steel pen?

[@Doodlebud]

You can color it with a torch, but I don't belive the same effect will happen with steel as its a reaction between the Ti & Cl

[@zathrasnotzathras655]

I’m surprised the anodizing didn’t affect the iridium tipping material. Also if you were able to take the anodization off how durable is this finish long-term?

[@Doodlebud]

The tipping is a ferrous metal so it doesn't anodize. To remove the titanium oxide layer (anodize) you need some pretty severe acids, and only certain ones will do it. It will wear from friction over time but working on a process to preserve it. Won't be needed on the nib since it's not getting wear & tear like the pen body

[@zathrasnotzathras655]

@@Doodlebud thanks for the info, DB.

[@ddk5431]

Great video As a kid I loved my little chemist toolbox I may be a strange guy, but I prefer the look of titanium not anodized But there are all sorts of people ;)) Friendly regards Dominique

[@Doodlebud]

I actually REALLY like raw unfinished titanium as well

[@fernandogabriel4048]

Hello! the result was incredible. Where can I buy a titanium nib?

[@Doodlebud]

Just Google Bock Titanium Nib and you'll find plenty of results

[@fernandogabriel4048]

@@Doodlebud obrigado, irei tentar isso!

[@kylehazachode]

There’s a seller on etsy who sells a red lacquered Boch nib

[@andykellens7237]

A Brooklyn Nine-Nine reference with the torches? :-D

[@Doodlebud]

Nooooooice!

[@aravindvinayakan]

Wizard 😎

[@FlurinKoenz]

Beautiful work but I think I am going to freeze on my fingertips with a metal pen...

[@Doodlebud]

I actually find the titanium warms up not too bad in the winter months here in Canada

[@FlurinKoenz]

@@Doodlebud 😂

[@kangalow]

Note: DONT fuck around with high concentration HF!! Use low concentration off-the-shelf rust and stain remover from your local hardware store, in high concentrations getting it on your skin will cause the fluorine to go through your skin and tissues and pull the calcium from your bones, and then you gotta go get the limb amputated.