Which aluminum alloy should I use for balisong handles?

6061-T6 or 6063-T6 are readily available but actually 7075-T6 is a bit easier to machine but is less corrosion resistant than the 6xxx series.
 
Being aluminum, neither are that bad to machine relative to other metals. 7075 is harder and 6061 is tougher. 7075 will more likely turn white over time from fingerprints. Either takes a pretty good polish, and either can be anodized, although 7075 is a little tougher to do, so doesn't anodize as bright from most anodizers. The bike cranks I used to make were 7075, and held up fairly well. I made the spiders that screwed onto them in 6061.

Machining stainless and titanium are very similar to each other. Either will kill tools if allowed to overheat. Just run things very slow with lots of coolant.
 
tyr_shadowblade said:
I'm considering having a balisong made, and need to obtain some 0.5" X 0.5" bars. My question is, which aluminum alloys would be best suited for such a project? Also, the bladesmith who'll be making this knife is set up to mill stainless steel but not titanium.

I've heard that the copper content in 2024 oxidizes rapidly, and it cannot be adonized or polished. I also heard that 7075 is difficult to machine. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated, as metalurgy is way outside my field of study.

Thanks.
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2024T3 makes fine airplane parts. T3 refers to its temper. It's been a long time since I read mine, and they were given away long ago, but try to find the basic textbooks or references for an Airframe Technician (airplane mechanic). You can read up on those alloys there. If you are lucky, you might find a school near you with an FAA approved Airframe & Powerplant Technician program where you can look at their books. Good luck.
 
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