# I came across 280lbs of Titanium blocks!



## liveforphysics (Sep 5, 2008)

Hi CPF master lathe and mill guys!

I recently won an auction for a load of Titanium pieces. I bought them for 2 reasons. I wanted to make titanium connecting rods for my racecar, and I've always loved titanium flashlights.

So, wanting to get started on the Ti connecting rods. I gave a nice sized chunk to a friend who has a waterjet cutter at his work. He cut the block into pieces of a reasonable size to make into connecting rods. Next, I experimented trying to cut the Ti with my ultra ghetto drill press with moveable base fixture... WOW! That ruined all the carbide cutters I owned in a hurry! 

Then the sad reality set in... I don't have the skills, knowledge, or tools to work with titanium.   

But! I remembered that CPF has a bunch of wizards with Ti! I thought, Hmm, I wonder if one of these guys want's some titanium for flashlights, and in exchange he could machine my titanium pieces for me  

Here are some pictures of the struggles I've been having trying to work with titanium with all the wrong tools... 

This was the size of the block to start with:






These are the sizes of the pieces to make each of the 4 connecting rods.





If you look carefully here, you can see the feeble scratch marks each represent the death of a saw blade or carbide cutter. I kept trying more oil and slower cutter speeds and slower feed rates, but it continued to just destroy my tools like a fat kit with cake. It would also flex the base of my ghetto drillpress/mill so badly, i thought it might snap right off... 






This is kinda roughly the end goal of what I'm trying to make, except I only need 4. I can make a CAD diagram with exact measurements of everything in whatever program would be best for you. Also, I will do the finish sizing on both of the holes on a rod sizing machine, and I will do the upper brass bushing myself as well. 






Is anybody out there itching to get their hands on some titanium without spending any money? I've got 280lbs in various sized blocks. It's all 6Al4V titanium. I paid $1,622 bucks to win the auction, and I would be willing to give somebody enough to make a hell of a lot of awesome flashlights or knives, if they can lend there skills and tools towards helping me get these things to take shape.

Also, i will extend this second offer to anyone. I will send you a few pieces of Ti if you will send me back a single small flashlight body. I like my lights either CR123 or AAA sized, so the Ti you use to make my light would only be a small amount compaired to what I would send you to make the body. I will handle all the electronics related parts for my light myself.

Any Ti wizards interested?  


Thank you and Best Wishes!
-Luke


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## danreetz (Sep 5, 2008)

You might also have luck posting this at RFQwork.com.


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## jhanko (Sep 5, 2008)

liveforphysics said:


> Also, i will extend this second offer to anyone. I will send you a few pieces of Ti if you will send me back a single small flashlight body.



I would love to take you up on this, but I can only work with round stock.  Good luck getting the rods done. Will require quite a nice CNC mill. Every titaniun rod I have seen has been cast, then machined to finish. Machining these from scratch should be quite a challenge...

Jeff


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## liveforphysics (Sep 5, 2008)

DanReetz- Thank you for the link. I registered at that site, and I will see if anyone is interested. 


JHanko- I know first hand what a PITA this is for me to try to cut, but I do know that I've seen many billet titanium connecting rods. That tells me it's gotta be possible for somebody out there


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## liveforphysics (Sep 5, 2008)

If it would make things more tempting for someone out there, my friend with the waterjet cutter told me he would cut them to the approximate (~1mm) outlines of the finished part. He can also cut the large and small holes within 1mm.

I would assume that would make the job a bit easier for someone to finish? 

Should I have him do that rough outline cutout for me now?


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## matrixshaman (Sep 5, 2008)

I know Photonfanatic has been doing Ti lights on his new mill. I'm guessing he might be interested but not sure. Of course there are a number of other well known light makers here that do work with Ti like McGizmo, TranquilityBase and a couple others that I can't pull out of my fuzzy memory at the moment. I've done some very small stuff (clips) in Ti and a few knives out of 1/4" thick 6Al4V and know how really hard this stuff is to work with. I don't have a lathe or mill yet so can't be of much help with that - just wanted to throw some names at you in case you didn't know those. Good luck on the project.


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## DocD (Sep 6, 2008)

It might be easy to see if a maker like Carrillo or arrow motor sport uk could make some for you, or eagle in the USA.
But i think unless the Ti you have won is forged for making connecting rod it might be a waste of you time and someone's effort's, nothing to say of crack testing and x-ray of you newly made rods, as for the four you need then i think you need to make eight as some will not make the pass grade, also why do you need Ti con rods as they DO NOT add any BHP to an engine, would be better to make Ti wrist pins and just use forged rods H or I section from eagle this is just " IMO " but i wish you luck in the quest for you torch hope it works out for you cheers DocD


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## Flipside (Sep 8, 2008)

JHanko said:


> Every titaniun rod I have seen has been cast, then machined to finish. Machining these from scratch should be quite a challenge...
> 
> Jeff


 
Indeed. They're also forged in the process as well. Machining out of a block may be used for prototyping, but not production. Also, a 'machined' rod may have durability issues... Best to go with the forged version.


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## precisionworks (Sep 9, 2008)

> Every titaniun rod I have seen has been cast, then machined to finish.


+1

I searched some of the performance web sites looking for machined Ti rods, and found only Cobb Tuning ($1900/4). The photos in the OP are cast or forged parts, with final features machined as needed.

Most Ti lights start as either solid round stock, or as near net tubing. The only Ti light currently made from flat bar is the SPY 007, and you may want to contact Cool Fall (Custom Builders & Modders Forum) to see if he has open machine time.

Even with the stock profiled to +/- 1.0 mm, and the big end & small end holes cut, there's lots of machine time still needed to bring these parts to completion. The small end has to be bored & precision honed, and the big end has to be split/faced/drilled/tapped/bored/precision honed. Then the I-beam profile has to be cut. Not counting program time, each part would probably need around three hours on the machining center ... with each hour of machine time at $100.


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## HarryN (Sep 9, 2008)

cnczone.com is a good place to find machist with Ti skills. They have a section for RFQ's. There is a whole group that works with Ti.

I probably would not cut them down to "near net size" just yet - the people machining the parts might have some ideas for how they like to clamp them.

It is also possible that since you have Ti stock, perhaps the shape does not need to be quite so complex as a fully weight shaved rod. This can save a lot of time.

I had a similar humbling experience with hastalloy C about 30 years ago - before carbide was common, and I was just working with hardware store tools. It kind of gives clarity to the challenges Boeing and Airbus have building their new high tech materials jets - doesn't it.


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## DocD (Sep 9, 2008)

hi try these guys http://www.pauter.com/titanium.htm tell them you have 280 lbs of ti and i,m sure they will guide you with the correct information good luck DocD


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## Patriot (Sep 9, 2008)

DocD said:


> also why do you need Ti con rods as they DO NOT add any BHP to an engine, would be better to make Ti wrist pins and just use forged rods H or I section from eagle this is just " IMO " but i wish you luck in the quest for you torch hope it works out for you cheers DocD




It's still reciprocating mass so there is a benefit when the mass is reduced. Some motor racing disciplines such as Formula One and Moto GP bikes use ti connecting rods in their engines.


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## DocD (Sep 9, 2008)

Quote:
Originally Posted by *DocD* 

 
_also why do you need Ti con rods as they DO NOT add any BHP to an engine, would be better to make Ti wrist pins and just use forged rods H or I section from eagle this is just " IMO " but i wish you luck in the quest for you torch hope it works out for you cheers DocD_


It's still reciprocating mass so there is a benefit when the mass is reduced. Some motor racing disciplines such as Formula One and Moto GP bikes use ti connecting rods in their engines.


This is in deed true, but Ti rods have a life span 3 times less then steel rods cost three times as much, but i have read no info from the OP to say in what or type of engine these are to be use in?

i run over the past 20 years many NA and turbo and in one car the engine cost more than the whole car, built by me with many full blown race parts so i only try offer my small knowledge,to save some petrol heads wasting good money on needless parts for only a tiny gain 
BUT
It's not my engine or my money so it's only my opinon and i hope all the hard work and effort by liveforphysics and all that help,gives him the engine he want's look forward to seeing lots of pictures of parts and the car many thanks DocD


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## DocD (Dec 22, 2008)

Hi,
Just to ask did the OP do any thing with those Ti block's, would be nice to see some pics? cheers DocD


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