Titanium

[Peter AinsleyParticipant @peterainsley70637]

Does anyone know where I can obtain sheet Titanium.  I only need 2″ square by 1/16th inch thick.  I would appreciate any tips on how difficult it is to machine

[Peter AinsleyParticipant @peterainsley70637]

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi There

You could try posting a classified wanted advert.

Titanium is not that bad to machine. It is soft but abrasive. it dents easily if you hit it with a hammer. Use about half the speed you use for steel and you should be ok. Don’t try to drill it unless it is clamped downor in a vice.

regards David

 

Edited By David Clark 1 on 18/05/2009 18:21:37

[simondavies3Participant @simondavies3]

A number of years ago I needed about 2m of 5/16 – 8mm titanium for a racing car project. I tried all of the metal suppliers who wanted to sell me hundreds of metres but were not interested in a small order like mine. Finally I started ringing around the F1 teams on the basis that they probably used loads of titanium in their cars. Williams GP were very helpful when I explained the issue, decided that it was too complicated to try and pay them to supply it but needed a contribution to the Christmas party fund that they held each year. Not only that, but they used to have a van that passed our gates twice a week so they  even delivered it. Naturally I have looked on this team in a different light ever since then.

It might pay you to try a similar exercise for such a small quantity of metal – F1 teams, top-fuel dragsters, anyone else that might use Ti….

BTW, I seem to remember that there were specific points regarding the fire safety when machining Ti, I seem to remember that it is reactive in small particles (like swarf) in the same way that applies to magnesium and that certain cutting fluids should be avoided. A swift web search should help.

Regards,

Simon

[mgjParticipant @mgj]

I used to get mine as offcuts from aircraft material suppliers. As long as it didn’t need to be certified it wasn’t expensive in that form.

 

Is this to be used in a steel or other dissimilar metal sleeve or somesuch, and where there is a possibility  of failure being catastrophic?

 

I may be telling my granny, in which case I apologise, but it galls like fury and is very notch sensitive, so tool tip radii are important and the surface finish needs to be spot on. Also it can work harden badly,  rather like stainless, so that last cut for diameter can’t be tiddly steell type finsher! Horrible stuff!

 

I have a hangover from my racing days – about 8″ long and 1″ square. Do you want it? Grade unspecified, but it is most certainly Titanium – grinds with its bright white spark and all.

[GrumpyParticipant @grumpy72061]

Some plate heat exchanger plates are made from titanium. If you can find a manufacturer like Alfa Laval, the cut outs on the corners are circles of up to 100 mm diam. They are waste and can usually be had for nothing.  The plates are made in the factory with all corners  intact. each heat exchanger is designed to a flow pattern. This pattern is obtained by cutting out the corners with a chassis punch type devise

[CirclipParticipant @circlip]

Local RAF Station (If there’s one near you Peter) may have some bits of scrap.

 

 Last time I saw a similar size required, it was for the scape wheel on a clock design in ME.

 

   Regards  Ian.

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