Ti help

[butcher_block]

ok got a mill like tool (mini mill) i know i know
but its got to work for now im just goingto have to take my time and deal with some things
so i want to make framelock folders out of Ti
what kind of end mills should i get i have a starter set of HSS bits and i did get some small ones 1/32 and 1/16
if i get brave i plan on moding my spyderco para

what about a slitting saw i use a few dremel cut off blades in a drill press for my first folder
should i run the mill fast or slow my guess is slow cause Ti getts gummy found that out grinding the stuff
any help tips and tricks would be a big help
thanks ahead of time
butch

 

[butcher_block]

ok so i just got the MSC big book and now im realy lost tooo many different kinds of end mill something about different cutting angles
btw wow msc has a ton of stuff
butch

 

[M Wadel]

im educatin myself to be an cnc-tech, right now were using manual machines and i have some parts i will make out of titanium next week or so. then ill know for sure. if im not mistaking the best for titanium is tungsten-carbide/ti-nitride bits at relatively low speed high feed. depending on what titanum you got it could be quite alot V (6al4v)in it so if youre going to use hss make sure theyre very sharp and use much cutting fluid (also important for cooling)

 

[bhyde]

Just a thought....Titanium, when in a fine dust form....Is a bit like magnesium in more than one way....If it gets started on fire, it burns white hot.

I have ran this several times on CNC mills. M Wadel is right...Sharp tools and you MUST not play with it. Take a cut....Otherwise, this stuff will let you keep the short end of the HSS tool you are using to cut it...Mostly, this is true for drills.


HTH


Bill

 

[M Wadel]

yeah i forgot to mention if it contains vanadium watch out its not good to breath that stuff.. serious trouble (if grinding or if youre not using fluid)

 

[butcher_block]

oo i have worked with Ti some and yes i have a respirator
i work cpm3v so i know how bad vandium can be
so i found out i must wait till the rest of my tooling comes in i used the chuck to put a 1/32 bit in and snaped it off for being out of round
live and learn or brake and learn i guess
thanks for the info i was hoping to cut a compression lock but looks like i will keep it simple and make frame lock folders for a while
thank you and keep this info comming
butch

 

[Kevin Wilkins]

Butch,

you won't have any dust milling titanium, or if you do, then you're really doing something wrong!

Get catalogs from Kennmetal and Hanita (hope I spelled those right) and check their cutters out. They are very good quality. Feed and speed info is provided. Buying good cutters is essential to getting good results. Fraisa (Switzerland) and Jongen (DE) also make really good tooling.

I suggest using carbide 3 flute endmills uncoated for titanium with flood cooling or at least a heavy spray. Use water mixed cutting emulsion. Do not try and take nearly as heavy a cut as the tool maker catalogs suggest to start. Use about 25% of cutter diameter as DOC and increase (or decrease) from there. For cutters smaller than about 1/8 inch try HSS E Cobalt cutters. They are much cheaper than carbide and allthough they dont last as long, they dont break as fast either, so the actual cost is less than carbide.

Expect to break cutters getting started. This is frustrating. Putting a new $40 mill in the machine and promptly breaking it off is a bummer. (I never did that but I heard about this guy who did that!!)

Depending on what type of machine you have, you make have to go through a good many cutters getting settled. Be sure and use ER collets and chucks and never use a drill chuck except for drilling.

This will all cost more than you planned for...

 

[butcher_block]

thanks for the info and the catalogs
im more then ready to bust up mills i can be heavy handed at times
and the cost thing i already want more toys for the thing i keep telling myself it will be worth it to help making folders better
one last thing is there a tool that rounds off the edges
thanks again
butch

 

[Kevin Wilkins]

Yep, there are cutters with an internal radius which can be used to round the edges of folder grips but you will have to build an appropriate fixture to keep the edges free and raised for clearance. There are also other cutters that look like counter sinkers which will chamfer the edges but you also need a fixture. Or you can use a ball endmill to inset the edges.

Building and designing the fixture takes more time than anything else.

Be sure and use cutting emulsion!!

 

[alexmin]

Kevin,

what this jig suppose to look like?

Thanks,
Alex

 

[Kevin Wilkins]

depends on what you part looks like. Design and construction of fixtures goes beyond what can be explained on an internet forum.

 

[jimbowie7]

I heard Cool Tool helps.

 

[Jared Stenoien]

I think he may have figured it out by now.

 

[butcher_block]

kool tool is your friend and while ive got better at milling Ti im still learnign new tricks. i have not made the fixtures yet btw then again ive made just 3 folders so far with 3 more on the way i hope in the next month or so.