Newbie Titanium question

F

fuchikoma

Joined
Jan 8, 2001
Messages
60
I was thinking of ordering some bars of Ti to play around with, and maybe eventually make scales out of. The only problem is that I have a very poorly stocked shop, and I'm not sure if I have the means to work with it.

For one thing, I'm not sure what type I'd be able to get my hands on, probably AMS 4928. I know the basic precautions: use sharp tools at low speed (30SFPM or less,) with a continuous high feed rate and copious amounts of non-chlorinated cutting fluid. Beware of overheating, etc...

The issue is that I don't have a drill press, and I've heard that Ti should be milled in a very rigid setup. I'm wondering if anyone with experience thinks it would be possible to drill (albeit somewhat sloppy and difficult) with a high-powered hand drill as long as I'm following the other guidelines?
 
I found that you can drill ti fine. I use a press. Just try not to get it hot! If you do, you're in for some work!
 
Thanks, Crayola. I've never worked with it before, so I'm a bit aprehensive.

On a side note, I plan to get a drill bit specifically for working with Ti, both for sharpness and in case I mess up and ruin the bit. :p
 
Thanks, mete. Actually, I have a guidebook from timet.com, and a few other guides, including an anodization color spectrum chart (if anyone is interested, I'll post it)

It's just that most of the info I find is aimed at people with fabrication plants, so I wasn't sure how feasible it would be trying to work with hand tools, powered or not. :D
 
fuchikoma,

E-mail your address and I'll send you some free scraps to practice with.
 
I'm with Chuck. I'm a newbie too, but email me your shipping info and I'll send you some 6AL4V scraps to practice on. Some scraps might even be large enough to make something out of, you just never know.

John
 
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