can Ti be threaded/tapped with HSS tools?

[M Wadel]

i ´m thinking of 6al4v. will hss tools do or is carbide tools the only option here?
when tapping/threading should threading grease be used or oil or cutting fluid?

 

[John R. Fraps]

Absolutely Ti can be threaded....knifemakers who do linerlock style knives thread .032" to .063" thick Ti liners for handle and bolster attachment.

You can also thread thicker Ti......010" to .015" thick as used on Ti handled linerlocked folders....to attach clips etc. of course, the thicker the material, the more difficult to avoid breaking a fine little tap like 0-80 or 1-72 0r even 2-56 sizes

I use a Procunier auto tapper, or the tapper Jeff Higgins makes or a tap in a pin vise...depeding on thickness, and desire at the moment.
I lube the tap with a stick lube called TAP-EASE....and it works well.

Also use HSS taps....buy them by the dozen, especially when on sale, and keep a good stock, especially of the 0-80 and 1-72 sizes....I use these the most and they are pretty fragile so you will break them occasionally...even with the auto tapper or Jeff's tapper....Ti is knida "sticky" so lube and going in and out on deeper holes to clear chips is a good idea.

 

[David Wesner]

I have successfully tapped 0-80 in 6AL4V Ti with HSS no problem , just proceed with caution & you should be ok . Yes on the cutting fluid . I really don' think it makes a whole heck of a lot of difference what you use.I generally use Tap Magic or in a pinch WD-40 has served me well. Milling & Drilling 6AL4V with HSS just make sure you slow your speeds & feeds down . It can be done with HSS for sure :thumbup: I do however buy solid carbide when I purchase tooling now , except when machining aluminum , that I would still rather use HSS in certain circumstances. After having typed all of this about HSS I realized that all of my HSS Drills are actually M42 Drill Bits ( 8% Cobalt ) I think , not plain HSS. I still think you'll be ok by just slowing things down.

 

[STR]

I thread titanium all the time. Usually on the thicker ones above .060 in thickness I will do the recessed hole trick. What I usually am using is #2-56 screw sizes and threading for that size hole on the custom clips I make for many members around the world so I'll use that as the example.

I take a number 44 drill and make the holes in the clip. This size allows the 2-56 screw to fit through without having to turn it like you are tightening it and yet it has little to no play so in other words its a snug fit. Then I drill out the holes I'm threading with a number 50 drill. The recess trick is that in the event that the titanium is thicker I drill the #50 holes and then follow in behind it about half way or more with the #44 leaving me enough thickness to still get good thread retention. This has not only reduced breakages of taps to practically nothing but its also allowed them to last much longer.

I would suggest doing it this way if you are doing it by hand.

STR

 

[M Wadel]

thanks for your replies guys

 

[Shing]

Get some ferric chloride as well, it will dissolve broken taps stuck in titanium without attacking the titanium, you can also use carbon steel taps which are cheaper than HSS.