I have a massive piece of Grade 5 Titanium

BabaBooey · Jan 25, 2021

Hola,
I'm in a machining/cnc course at a university and have come to posess a 5"x5" roundstock of Grade 5 titanium. This semester is all about personal projects and I really want to make the most of this impressive piece of metal. I was hoping for some ideas on what to do with it. As a reminder, it is a 5" diameter, 5" long piece of solid Grade 5. Furthermore, all operations must be feasible on MANUAL MACHINES. I have access to just about any tooling necessary with some more than adequately powerful lathes and knee mills. I was thinking of making a roughly 4" diameter D20, but I want to challenge myself with something reasonably accomplishable in a 6 month period.
Be gentle, it's my first post.
Thanks! and I can't wait to hear your ideas with what I can do with it.

DocsMachine · Jan 25, 2021

First off, Boo, you have to take into account the average age of the regulars here.

Most of them have never even heard of D&D, let alone know what a "D20" is.

For those older types reading this, a "D20" is a 20-sided dice, used in role-playing games.

Second, making something like that would be a tricky job for an experienced machinist. That actual cutting of the Ti is no big deal as long as you pay attention to your feeds and speeds, but holding it solidly, and accurately indexing each face, is a tricky job. You'd almost certainly have to build multiple fixtures to hold it.

On the other hand, pulling it off, cleanly and accurately, would likely earn you a pretty solid passing grade.

Just keep the phrase "biting off more than you can chew" in mind.

Doc.

ezduzit · Jan 25, 2021

For the project to have meaning you should not throw away the opportunity to create something which you conceived yourself. If you first understand the extreme value of this material, and its very unique characteristics (strong as steel, but half the weight; non-corrosive, etc), you might sleep on it until the chunk of material tells you what it wants to become.

moonlight machine · Jan 26, 2021

BabaBooey said:
Hola,
I'm in a machining/cnc course at a university and have come to posess a 5"x5" roundstock of Grade 5 titanium. This semester is all about personal projects and I really want to make the most of this impressive piece of metal. I was hoping for some ideas on what to do with it. As a reminder, it is a 5" diameter, 5" long piece of solid Grade 5. Furthermore, all operations must be feasible on MANUAL MACHINES. I have access to just about any tooling necessary with some more than adequately powerful lathes and knee mills. I was thinking of making a roughly 4" diameter D20, but I want to challenge myself with something reasonably accomplishable in a 6 month period.
Be gentle, it's my first post.
Thanks! and I can't wait to hear your ideas with what I can do with it.

5 x 5 is not in any way "massive"

PeteM · Jan 26, 2021

moonlight machine said:
5 x 5 is not in any way "massive"

Still, buying it new would put a pretty good size hole in the average student's wallet.

tnmgcarbide · Jan 26, 2021

"massive " is a city block, barn door, humvee , john holmes..whatever... be careful what you post
here..... we can be very dis-compassionate to your expectations.

otherwise, good luck with your project, i hope it works out for you. Ti sucks to machine . heavy on the
feeds, and don't wuss out . lay into the cut like you mean it .

memphisjed · Jan 26, 2021

forge it into a d20 shape before machining it. You will not waste nearly as much material- and you get a bigger die than material is! (Roughly a 5 3/4 in d20 from a 5" piece of stock). Spend some time thinking about the font, PEC and starrets have nice examples of elegant and easy to read.

Kenre · Jan 26, 2021

For a nice practical exercise drill and tap every size imperial and metric thread on the sides.

Bonus marks for every drill and thread tap you dont burn-up or break.

kenny256 · Jan 26, 2021

Pulley wheels?

2, 3 or maybe even 4 pulley wheels that could be used in a compound block and tackle set. Machine out the bore to press in a bronze bushing.

crossthread · Jan 26, 2021

Saw it up and make a Ti Rubik cube.

Mtndew · Jan 26, 2021

DocsMachine said:
First off, Boo, you have to take into account the average age of the regulars here. Most of them have never even heard of D&D, let alone know what a "D20" is.

For those older types reading this, a "D20" is a 20-sided dice, used in role-playing games.

Second, making something like that would be a tricky job for an experienced machinist. That actual cutting of the Ti is no big deal as long as you pay attention to your feeds and speeds, but holding it solidly, and accurately indexing each face, is a tricky job. You'd almost certainly have to build multiple fixtures to hold it.

On the other hand, pulling it off, cleanly and accurately, would likely earn you a pretty solid passing grade.

Just keep the phrase "biting off more than you can chew" in mind.

Doc.

Hey I'm 51 and used to play AD&D back in the early 80's.
Now get off my lawn!

DDoug · Jan 26, 2021

BabaBooey said:
Hola,
I'm in a machining/cnc course at a university and have come to posess a 5"x5" roundstock of Grade 5 titanium. This semester is all about personal projects and I really want to make the most of this impressive piece of metal. I was hoping for some ideas on what to do with it. As a reminder, it is a 5" diameter, 5" long piece of solid Grade 5. Furthermore, all operations must be feasible on MANUAL MACHINES. I have access to just about any tooling necessary with some more than adequately powerful lathes and knee mills. I was thinking of making a roughly 4" diameter D20, but I want to challenge myself with something reasonably accomplishable in a 6 month period.
Be gentle, it's my first post.
Thanks! and I can't wait to hear your ideas with what I can do with it.

Me thinks you'd better wait a few years for more experience before tackling.
Try out what ever design you propose with mild steel or aluminum, then, test out the fancy material on some simple examples, before attempting.

Erich · Jan 26, 2021

Beer stein with fancy anodized finish.

implmex · Jan 26, 2021

Hi BabaBooey:
I'd cut it up into four equally thick slabs and make a set of miniature wheel rims out of it using the lathe and the rotary table on the milling machine "old style"
That will test and showcase your design skills and your ability to sequence multiple lathe and rotary table setups.
It will also showcase your ability to design and make the fixtures and form tools you will need...nothing need be complicated but it will require you to problem solve
You can make practice pieces out of aluminum chunks first, and if you get tired of the project before you cut up the titanium, you can just submit the aluminum ones for your grade. and re-sell the titanium chunk for beer money.

Be warned though...grade 5 titanium is tough shit, so just slicing the bar into slabs is going to test the quality of the saw and blade.
I cut a lot of titanium bar for freaky sex toys I make for a customer in Montreal (don't ask!

), and even a 2 inch bar gets cut on the wire EDM to save on bandsaw blades and titanium (and frustration).
A 5 inch bar will take so much cutting pressure you need a heavy saw and HSS or even carbide tipped blades to get through it.

Cheers

Marcus
Implant Mechanix • Design & Innovation > HOME
Vancouver Wire EDM -- Wire EDM Machining

Hardplates · Jan 26, 2021

I have never understood why people struggle with titanium :confused:

But then again I've never tried machining it on a flimsy machine

I ran some Ti parts last week and ran the exact same program I run for 304 SS

michiganbuck · Jan 26, 2021

I'm an old fart and think a 5" D20 would be something you might set out and look at for a very long time so a keepsake, not a bad idea IMHO.

You could make a coffee mug of it.
Titanium oxide may not be healthy so ceramic lined might be due.

implmex · Jan 26, 2021

Hi Hardplates:
You wrote: "I have never understood why people struggle with titanium :confused:

"

Yeah, but you (I assume) have proper machines.
As you implied, cutting titanium on a flimsy toy is a challenge...my BIG mill is a Haas Minimill and I spent a good bit of effort learning how to make it work on that machine.
I can do it efficiently enough now to make money at it but that was not always the case.

Cutting it on manual machines where you cannot use trochoidal milling and other high axial DOC, low radial DOC milling strategies, makes the challenge a lot harder; never mind the greater flimsiness of manual machines generally.

So in my opinion, it is a bit of a mouthful for a beginner machinist to swallow, and more importantly, it creates a handicap that he's unlikely to get the proper credit for if he manages to pull it off.
No one's even going to give a crap or know that it was a big deal.

I'd find an easier way to dazzle my examiners.

Cheers

Marcus
Implant Mechanix • Design & Innovation > HOME
Vancouver Wire EDM -- Wire EDM Machining

Hardplates · Jan 26, 2021

I tend to agree. If the OP is set on using it I would prove out a process on mild steel, then get it more dialed in on stainless and only once all the ducks are in a row and a defect free part can be made then move on to the titanium.

Still to this day when I work with high temp alloys I often proof out my process with SS or even mild steel. Mistakes on exotic materials simply cost too much.

crossthread · Jan 26, 2021

My boss asked me once to bore out a Ti rotor to mount a clock movement for a guy who was retiring from the plant. It was as hard as woodpecker lips to bore but not terrible with the right tools. We mounted it on a nice piece of walnut with an engraved brass plate with his name etc. Just to learn how Ti machines, you could bore it out and mount a nice clock movement or barometer or something. Not overly complicated and would be pretty cool.

kenton · Jan 26, 2021

Turn the whole thing into stringy lathe chips and light that bitch on fire.

I have a massive piece of Grade 5 Titanium

Plastic

Titanium

Hot Rolled

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Titanium

Cast Iron

Plastic

Titanium

Diamond

Diamond

Hot Rolled

Diamond

Stainless

Diamond

Diamond

Stainless

Titanium

Stainless

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