Anodized Parrot By Enid Kaplan - Lapidary Journal, Jewelry Journal

Anodized Parrot
By Enid Kaplan
Intermediate technique.

Sheet niobium, 24-gauge
Sheet metal for backing, 24-gauge
18K gold for beak
#0 saw blades
Disc sanders, 120-grit
Metal stamps
Very fine half-round needle file
Riveting hammer Daps
#60 drill bit
Flexible-shaft machine
18-gauge round copper wire for rivets
Large glass or plastic container (square or round)
Electrolytic solution, which can be almost any liquid capable of carrying current, including Coca-Cola, Sparex, sulfuric acid, ammonium sulfate (fertilizer), magnesium sulfate (epsom salts), or trisodium phosphate
Titanium or stainless steel cathodes(-)
Power supply (I use a transformer/ 0-150 volts DC variable in one volt increments and from 2-5 amps)
Niobium or titanium hooks to hold the work
Rubber gloves (used during anodizing process to diminish chance of shock

For information on supplies, please see the Annual Buyers' Directory.

I will never forget when I was first introduced to the anodization of the reactive metals titanium and niobium. It was in a workshop many years ago, and the brilliant colors possible with these processes amazed me. As a painter and colorist, I¹d had to restrict myself to the muted palette of mixed metals, so the possibility of introducing elements of vibrant color in textured and formed metals that would be both instant and permanent marked a pivotal change for me as an artist.
Although this brooch, Guacamaya, is an assemblage of multiple elements, we will be discussing the anodizing and assembly of the parrot, which is fabricated of 18K gold, onyx, and anodized niobium. The rest of the brooch is created of constructed, formed, and patinated sterling and copper sheet. The parrot is connected to the brooch with small brass watch screws.
During recent years, there has been a steady growth in the use of the reactive metals in jewelry and art. Within this group of metallic elements, the most common are titanium and niobium, the latter being both more ductile and more colorful. Niobium can be cut, formed, and finished with standard hand and power equipment. The high colorations can then be achieved through a simple anodizing process.
Anodizing most closely resembles standard electroplating. When a reactive metal is suspended in a electrolytic bath as an anode (+), and current is passed through the bath, oxygen is produced at the anode surface. This oxygen reacts with the metal to form a thin oxide film that thickens with increased voltage. The colors produced will vary with the thickness of the oxide layer. As there are no pigments or dyes involved, the color produced by these metals are known as interference colors, similar in appearance to those in an oil slick.
Please note that there is a danger of electrical shock in the anodizing process. The procedures described in this article require the use of potentially dangerous high voltage power supplies. Follow strict safety procedures for handling high voltage electrical equipment.
Thanks to Bill Seeley of Reactive Metals for general anodizing information.
Editor's note: Enid Kaplan is profiled on page 18 of the September 1999 LJ; see “Medicine Artist.”
STEP 1.
Draw a parrot onto a piece of paper. (My piece measured 4 1/2" x 3 1/2" x 1 1/2".) Glue the illustration onto the niobium sheet with glue stick; saw out. To create greater depth, you will construct the parrot in 4 separate sections - the head, beak, body, and tail feathers - that are overlapped. Remove paper designs.
STEP 2.
Glue another copy of the parrot drawing onto a piece of 24-gauge sterling sheet; saw out. File the edges until smooth. Make the beak using 18K gold, then solder to the silver sheet. Solder 2 small brass watch screws to the silver sheet as well. Create the eye by soldering a sterling bezel to the sheet in a spot that lines up with a hole in the niobium. Set an onyx in this bezel.
STEP 3.
Texture feathers using a riveting hammer on a metal block. Create dimension by using small dapping tools to dap from the back in a soft wooden block. Form the tail feathers by bending the metal with needle-nose pliers.
STEP 4.
Tape the niobium and silver pieces together and drill about 4 holes with the #60 drill. The holes must be properly aligned for final riveting assembly. (In my brooch, the screws soldered to the back of the bird also line up with holes in the feathers of the head portion of the brooch for the final assemblage of the parrot with the rest of the brooch.)
STEP 5.
You are now ready to anodize the 2 sections of the niobium parrot, which will be colored separately in the anodizing bath. Clean the niobium with alcohol to remove any grease. Suspend the parrot from a niobium hook that is clipped to the alligator clip of the anode (+). The cathode (-) held in the other alligator clip should be made of titanium or steel and should be approximately equal in mass to the piece to be anodized.

STEP 6.
Turn on the anodizer and slowly increase the voltage. You may see small bubbles appear on the surface of the anode. This is an indication that the anodizing is taking place. The colors will continue to change as the voltage increases. I brought the voltage up to about 65-90 volts to obtain the turquoises, greens, and light greens that are possible with higher voltages. Obtain the “bleed” effect by simultaneously lifting the parrot up out of the solution by its hook while dialing to the higher voltage. Turn off the power, remove the piece, and rinse and wipe dry to see the true color.
STEP 7.
Unhook the pieces from clip. Using a light touch with a disc sander on a flexible-shaft machine, grind away some of the color, revealing the gray of the unanodized niobium. I also file away areas and edges with a very fine half-round needle file.
STEP 8.
An area of oxide produced with a high voltage will not pass current from a lower voltage. Once exposed, the shapes and lines created through sanding, filing, scratching, or grinding with various flexible-shaft tools, etc. can be anodized at a lower voltage color. The previously anodized areas will remain unaffected as long as the voltage obtained is lower than the voltage of the previously anodized surface. Multiple anodizing processes should proceed in decreasing voltages. Working in descending order will save masking and generate fewer errors. The second time I anodize, I bring the voltage to 55-60, which is purple.
STEP 9.
Again, remove some of the color through sanding and filing, and reanodize to 40, which is gold. I usually repeat this process many times, each time anodizing to a lower voltage and making subtle adjustments until I am satisfied with my niobium “painting.” Color variations can occur even between 1 or 2 digits on the transformer dial.
STEP 10.
Rivet the parrot body and tail feathers to the sterling back sheet. If desired, connect the parrot to a brooch by tightening nuts over the watch screws.
Enid Kaplan is a studio jeweler, mixed-media sculptor, teacher, writer, and lecturer. When she is not travelling with her husband and five-year-old son, she resides in Montreal and New York City, where she maintains her studios.