Why is Titanium so COLORFUL? - Making/Anodizing Titanium Chopsticks

One of the many reasons titanium is an amazing material is because of the beautiful colors that can be formed on it's surface by either heating it up or using a bit of electricity. But titanium dioxide is just a white powder so how does having a thin layer of it on the metal lead to rainbow colors? The answer not only explains why titanium is colorful, but also why oil films and bubbles look iridescent as well!
Today we go through my process for making these stunning chopsticks, and then deep dive into the quantum mechanics that make those colors form.
Links:
Cold Fire: • Cold Fire You Can Touc...
Gecko Tape: • Climbing Walls With RA...
Frosting Robot: • CNC... Cake Decorating?
Laser Table: • Can Magnets Stop Vibra...
Microfluidics: • Worlds Smallest Tesla ...
Veritasiums video: • The Original Double Sl...
More reading about thin film optics:
-en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thin-fi...
-opentextbc.ca/physicstestbook...
-en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thin-fi...
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[@Aconitum_napellus]

"What did he get you for your birthday?" "More chopsticks."

[@tamarstewart7924]

I would love the one he made

[@ruty6099]

@@tamarstewart7924 same

[@markhaus]

Yeah but do you have chopsticks that could survive re-entry into the atmosphere?

[@NaviYT]

Marcus Grant that low key is a giant flex, there is no reason your chopsticks need to be that op 😂

[@D3nn1s]

@@NaviYT how do you eat your sushi when re-entering the atmosphere then? With your fingers? You barbare

[@daniemoment]

I, too, make Titanium chopsticks to stay sane.

[@nirui.o]

Finishes one day's hard work, build a rocket to relax.

[@daniemoment]

@@Pheonix19581 Next tutorial idea: Anodized Titanium Legos.

[@mute8s]

@@Pheonix19581 It's not legos... There is no such thing as legos. It's "Lego bricks" or "a Lego Brick." Actually I don't care how you say it but I find the whole lego vs legos to be pedantry at its best. We all know the KZbin comments section is the best place to be pedantic. 😉

[@daniemoment]

@@mute8s You got way too serious about *Lego bricks.*

[@muffty1337]

and here i thought it's "logos", not legos...

[@puskajussi37]

Great! Now I only need a metal layhte and a place to put it. And some frineds go gift chopsticks...

[@TheAechBomb]

I want a lathe but I don't have any place to put one :/ also today I learned titanium is absolutely awesome

[@TheExplosiveGuy]

Whatever you do don't buy those cheap harbor freight bench top lathes, they suck. At least get a grizzly brand, they aren't great but they aren't bad and are priced well.

[@wishihadablog]

@@TheAechBomb There also some very small watchmakers lathes like the Emco Unimat

[@Tacheonblack]

@@nonamo5700 Exactly, it's all about priorities. Buy the lathe first and the rest will work itself out. If all else fails you can use the lathe to build your own home

[@lazyh-online4839]

@@TheExplosiveGuy harbor freight and grizzly often get the same stuff from the same Chinese factories just with different brands and labels. Grizzly sometimes has a couple products just a step higher in quality and harbor freight a couple of a step lower in quality but many products you can even tell came from the exact same cast iron mold. Some even have the same green paint on them.

[@Arcysis]

"They only require the most basic tools - if you've already got a metal lathe" - The Thought Emporium, Jul 6th, 2019

[@k-aw-teksleepysageuni8181]

Wow.....The most prissy and disconnected science channel EVER...Lol

[@djr11472]

Haha, yeah, that part made me snort! It was an amused/bemused snort, not a derisive snort, but still...

[@darkfyy]

This is intended for the machining community and less to the science community

[@davidbrumley5332]

I have a metal lathe, and it's nice to know I don't need anything else to make chopsticks.

[@michaelmettie9430]

I just know that someday I’ll be able to do one of these experiments but so far not even close haha

[@PatrickAdairDesigns]

There's a 99% chance I make myself some titanium chopsticks now lol. Thanks for the super interesting video! I've never heard a better explanation of how the oxide layer works!

[@redice4971]

Make a ring

[@garole]

I like ur rings

[@serioussam2033]

Don't forget to plasma-stutter it with bismuth ;)

[@meagloth3336]

The vibrance of the color increases exponentially as the surface finish improves. Taking the time to polish to a mirror-finish with a jewelers rouge or very fine grits + metal polish is worth it. I've had good results using a small buffing wheel on a Dremel tool. Most lathes don't spin fast enough to effectively hand-sand a small diameter part.

[@xaytana]

Cool project, though none of it would fit this channel, would be to make a gearbox to increase the speed, a planetary gearbox would probably be the best design for a lathe. The smaller bearings on the output would be better suited for higher speed, lower torque applications anyways. Basically, adapt the larger lathe to do the work a jeweler's lathe would; which would expand the amount of work you can do with a single lathe, when it would normally take two. Another set of cool projects, though more complex, but would add to the decorative bits of projects, would be adapting a standard lathe to a rose engine, straight line engine, geometric lathe, and other forms of jeweling. Which could work on both the original lathe, and the adaptation that makes it a jeweler's lathe; again, making one tool do the work of many, using removable attachments, which is money and space efficient.

[@imacrazyguy5831]

Yep, the difference between 300rpm vs 15,000rpm. Does wonders when polishing!

[@NGC1433]

Ever tried to grip a polished item with oily fingers?

[@christianhilditch9333]

Maybe neutral the headstock and chuck up a straight die grinder. Might have to modify the collet but you will get your 30,000 rpms. Just use flapper drums and a buffing wheel in a drill.

[@userPrehistoricman]

I never found those Dremel polishing wheels useful. They just don't seem to do anything but throw around whatever compound or paste you're polishing with.

[@hadinossanosam4459]

If you want to use the heating method, putting it in some brass or other metal shavings can help distribute the heat and get very even colors... (looking at you, Clickspring, with your rendered-looking, perfectly uniformly heat-blued screws)

[@TheExplosiveGuy]

Ohh yeah...

[@sydmushas]

Clickspring and This Old Tony have spoiled me

[@Just_Sara]

I was thinking the same thing, tbh

[@eseagente]

For real, clickspring is machining heaven

[@Just_Sara]

@@eseagente I drool a little every time I watch one. Great. Now I have to watch the entire Antikythera series again. THANKS. ***DROOL***

[@TheVivaLatrina]

2:53, never touch the shavings while the lathe is spinning, if you would like your fingers to stay intact :)

[@kaylawuvscookies]

Just watching him do that made me cringe.

[@senpaisanchoyt5225]

it wasnt moving tho

[@imacrazyguy5831]

It was moving, I watched it many times and the machine wasn't shut off.. shaft was still spinning.

[@senpaisanchoyt5225]

Look at the left side, it wasnt moving

[@echojason6791]

Any idea what kind of equipment this guy is using?

[@antonhelsgaun]

Don't you mean CHOPSTICK || CASE HARDENED pattern #367

[@jolioding_2253]

stat trak: 5 kills

[@montylemon9445]

@@jolioding_2253 with a fooking chopstick

[@corvusnocturne]

@@montylemon9445 chopsticks are deadly, if they weren't explain how the glock is still the default pistol for terrorists in cs:go

[@grqfes]

@@montylemon9445 yes, you can use the second one to hammer it in

[@whitetrash.689]

Rush b blyat

[@DancingRain]

I've done this with both titanium and niobium. Niobium, in my experience, produces more vivid colors than titanium. The anodizing process is supposed to also work with zirconium, hafnium, tantalum, and vanadium. I'll be giving it a try as soon as I can get proper samples of these metals.

[@Bob_Adkins]

You haven't lived until you've seen blued plutonium. Try it!

[@s1m700]

Personally, I love the more "artsy" projects (with a good and healthy dose of science mixed in of course).

[@RobertMilesAI]

I have a pair of metal chop sticks which come apart into two pieces that you thread together, which makes them much more practical to carry around. So there's your next level challenge, adding thread cutting and tapping into the mix :)

[@oddmann8875]

"How about some Titanium whhhite" ---- unkown artist

[@Rissen_]

dont call boss ross an unknown artist 😭

[@y0bi]

Rissen r/woooosh

[@art_and_sh.t4265]

Titanium hwite

[@mnfen9792]

If you heat it with a high-temperature flame, it would burn and form titanium white powder (TiO₂)

[@necronomicon1472]

14:15 "Thanks for STICKing around!"

[@DerFailer]

Now this feels even more like an This Old Tony video to me xD

[@TjinDeDjen]

Have you tried making an anodizing pen, yet? If not: Do it! You will have the time of your life "painting" titanium sheets ;D

[@matthewsimmons2246]

I am very glad that I found this channel! The things you are going through are spectacularly different from anything I come across in my day-to-day, and I feel like I'm actually understanding what is going of with how well you explain the concepts involved. Thank you for all that you are doing, I look forward to graduating and being able to donate in your direction.

[@mvadu]

For a second I thought I clicked on an old "This Old Tony" videos.. Thank you for the nice video..

[@MartHommes]

So basically you're making factory new blue gem case hardened titanium chopsticks?

[@BrilliantDesignOnline]

Glad you went fully down the rabbit hole because EVERY bit of that was super useful information, and of course, just cool.

[@lafaglobe6025]

I always wanted to learn this . Never thought it could be so easy. Thanks for doing this video

[@billclinton4913]

Nobody: Me when I'm supposed to be writing an English essay: How does one make Titanium Chopsticks?

[@bottlekruiser]

now for a serious comment Beautiful and informative, as always. Thank you for sharing it!

[@Zyphiir]

this is probably one of my favorite finishes on metal, and after hearing about how they do it i was even more curious to see it done!

[@Holagrimola]

I love the detailed info on this, it's so rare that things are actually well explained here on youtube, so bravo for that! ^^

[@AltMarc]

Fire Hazard: Be very careful with the Ti shavings, these can be set on fire with a lighter and they BURN very hefty. Do not use water to put out a burning Titanium shavings, it will only make it rage even more.

[@jolioding_2253]

when cuting titanium always have a bucket of semi wet sand by your side.

[@AltMarc]

@@jolioding_2253 or drench your workpiece with cutting fluid, it also preserve your cutting tools. "Drenching" is the right word, our CNC had two massive cutting fluid pumps, its output seemed like a fire hydrant.

[@joshjenks3715]

Or just gather all the shavings, light them on fire and pour water on them because your a pyromaniac😬

[@jolioding_2253]

@@AltMarc yea that also works well but if you have an old lathe there is most likely no cuting fluid pump so you have to drench your workpiece manually with cutting fluid to prevent fire or use wet sand in ase a fire breakes out

[@sanches2]

it get's even more interesting when you're casting it and a vacuum seal breaks:)It tends to explode, i had to scrub the whole machine of paper thin titanium splatter:)

[@SmashedHatProject]

I watch your videos because I believe there's no such thing as too much detail!

[@demonqueen5242]

Try using some nail polish to make patterns on the titanium and use electrolysis. Your pattern will be left unoxidized so make sure to anodize it to a complimentary color. Also working your way from low grit sandpaper to high grit will change how you perceive the colors. The green will become much more vibrant this way. Just some tips from a knife lover. ❤

[@princetbug]

this is super cool! I love how in depth you went with the light mechanics and specifics of how to make them. this seems like a lot of fun too! if I only had a lathe... haha

[@jamesnewman9547]

"as close as physically possible".... said like a true woodworker. Or did I miss you using some sort of atomic runout indicator? ;)

[@3h3kee3]

I want a blue pair of these. Clickspring makes some awesome blue screws.

[@alextryan]

So grateful for this deep dive into the physics. Tidbits like how bubbles and oil surfaces work, that the reflectivity of the titanium matters, etc were all gems. Thank you!!

[@ericashmead4049]

You explained the optics very well, thank you much!

[@amyshaw893]

The colour stuff works for copper too, a bit. I had to solder some wire to copper rod yesterday, and it was interesting to watch the colour change

[@thethoughtemporium]

That's true! lots of things will do this, which I probably should've made more clear. I got some really nice colors from copper when I was working on my magnetron years ago. Got some rainbow rings where the plasma concentrates.

[@amyshaw893]

@@thethoughtemporium ah, ok. The wire was for a new antenna, you got me hooked on noaa satellites, man. I cant stop until i get a decent image

[@Tjita1]

@@thethoughtemporium Copper has an even more interesting phenomenon, in that it will form certain colors in the reducing atmosphere of the flame of a torch, which will then immediately vanish or change when oxygen gets to it. It would be interesting to see an explanation of that. Is it a thin film of some form of unstable copper carbonate that immediately burns off to carbon dioxide, or is it some other interesting chemical reaction? I want to know!

[@naihaz2200]

John Wick:** HEAVY BREATHING ** Everyone else: we got popcorn

[@sadwrld520]

robert

[@popisdeadisagoodsong9997]

Green

[@briannahoff8589]

This is so cool! I love how in-depth you go on the coloring explanation! So glad I recently found this channel ❤

[@Jimbonj]

Thank you for diving down and exploring the rabbit hole

[@sdspivey]

I prefer to USE chopsticks to stay sane. Dang it, now I'm hungry and the buffet doesn't open until 10.

[@reindert144]

Steve Spivey 😂😂

[@hayfry9352]

Cs:Go blue gem chopsticks, Thea would sell for like 50-90 dollars, and up to 150 for avid fans of Counter Strike

[@robotbanana4261]

Haygamer “these sell for 100 dollars on Etsy” I think if he wanted to sell then he wouldn’t have a problem making money off them.

[@hayfry9352]

Iamarobotbanana4 yeah, but if you sell them to people who are in love with counter strike and like foods that require chopsticks, damn you got a buisness

[@hayfry9352]

Yo I just got my debit card let me get a link to them

[@art_must_trancend7935]

Hi, just wanna say thanks for the videos. I am currently studying photography and your videos really explore in detail lesser known science which for me always gives me amazing ideas for incorporating your science into my art.

[@kanescudds2000]

this was a lot more information than i was expecting but i don't regret watching all the way through, thanks for the great video!

[@imadmorsli2871]

I have been prepared for this by Feynmans Quantum electrodynamics book.

[@Dalemoooooon]

One of these days I need to get me a lathe, so many cool projects to make on them.

[@BrilliantDesignOnline]

Definitely, even if only a small one. Personally I got a grizzly g4000 and am loving it!

[@Tjita1]

I'm lucky in that I have one at work I can use freely on my spare time.

[@1394ghostman]

very impressed with a LIST of things about your video(s). the pace was perfect, the massive amount of information expelled in a short amount of time(amazing), the subject matter is very intresting( knowledge gained can be used on other projects), your skill level is impressive, and about ten other things highly impressed by. you got a syb. good job on your work.

[@DanielPetukhin]

Man, that's a brilliant video! Through your passion you lure others to learn something new that may have not interested them before. That's some high class teaching! 😃

[@dontkaze]

2:42 when you start lagging in a online game

[@ussessexcv-9189]

The truth The cold hard truth

[@caesaroftampa1266]

This was a good video.

[@danielnansel7538]

That was a super cool video! I did not expect to be learning about why bubbles and oil do the same thing and how all of these scenarios are connected through the way light works. Damn that was a good watch

[@bdf2718]

Iridescence also depends on the light source. Compact fluorescents and LED lamps have gaps in their spectra, so some of the iridescent colours won't show. It depends on the mix of phosphors in the light. A good rule of thumb is that the cheaper the light the fewer wavelengths emitted. They'll all have at least one red wavelength, one green wavelength and one blue wavelength, and they'll all emit those with a balance such that a white object will look white. But with the cheaper ones a yellow object (for example) may look a lot darker than it looks in daylight because that particular wavelength is not emitted by the lamp. So if you're using iridescent chopsticks, eat _al fresco_ for the best effect.

[@Mcdaveytrain]

Titanium chopstick Ramen ASMR next pls

[@trustthewater]

You should flatten them a bit. Then add some pikes on the front to make it easier to scoop the food rather than having to grasp it. Flattened Oral Retrieval and Keeping device. Let's call it a F.O.R.K. It would be much easier than using normal sticks. So much so that you could probably just use one at a time. :)

[@Neferens]

This video was amazing! I've been looking into buying a nice set of chopsticks for some years now, I will bookmark this for later!

[@JustMeUpNorth]

These are beautiful. I swear I always thought the titanium colours were just some sort of paint. Fantastic to find out the reality. I remember first seeing rainbow titanium as earrings in a shop when I was a kid and was fascinated ever since.

[@sllushii_]

So this is where my Karambit Blue Gem Case Hardened came from

[@cliffburridge]

Offset the tailstock to do really long tapers/curves using the power feed.

[@M33f3r]

That was really great! Educational and beautiful artwork. I don't have the manual dexterity to use chopsticks, but I'd still be happy for something beautiful like that as a gift.

[@markzambelli]

Thankyou for delving into that information-pit... wonderful vid.

[@mirelagiuroescu9784]

"Why is titanium so colourful" Me: My thoughts exactly

[@puffypuppy692]

When the fight scene for John Wick is in a Chinese restaurant.

[@2lefThumbs]

Great video. You must have missed This old Tony's taper power feed mod - he has a tee-piece made out of steel rod that he uses to snag the handles on his crosslide, then drives it with a reversible cordless drill. Takes all the ache out of repeated winding, and allows pretty smooth and steady feed.

[@37gang37]

After being a subscriber for a while everybody knows it's not just a simple video And that's why I keep watching your channel. Good work keep them coming 👍

[@Bartimus224]

goddamn I can't wait to start this optics program at my college

[@Assault_Butter_Knife]

I always hated optics but hey at least I can boast about knowing what thin film interference is when he mentioned it

[@raaston9761]

@@Assault_Butter_Knife I did that with nuclear physics in middle school when we did atoms

[@alexanderzangal4125]

May i ask if Its possible to make an difractiom metal? Can you cast gallium on a difraction grating and then get the rainbow effects on an metal?

[@Tophat-oi6mt]

Probably not with gallium as it has a very high surface tension and is extremly sticky when molten.

[@robrod7120]

Tophat 1024 I would think the stickyness would be a good thing, since it would have to stick to the grooves of a diffraction grating to get the optical effects. The only problem I can think of is the expansion gallium experiences when it solidifies

[@alexanderzangal4125]

I was just thinking that gallium always sticks on glass so it might stick on the texture of the diffraction grating

[@nicholasn.2883]

This is really cool, and that was a great explanation of how the color changes

[@IWasAlwaysNeverAnywhere]

i started watching you make chopsticks and i forgot i was suppose to learn about titanium. so when you started talking about it i was wondering why this weird color tangent was going on for so long lol i like how you actually recognized this exact thing im talking about.

[@StreuPfeffer]

How much for a pair of gorgeous Purple or the Dark Blue ones you have but throughtout the lenght?

[@ch0i]

Nobody CSGO players: it’s a case hardened chopstick 🤩

[@wonderwang1585]

Such an integrated information of matrial sciences. Will recomend it!

[@blazeboi3305]

Unexpectedly thoughtful and educational. Thanks.

[@tungstikum]

Making Titanium Chopsticks to stay sane..

[@ruthleshunter]

case hardened blue gem chopsticks, i would pay for that.

[@etoja2300]

10000 keys lol

[@joaothomazini]

I like how you give the instructions on how to make it like if we would be able to reproduce your work.

[@jamesa5873]

This changes everything. Beautify my work with natural coloring of metals.

[@AndersonMarzani1]

Came here to see a beautiful chopstick, left with a Physics degree

[@matthew9963]

Case Hardened Chop sticks Name tag "#1 blue gem"

[@madlad_don2387]

I've only recently gotten a hold of the correct way to use chop sticks and I'm still a bit iffy at times but I love the color on those and it's cool to know why it happens and how too.

[@zmanwithfire]

That was really informative and quite well delivered. Thank you for sharing.

[@MK-tu1zh]

I would love to make titanium chopsticks, but i make what my boss tells me to. I didn't like your video, i loved it.

[@TheRealMikeWilly]

Do you sell them at all? I would love to buy a couple pairs for me and my fiancé. She's Chinese and we're going to move to China for a year before we get married.

[@pizzaking2594]

As a machinist there is nothing more satisfying than working with metal especially in a time laps of the whole thing great video keep up the good work

[@garrettzemke7593]

I’ve always known how to anodize but I know the science behind it. Super cool

[@Memegon_]

CS GO TRADE Blue gem Factory new chop sticks stat track

[@Veptis]

I got like 30 kg of titanium but no machines.

[@owens8859]

MrVipitis yo! Hit me up, I’ve got plenty of machines

[@joshjenks3715]

Owen S you serious about that?

[@idontwantachannelimjustcom7745]

@1:58. Make an insert for your tool post that is a skate bearing on a stick and slowly feed it into your stock until you cant indicate and/or see wobble. Then tighten. Works great for centering things in a chuck too because it only applies pressure to the side that is out of center the most.

[@memejeff]

I have wanted to mess with anodization for a long time. Great video as always!!

[@ericheitzen8633]

First video of yours I've seen. Great content. Thank you!

[@YippieKayYa33]

I work at a company that makes high end optical assemblies, we have are own thin films department and are own machine shop. This video is right up my alley which is always rare!

[@tinkmarshino]

what a fun video! I could see the sticks moving in your lathe.. they are a touch soft but I bet they are fun to make.. giving your mind a bit of ahhhh time.. thanks for the share and the idea.. Carry on!

[@matts2581]

Way chill mon'; thank you for sharing as always.

[@Isaac-ph5co]

im just dont have the equipment to even try, but i just loved the build. cool video man, keep doing that stuff you do

[@cameronyoung2004]

Good job explaining how it works.

[@randyhavener1851]

Absolutely beautiful! Thanks for sharing!!

[@SzDavidHUN]

Who the hell wants a short video, when you can get this many useful information? :) Unfortunately I don't have a lathe, but those colors... Amazing! Maybe one day ;)

[@michel3892]

Love the video! I was serching this kind of content has been a awhile. Thanks for help me understand a little bit more about quenching colors! I would like to lern more about quenching colors of steel, and how to make it RED. Thanks again.

[@danielbbg6199]

on the light part i learned more from you than i did in a semester of uni from the teachers. thanks

[@clintkennedy8374]

Fantastic video! Very impressed with this channel. Actually learning new things

[@Chriss_Workshop]

This is very interesting. I work at a factory where we make shocks for cars. And in the center is a steel rod which we harden and temper in high heat. After tempering a lot of our steel rods look exactly like your titanium ones.

[@dsandoval9396]

Wow, those look fantastic! I'd love to have a pair of those.

[@robertjackson7590]

Excellent information and delivery. I need Red to match my boat project transom brace. With the carbon fiber bling sprinkled in it will work out very well. Thanks so much.

[@chill23581]

YAY, Love you videos, I like the long ones, but this shorter one was a nice intro for newer viewers! I have sent to many friends!

[@larsdebro1846]

might have found this random vid a bit late, but it was suprisingly fun to watch and I learned something too. Great energy in the vid that will be a subscribe from me!