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Building Tips and technical articles. => Building techniques => Topic started by: Wynn Robins on August 14, 2011, 03:49:48 PM

Title: Cutting Titanium
Post by: Wynn Robins on August 14, 2011, 03:49:48 PM

anyone have a good tip for cutting titanium that does not develop heat?  tried a dremel cutoff wheel - obvioulsy got hot......cant get a hacksaw blade in there.......any other ideas?

I am trying to cut the nose ring backplate out of a yatsenko but leaving the ring in place to hold the nose together - to much heat will remove the glue and paint - so want to avoid it....

Title: Re: Cutting Titanium
Post by: Bill Gruby on August 15, 2011, 08:42:34 AM

 I don't know the whole situation here Wynn. Controling heat in Titanium is going against nature. Titanium is used extensivly in heat exchangers because of it's ability to draw heat away. It's a natural at conducting heat.
 Can you post a picture of the problem. Maybe a make shift heat sink will draw the heat away from the cut.

 "Billy G"

Title: Re: Cutting Titanium
Post by: Brett Buck on August 15, 2011, 10:44:25 AM

Quote from: Wynn Robins on August 14, 2011, 03:49:48 PM

anyone have a good tip for cutting titanium that does not develop heat?  tried a dremel cutoff wheel - obvioulsy got hot......cant get a hacksaw blade in there.......any other ideas?

   I cut it with a hacksaw. If you go slow, it won't develop a lot of heat.

    Brett

Title: Re: Cutting Titanium
Post by: Peter Nevai on August 15, 2011, 01:06:35 PM

If space is an issue you could try some diamond wire saw blades. They are much more compact that hack saw blades and available in different diameters. Attached is link to an example.

http://www.amazon.com/Diamond-Coated-Blades-Lapidary-Cutting/dp/B000OVNRP0/ref=pd_cp_hi_2 (http://www.amazon.com/Diamond-Coated-Blades-Lapidary-Cutting/dp/B000OVNRP0/ref=pd_cp_hi_2)

Title: Re: Cutting Titanium
Post by: Lauri Malila on August 17, 2011, 09:04:52 AM

 But that nose ring is not titanium, its hard anodized aluminium. Just grind the oxide away with a Dremel drum sander, then the hacksaw blades last longer. Finish with file. L

Title: Re: Cutting Titanium
Post by: Mike Greb on August 19, 2011, 04:58:00 PM

Has anybody here tried to machine titanium on a  sherline type hobby mill? I wonder what type of cutter works and what feeds and speeds.  It would be nice to cut landing gears from sheet Ti on a small mill

Title: Re: Cutting Titanium
Post by: Brian Hampton on August 19, 2011, 08:08:24 PM

I machined some titanium in a lathe once and just for interest's sake I took a shaving and put a match to it. It burned like magnesium.

Title: Re: Cutting Titanium
Post by: Lyle Spiegel on September 01, 2011, 06:45:54 PM

Ti alloys work harden very quickly- destroys the teeth on a Hacksaw blade. Best bet is to find a local job shop that has setup for CNC abrasive water jet or a laser cutter. Laser cutter used to cut our kits doesn't have the power- but there are many that can cut sheet Ti.

Title: Re: Cutting Titanium
Post by: jim gilmore on September 02, 2011, 04:27:31 PM

What thickness ti are wee talking ???
anything under 1/16 can be cut on a shear.
not hand...under 1/32 a hand shear will work....