CBrann Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 I have thought about forging titanium with my regular gear.. steel hammers and anvils.. was researching forgeable alloys.. found an article about hot titanium and steel/iron fire scale and an exothermic reaction.... basically a thermite reaction.... is this a bad idea?? I know it will take more heat and heavier blows to forge... like some grades of stainless ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 No problem, they're both oxides and so can NOT form thermite. Be careful of the Ti alloy though, some have significant % of magnesium and can burn fiercely. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Evers Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 I've worked with titanium horseshoes. Worked well with high heat, only problem I had was it lost heat quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBrann Posted March 10, 2009 Author Share Posted March 10, 2009 any recomendations of more forgealble alloys... the article I was reading referred to Ti and Steel scale... and also suggested a flus for forging.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 I've forged Ti in coal, charcoal and gas forges for over a decade with no problems with it burning. The CP grades are MUCH SOFTER than steel at forging temps my biggest problem was hammering soft enough! I used to forge Ti when I had a bad case of blacksmith's elbow because I could use my lightest hammer and do work that looked like I was swinging a heavy hammer with it and my elbow wouldn't notice that I was hammering at all. Now the problem with forging Ti is that it will absorb gasses from the fire and atmosphere and gradually become glass brittle when cold. Some folks use borax to help slow this down. Another problem is that some alloys of Ti will give you flu like symptoms if you forge them without very good ventilation---why I stick to the straight CP stuff (Chemically Pure). Ti will undergo sudden soft to hard transition while you are working it---sort of like forging an air hardening steel as it goes through transition: thud, thud, thud, ping! Now what is the reason you want to forge it? It's *expensive*. Ti makes a terrible blade; unless you are willing to trade edge holding for chemical and magnetic unreactivity. I forged a Ti eating set so I can pop them in the dishwasher after blacksmith pot lucks. People are always astounded when I tell them that my old commercial pocket knife is a much better knife than the forged self hilted Ti one. I've forged the eating set, a set of Ti tongs---light and the heat transference is low so they stay cooler longer when using the gasser. A Ti pipe tool for a smoker friend and a Ti penannular brooch; save for the bragging rights most of those things could have been done with a ferrous alloy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 Hey ThomasP! Have you gotten any thing forged from the Ti I got you? just wondering, I also gave some to Rob Gunter.....wonder what he has made from it, hmmm.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 Thomas, Thomas Here; no I haven't tried that stuff yet as I am hoarding it for the next time I have something I should make from Ti. I'm getting some ideas though... Thanks for it anyway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 No problem, I agree, definitly want it to be made into something nice. Hoard away! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 I have to admit we did take a piece and make a Ti nail for a fellow who was making nails for a mat sci class project---I loaded him up with all the weird stuff I could find, real WI, Ti, etc and gave the rest of that piece to the instructor of the Fine Arts Metals courses, (where I teach smithing every once in a while), to use for jewelry making---I'm not as tight with stuff as some folk might want to portray me...and I'm much more handsome than I look too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 Quieter than you sound too I'll bet. I know I'm taller than my height makes me look. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 I guess the 2 of you, ThomasP and Frosty, are 1/2 right!! I'll let you figure which 1/2. Glad you shared, but you are so nice anyway....;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBrann Posted March 11, 2009 Author Share Posted March 11, 2009 Just an idea... read another article in Popular science or Mechanics.. it was about titanium,,and they did a Titanium thermite reduction,,,, TiO2 + FeO2+ Al+ Heat=Ti...and slag... there was an extra oxidizer ( don't remember what) and!! a big disclaimer "Don't try this at home...." Which I plan to abide by.... but overall pretty cool... Just trying to broaden my horizons.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBrann Posted March 11, 2009 Author Share Posted March 11, 2009 Check this article... under Contamination During Forging...Titanium and Titanium Alloys - Forging Parameters and Forgeability of Titanium and Titanium Alloys Thermal Reaction?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Frosty, take off your coat and roll up your sleeves and step outside and say that and I will too! (Nice weather here for a walk in a short sleeve shirt and I'm betting it's a whole lot nicer than where Frosty is at!) My wife says that after almost 25 years she still likes waking up looking at my face---every day should start with a good laugh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 How many folks that are not blacksmiths worry about steel burning? I've met a bunch that don't even know it can---so much so that burning up a piece of steel is a fairly common public demo item with me. Sure there are a lot of weird thermite reactions out there and Ti fires in machine shops are legendary. I have just never had any indication that the Ti I was forging wanted to ignite. I may have to forge out a long thin taper and use the coal forge and really push for it just to see if I can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 How many folks that are not blacksmiths worry about steel burning? I've met a bunch that don't even know it can---so much so that burning up a piece of steel is a fairly common public demo item with me. Sure there are a lot of weird thermite reactions out there and Ti fires in machine shops are legendary. I have just never had any indication that the Ti I was forging wanted to ignite. I may have to forge out a long thin taper and use the coal forge and really push for it just to see if I can. When you do just wear some DARK glasses, the light is extremely BRIGHT!! I have taken fine shaving from a lathe and you can light them with a cigarette lighter...cool. they need to be on a final cut, really fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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