The_Davster
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Working with titanium
I recently ordered some thin(0.9mm) titanium, which when it arrives I will have to drill numerous holes(1/4 inch or so) in. Everything I have seen
online about titanium machining always says use slow speeds and a hard drill bit(carbide) with plenty of coolant.
I have always used a hand drill(non-electric, it has a hand crank and gears) for everything before now, but titanium must be pushing some boundaries
for this. So in advance, what does everyone think? Could I get by with a hand powered drill and a hard bit? Or will I have to get an electric drill,
or even find someone with a drill press . I have plenty of time to obtain the
required tools, the titanium should be here at the earliest in a month, as I cheaped out on shipping .
EDIT: I will also have to cut it. I had figured a fine tooth hacksaw or a dremel attachment?
[Edited on 12-11-2007 by The_Davster]
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Fleaker
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I'd go for a carbide drill and the drill press. Or if the holes don't need to be pretty, find an obliging friend at some welding trade shop and have
them plasma cut the holes for you 
Neither flask nor beaker.
"Kid, you don't even know just what you don't know. "
--The Dark Lord Sauron
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Eclectic
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CP titanium won't start out very hard, but it will work harden rapidly, faster than 304 or 316 stainless steel. I'd recommend a high speed center
drill, especially if you do not have a drill press or milling machine. Carbide will just break up if you try to drill by hand. Drill speed should be
800-1200 rpm for a 1/8" hole, 1/16 would be twice that, 1/4 would be 400-600. Scale accordingly. Use heavy feed and don't hesitate, as each turn of
the drill should peel up a chip at least .004 thick. Otherwise the material will harden under the drill point.
Center Drill
If you can afford it, use one of those cheap $50 benchtop drill presses you can find at Lowes, Home Depot, Harbor Freight, Northern Tool.
Oh, and clamp down your workpiece, or it will grab and spin about, possibly causing great damage to your hands.
[Edited on 11-12-2007 by Eclectic]
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The_Davster
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Well apparently the cheapest method of shipping got the Ti here in 4 days...
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franklyn
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If this reply sounds flaky blame it on your cryptic description of the material.
0.9 mm ? My immediate impression is why not just use a center punch and
hammer to perforate it against a wood block , or if you need to be neater an
arbor press and hole punch , a simple nibler would do nicely also finished
with a small round file. From the picture you've posted it looks like a tube ,
in that case you'll need to put a round core inside for support having a small
hole in it measured from the end of the Ti tube before you bang away.
Those other suggestions posted are very nice suggestions if you're turning
out aircraft parts to spec.
.
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12AX7
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Titanium really is a bitch to work with. What you suggest might work with aluminum. But titanium is a far cry from aluminum, which is, after all,
perhaps the "butteriest" structural metal in use. A centerpunch won't touch this stuff. Maybe if the metal is preheated to forging heat first... but
even then...
Tim
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JohnWW
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I presume the idea of punching many holes in Ti sheet is to form it into an electrode with a larger surface area for electrochemical work. Gas-cutting
would probably work, but result in oxidation, and especially embrittlement due to formation of the brittle nitride, TiN. The most common methods of
working Ti are by meltiing and casting the molten metal, and grinding with an hard abrasive. Using even carbide-tipped tools and bits for drilling or
milling or turning in a lathe woold be very tricky, and certainly "hard" on the tools.
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UnintentionalChaos
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Not to derail, but if you're in the US or Canada maybe you can do something with this stuff http://theringlord.com/cart/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=12&am... Scroll down about 2/3 of the way and you'll find punched titanium scrap strip. I
don't know if the shape or thickness is useful, but at 40 cents per foot, its probably worth playing with.
I don't think it says so in the description but that strip is commercially pure (CP) titanium
They also have 1.6mm diameter CP titanium wire (everything else is alloyed) Smallest amount you can buy is 16 feet for $5.50 US plus shipping.
[Edited on 11-27-07 by UnintentionalChaos]
Department of Redundancy Department - Now with paperwork!
'In organic synthesis, we call decomposition products "crap", however this is not a IUPAC approved nomenclature.' -Nicodem
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The_Davster
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At 40c/foot I can find something to do with it!
thanks!
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