ken hosford Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 I Make fenders typically out of steel .aluminum,stainles and brass . I Have wanted to try titanium , well I finally found some at what might be concidered affordable . Well I worked up a fender . Tough stuff . If zero was lead and aluminum was 3 steel 7 stainless 12 titanium would be 18 on the scale of hard to do . Sping back something terrible . After forming I took it to the buffer and I got random white blue sparks ocationally . titanium is .6 the weight of steel and 50-65 thousand psi yeild as upose to 45 thousand psi of steel . Neet stuff if you get past mean . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 That sir is impressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmccustomknives Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 Wow! Now if you really want to impress some of these guys build a set of midevil armor. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 Very nice work, beautiful fender. Ti is a stone bugger to work without the right tools and some tricks up your sleeve. Well done! Occasional REALLY BRIGHT blue white sparks means it's probably a magnesium containing alloy, probably high performance jet or spacecraft stock. Some Ti alloys are memory metals and will return to the as fabricated form if crunched then heated. You can heat it to form, just try not to get it above med yellow, if it starts to form an orange peal looking scale it's too hot. Hydrogen embrittlement is also a factor so keep the torch a little on the rich side, a touch of soot really helps keep it happy. I don't mean so rich it turns it back, just a hint of dark haze is plenty. Just a little extra feather on an oxy acet torch primary flame, a little yellow at the far end is okay but a touch much. We spun a LOT of Ti in Dad's shop and one of my main jobs was holding the torch. I'd stand behind the lathe and keep the part the right color yellow to be spun. Too little and it wasn't going anywhere, too hot and it just might go everywhere. Trimming was like living with a magnesium flare, we kept a few inches of sand in the bed of the lathe we trimmed on and made SURE there was NO oil in it. why a trimming lathe? That's the lathe a little too many Ti shavings built up in the bed and burned through it when the shavings got burning. Heck, burnt a hole 8" dia and about 6" deep in the concrete floor. It didn't go deeper because the concrete started spalling and scattered the shavings, most went right out without a bit of a pile to support combustion. Good old childhood memories. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monstermetal Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 Very cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodsmith Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 Impresssed, have enough english wheel expirience to have clue (car bodies), and would much rather work Al. No need for armor, I am already completely impressed. And DANG, Frostly what dont you know about? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 The opportunity to see items like this that represent the true craftsmen keep me checking these forums daily.....Thank you for sharing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 That would definitely be "High Evil" armour! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Coke Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 Greetings Ken, That's some kind of fantastic work.... Now the big question... How much would you charge if a customer wanted one ?? I don't think most people understand what it takes... Forge on and make beautiful things Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 Impresssed, have enough english wheel expirience to have clue (car bodies), and would much rather work Al. No need for armor, I am already completely impressed. And DANG, Frostly what dont you know about? I don't know what I don't know, if I did then I would. wouldn't I? The Ti stuff comes directly from Dad's shop, I've never tried forging CP though I hear it's decent forging stock. Most of the exotics in Dad's shop were classified, mil, aerospace and who knows what, I probably shouldn't have been working there. I high graded some TI trimmings, (Exotic metals were NEVER scrap) and snuck them home to my "forge". I could get med high yellow with it but couldn't do more than scar up the piece of steel I was using as an anvil so I rigged the oxy acet torch horizontal just above the "anvil" and still couldn't even mark the TI, even at incandescent white. Marred the heck out of my "anvil and hammer though. Couldn't grind it either. Other junk I've picked up over the years is reading and experimenting, comes from having a eidetic memory for the written word and reading most anything. Then there's what I milk out of you guys here, I've learned more about smithing here than anywhere else. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodsmith Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 Thanks Frosty, Im used to being the guy at work with the top knowledge of metals and thier characteristics, comes from things like you said, other blacksmiths, reading, growing up without a TV (I just read encyclopedias instead), makes me the jerk most of the time because I cant help but to tell someone why it wont work or what could go wrong based on data or experience. I keep this to a minimum as much as possible (honest), suggesting another way rather than being "the expert" or too pridefull about it. I appreciate your input here, and pick up as much as I can. But, yes, the greatest (and hardest) thing Ive learned is how much i dont know. Woodsmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 Thanks Frosty, Im used to being the guy at work with the top knowledge of metals and thier characteristics, comes from things like you said, other blacksmiths, reading, growing up without a TV (I just read encyclopedias instead), makes me the jerk most of the time because I cant help but to tell someone why it wont work or what could go wrong based on data or experience. I keep this to a minimum as much as possible (honest), suggesting another way rather than being "the expert" or too pridefull about it. I appreciate your input here, and pick up as much as I can. But, yes, the greatest (and hardest) thing Ive learned is how much i dont know. Woodsmith Wow, I though my sis and I were the only ones that did that. (We had a TV but in the area we lived it only got one channel) And I get into trouble a lot with the missus for being a "know it all" :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodsmith Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 This is one of the several times Ive been glad to notice how abnormal this group is. :D I got a set of used TI engine valves off Ebay, appently they saw one NASCAR type race and were replaced, so far Ive made one into a body hammer (appropriate shape), but havent tried forging any of the others, expect they could make some decent tooling, for punches or chisels or hot work., has anyone trid this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 When the job is finished, I will have a big pile of .375" dia Ti bar ends from work. I recently told the boss that I want to buy the 55 gallon drum the Ti solids are being tossed into. Machines nice with the proper tools, and I welded a burner housing years ago when I had my shop. The beads look like glass when they are done. Nice job on the fender. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken hosford Posted October 15, 2013 Author Share Posted October 15, 2013 Jim in answer to that I feel I can sell the titanium fender for $200 . I an not sure It is wise to make to many of them though , necause believe it or not I am forming them with wood dies cold I am alsp not sure if I am beating up my pullmax to much ,. My thoughts on the machine is if the spring loaded belt tensioner is not clattering the frame is not driving the crank , so I hope it lasts. How does one set up this forum to notify of responndses ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodsmith Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 dont sell yourself short, Im not the buisnessman at my work, but I know how very long hand shaped metal takes in patterning and forming, compared to alluminum or even mild steel, stainless takes its toll on tooling and people, when cutting edges and forming dies last half as long.....Im sure its much more so for Ti. I have done some really good work and gotten paid average for it, because I wanted to do it, but the end result can be unprofitable. I could be wrong , but that price seems a bit low. Woodsmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iron woodrow Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Wow, I though my sis and I were the only ones that did that. (We had a TV but in the area we lived it only got one channel) And I get into trouble a lot with the missus for being a "know it all" :D must be the curse of those of us who grew up without a tv ! and im only 30! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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