Adding color to a titanium bike
11-24-21, 02:23 AM
#51
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One thing to think about is the inherent flexibility of titanium and its effect on paint.
Many years ago, a customer at a shop I worked for brought in a painted titanium bike that was showing cracks at the driveside bottom bracket/chainstay weld. In order to determine if it was just the paint cracking as a result of frame flex or if it was actually a frame crack, he ended up having to strip the paint in that area. Fortunately, it turned out to be the paint, but stripping it ruined the look of the bike.
I've always assumed that this was the reason ti frames are usually unpainted.
Many years ago, a customer at a shop I worked for brought in a painted titanium bike that was showing cracks at the driveside bottom bracket/chainstay weld. In order to determine if it was just the paint cracking as a result of frame flex or if it was actually a frame crack, he ended up having to strip the paint in that area. Fortunately, it turned out to be the paint, but stripping it ruined the look of the bike.
I've always assumed that this was the reason ti frames are usually unpainted.
https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/me...-and-titanium/
Titanium is highly valued in the metals industry for its high tensile strength, as well as its light weight, corrosion resistance, and ability to withstand extreme temperatures. It’s as strong as steel but 45% lighter, and twice as strong as aluminum but only 60% heavier. Its ability to withstand extreme temperatures is a real technical advantage for many applications, but it presents serious challenges for titanium sheet producers. Thickness reductions require very high forces; sheet metal thickness measurement tools and on-line thickness gauges are essential for process optimization. As much of a challenge as this material is to roll, you don’t want to do it twice.
11-24-21, 05:59 AM
#52
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11-24-21, 10:08 AM
#53
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"Strength" depends on a few factors (tube thickness, alloy composition, butting, etc.), but as for stiffness, "the same part made from titanium will weigh half as much as the equivalent from steel. But titanium has only half the stiffness, so the part will be half as stiff. With half the density of steel, if you double the wall thickness, you get a tube with the same stiffness and weight as a steel tube. But you don’t need the walls to be that thick, so you can use larger-diameter tubes. Many titanium frames are both a little lighter and a little more flexible than steel frames."
(https://www.renehersecycles.com/myth...er-than-steel/)
(https://www.renehersecycles.com/myth...er-than-steel/)
11-24-21, 02:29 PM
#54
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There is a wonderful property of Titanium wherein you can heat it up with a flame torch and it will ‘flame anodize’ and turn bronze, gold , blue and purple permanently.
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11-27-21, 07:49 PM
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11-27-21, 08:34 PM
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My Firenze is polished but I am long retired so touching up is easy to do before every ride just take a few minutes for a wipe just like I do on any bright paint job and it looks really good all the time.
11-28-21, 10:24 AM
#60
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Anodized would be the way I'd go if I wanted some color. These folks, and probably others out there, do some nice work
https://www.agavefinishworks.com/gallery
https://www.agavefinishworks.com/gallery
11-28-21, 10:52 PM
#61
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If you heat titanium with a torch, you can make it change colors. There's a bunch of heat charts online. I've done it to a few motorcycle exhausts, If you use a propane torch, you won't get nearly hot enough to compromise the tubing.
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