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Electroplating in multi colours

Hi can you please tell me how this plating is done and can you undertake this type of plating on 303 stainless steels and carbon steel? Regards PJ

Peter Janes
jewelry maker - England
February 5, 2011

Hi, Peter. This is an iridescent diffraction coating, such as you see on carnival glass or from an oil drop on a puddle. It results from an extremely thin (but varying thickness) layer of transparent or nearly transparent material on a surface. The most common metal in widespread use that offers this appearance is titanium, when anodized or flame treated to create a titanium oxide coating of variable thickness. Some people call it "rainbow titanium", and there are also trade names for the process. I have heard that stainless steel can be anodized via a similar proprietary process called Prismatic Stainless Steel [from B&M Finishers, a finishing.com supporting advertiser], but I haven't seen samples, and would assume that the golf putters you have shown us are made of titanium.

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
February 22, 2011

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