Ti Pocket Clip Jig?

[tito]

Does anyone use a jig for making pocket knife clips? I'm thinking that I could rig a pocket clip press using home made aluminum dies. I'd have to grind out the dies to bend the Ti at the correct points. I could attach the dies to a bench vise to use as a press. I should be able to heat the Ti clip blank and press it in the dies, giving me clean, repeatable bends every time. Theoretically. I wanted to post on here before I go wasting a lot of time. Is this a dumb idea? Are there better solutions?

thanks in advance for any replies.

v/r, coty handley

 

[Carl_First_Timer]

Aluminum would not be my first choice for dies. Ti could take quite a bit of tonnage depending on the bend radii you plan to use. Can you post a sketch of the clip you had in mind.

 

[blindhogg]

Great idea and from what I have read on the forums aluminum works fine, As the Ti you will be bending is quite thin.
I saw Great lakes waterjet post some photos in the past on the jigs he has created to bend up Ti clips. search here or on his forum
at knifedogs.com to see if you can scare up those photos.
Chris

 

[tito]

Thanks guys. I'll speak with David and see if I can find those photos - I did due diligence before posting, but couldn't find anything here or online about pocket clip jigs.

Carl, I don't have a sketch handy, but the clips I'm making aren't much different from the ones you buy at any of the supply stores. .040 titanium, about 2" long. None of the bends are over 45deg. I was thinking I'd heat the clip to cherry red because ti bends very easily that way. Any metal is going to act as a heat sink, but al64v is probably going to suck the heat pretty fast. I won't need a lot of tonnage, but I will need to press the ti quickly before the heat runs out. I bet an arbor press would work a lot better than a vise.