sidecar_jon

Well i got some Ti in the shape of a camping bowl. Findings so far are, its fairly hard, pretty thin, but it can be hand beaten cold and moves ok-ish, colours up lovely with heat but....once the blue colour is passed it goes brown, and pretty nasty brown too. I've tried wire wool, scourers, wet and dry paper etc. with little effect at getting rid of the brown so i can re-flame it. I guess any chemical i can get wont touch it...bit thin to use the grinder on too...

Thats a fine looking bowl . there is a story in the mabinogion about a black bird who pecks his way through an anvil.....
welcome to IFI

Seeing a raven close up i can believe they would at least try!

Hi Jon, welcome to the site, we aren't too far away from you, and host some get togethers, have a look at www.blacksmithsguild.com and see if we can be of any use to you.

Nice Bowl, how about entering it into the metalwork feature at the Royal Cornwall Show this year

They have a metalwork feature?.. never been to the Royal show, generally we go to a few steam rallys about Cornwall to smell the steam and hot metal though. I'm no blacksmith just a bloke in a shed!

Hi mick, Glasgow, is about as far away as one can get and still be in the Uk, thanks for the welcome and yes i'm finding it all very interesting.

Today i went on a search for ti bowls in local camping shops they did have some but far too expensive for my experimentation. I will have to get some off the net.

Someone else's shop, round hear your more likely to find horse shoes and iron gates than anything exotic, i think only jewellers use it.

I'm now wondering if i can attach to copper in some way, use it as a foil...

Randy's vids are interesting. maybe one day ah!

Yes i can get colours on copper but they are distinctively fugitive. I usually drew the torch away playing the flame to control the colour halo. I tried plastic coats etc, but they all look and feel very plastic and settled on Renaissance Wax. The copper still goes nut brown but at lest its not covered in plastic.

Thank you for all the useful advice, and.. i don't think i'm going to do it now. Red hot metal, wooden shed, big hammers, little room, near neighbours, the three pet hens... it all stacks up to be a no go. I'm now wondering if i can use Ti foil to get an effect without the shattered elbows and wrists.

Well thanks, i count myself as more and artist than a craftsman. Craftsmen can make the same thing twice and more, i just go with the flow and often get distracted by new ideas or shiny things!

i know all about the hammer blows, i counted two thousand on my latests bowl before i found it too depressing. How does Ti work in relation t metals i know, copper or pewter (i'm ever hopeful)

I use vinegar with a dash of salt, wire wool brings it up pink and new looking. For some reason the salt makes it work much better.

Oh it pays to know more than you need!... The main attraction is the flame colours really and i've not seen any bowls made from it, and there is probably a very good reason for that..

Hello i'm jon and i live in the UK, way down in the south west bit in Cornwall. I make bowls usually, 12" or they start that way and end up about 11" ish (you cant tell i like precision. I started with copper and progressed to pewter, so i work both now. All by hand, which is fairly insane. You can have a look at what i get up to in the shed here http://jonpenryn.blo...raven-bowl.html but don't laugh to hard!

Just wanted to welcome you to IFI. Lots to learn here.

Mark<>,

thanks there is indeed lots to learn..

I can get a 20"x 28" 26 gage 0.5mm thick on ebay for about £45, but i suspect its to hard to beat into a bowl. I cant really work hot very easily, i don't have a forge just an gas torch. I know im working basic but its all i can afford at present. The natural progression of what i do is to silver, but the price is huge!
I think with your advice i might look out for a titanium bowl (they sell them for camping it seems)and see what i can do with it.. thanks.

Hello, i hope i can pick your collective brains. I have made hand hammered bowls from pewter and copper, usually 12" in diameter and with Repoussé and chasing work on the inside. I've not had much luck with retaining any real heat colours for any length of time on copper. I stumbled upon the properties of Titanium, which i'm told retains oxide colour for ever! This is and neat idea for what i do. I have researched the material but opinions seem confused as it's usually used for industrial applications or small in the form of jewellery. Phrases like "it works like Stainless steel" worry me and the process of softening after work hardening too with tails of 450c for 45 mins...Anyone hand worked it? My equipment is hammers, anvil (well a bit of railway track) wooden stump, propane gas torch and i want to make a fairly deep bowl by hand beating, then maybe Reprouse work and flame colour...or am i totally barking up the wrong tree?