Working with Ti?

U

UW Mitch

Joined
Nov 2, 1999
Messages
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I haven't been on forum for a while so howdy to anyone who remembers me.

Anyway, for summer school I'm taking Art 258, Intro to Jewelry design...I'm more in it to learn about metals than "jewelry" as my project concepts have proven. I want to work with Ti, and I was told by the shop tech that they have a variable power supply to anodize with.

I'm wondering if I need "special" drill bit or saw blades to cut it, and if it sands any different than any other metal. By the way I'm using a "jewelry" saw with "02" blades.

Has anyone had experience with Reactive Metals? I was thinking of ordering their Ti starter kit.

Any help would be great.

Thanks,
Mitch
 
Hey there Mitch, IMO you'd be better off buying your Ti from Chuck Bybee from the forums (www.titanium-man.com), least that way you can pick and choose what sizes you want and his prices are pretty good too.
As for working it, it kind of depends, commercially pure Ti is pretty 'gummy' for lack of a better word, it tends to gall and smear if you grind it with anything less then a *very* sharp belt, plus creates nasty burrs from grinding and drilling.
6Al4V titanium on the other hand is still a little bit 'gummy', but working it is probably closer to a 300 series stainless since it's a lot harder then commercially pure Ti. In my experience using it, you probably could get away with using 'regular' drill bits on it, just make sure to run the drill a lot slower then you would normally on steel, or it'll end up work hardening the partially drilled hole, and it'll be a b*tch to punch through. Haven't had any experience with jeweller's saws, but I'd think you should be ok if you go slowly and maybe even keep some oil on the blade to keep titanium chips from welding themselves to the blade.

Rich
 
Chuck Bybee is THE guy to get in touch with. His Ti is EXCELLENT, his Prices are STUPID LOW, and his service is beyond compare, and his material is first quality. I bought some Ti a couple of years ago from a knifemaker who shall remain nameless, it was the biggest pile of junk I've ever seen. Gouges, hammer marks, grinding burrs. Chuck Bybee's stuff is "from the mill" clean.
You'll find that Ti is a tough material but not nearly so awful as people would have you think. It can be cut with a hacksaw, filed with a regular file and if you take your time, you can drill it with no real difficulty. Machining it requires SHARP cutters and moderate speeds. Hand filing, you won't notice any real difference.


[This message has been edited by Jim Harvey (edited 07-09-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Jim Harvey (edited 07-09-2000).]
 
I'm still waiting for the .100, .125, .150 & .187.

I went to the salvage yard yesterday and talked to the supplier. He said he keeps ordering the sizes I need, the yard collects the order, and the reclamation side of the salvage yard pulls my order and sells it for scrap to be melted down! I pay three times the scrap price but the scrap buyers buy it by the train car load so they get preferential treatment.

I'm still working to get authorization to buy directly from the supplier. When that occurs I'll be able to get any size in any quantity for anyone.

Tom, you and Dave are first on the list for .150.
 
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