# Making Titanium Wedding Band: What Tools, Attachments Needed?



## Mr.Haines (May 18, 2015)

Hello all!

I just purchased an old Pratt & Whitney 10" bench lathe. My main use for this will be making glassblowing tools, but first and most important is a very different project. I plan on using the machine to machine a titanium wedding/engagement ring for my girlfriend. I'm actually unsure if there will be one ring or two, she hates excess jewelry and all that, but that's not the point.

What tooling, accesories, attachments, and so on will I NEED in order to succesfully machine a comfortable ring out of a solid piece of Titanium? I'm on a limited budget, I have never "made chips" as you guys like to say, and this project is easily the most important I've had to date. As usual, your assistance is very apreciated.

Thanks,
MrHaines


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## Flammable_Solid (May 18, 2015)

You'll need carbide tooling to make it easier.  Lots of information out there for machining Ti to determine the feeds and speeds you will need.

Use a boring bar, drill, angled cutting tool,  radius cutter, polishing wheel.


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## rwm (May 18, 2015)

I made my band out of Ti. It is a real pain to machine. It work hardens as you cut it. There are lots of methods but here's what I did: I did not have barstock to start. I started with 1/4" plate. I drilled sequential holes in it up to 5/8" using HSS on a drill press and plenty of coolant. Then I drew out a hexagon around the hole. I cut this out with an angle grinder and a high quality disc. Then I moved to the lathe with carbide tooling. The hex shape could be gripped on the outside in my 3 jaw. I machined the center hole to the ring size. I then put that on a homemade mandrel and turned down the outside to suit. It is a simple band but looks great.
In retrospect I would probably cut it out of plate first and do the center drilling on the lathe instead. Carbide is essential for lathe tooling as a lot of heat is generated. 
R


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## coolidge (May 18, 2015)

Craft it from 18k gold instead, timeless.


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## coolidge (May 18, 2015)

Alternatively craft it from silver, a silver coin works for stock, google coin rings.


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## brav65 (May 18, 2015)

I just watched this video over the weekend.  It seems like a pretty straight forward process, although I am not sure who has a size 16 finger?  I have big hands and my wedding band was only a size 12.


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## randyc (May 18, 2015)

Suggest that you PM "darkzero" who is one of the moderators on the forum.  He turns titanium often and can answer your questions


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## Andre (May 18, 2015)

rwm said:


> Carbide is essential for lathe tooling as a lot of heat is generated.



Are you specifically talking about Ti, or when turning all metals? If your creating so much heat your HSS tools are dulling (their yield is basically white hot), you really need coolant.


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## rwm (May 18, 2015)

I was only referring to Ti and my admittedly limited experience in machining it. HSS can give a beautiful finish on other materials.
R


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## Mr.Haines (May 19, 2015)

I'm definitely going with the Titanium for the ring, my girlfriend hates gold and all that. It isn't about color or things like that, she just abhores anything that involves spending money, particularly when it means more than five-ten dollars. She's... Interesting. The titanium will be a cheaper, stronger metal without the baggage of gold. 

Carbide tooling seems to be a must, I'll start looking and buying. Any particular kinds of cutters?

My plan was to get a few inch long rod of the metal, chuck it up in the lathe, and turn down the OD. I might want to have the top of the ring a little heavier, so I was thinking I would then clamp the ring down and do the hole with my drill press. However, I really don't want to do that because I'm assuming it won't be as nice and the drill bits will be mucho expensive. Is there a way to turn the center off center? Maybe I'll remember to knock out a sketch, I know there are proper terms for what I'm asking but I don't know them yet.

Thanks folks!


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## Flammable_Solid (May 19, 2015)

Skip the drill press.  After you turn the outside of the bar, chuck it up off center to drill the hole.  Turning the OD while still chucked up off center will make an elliptical shape as well.  Here are some tips from a great machinist:

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## rwm (May 19, 2015)

Ti band and quick mandrel:


Yes, its scratched up!
Robert


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## schor (May 19, 2015)

A buddy made a titanium ring.


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## george wilson (May 21, 2015)

I had a wife who hated to spend money on anything,too. It was a big deal buying a $250.00 item,in spite of the fact that she made nearly as much money as I did. I'm not a spend thrift,but it is not a lot of fun when you can't ever buy anything,BELIEVE ME.

We are no longer together,though not because of the money issue,though that would have been a GOOD STARTING POINT!!!!


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## coolidge (May 21, 2015)

Mr.Haines said:


> It isn't about color or things like that, she just abhores anything that involves spending money, particularly when it means more than five-ten dollars.



Not a problem, this was my haul from just one season (fall, winter, spring) walking along a beach with a metal detector, cost $0.00 You are talking thousands of dollars in gold and silver, I'm over $20k in just a few seasons. One diamond ring alone sold for $3,400 Women typically are okay with this hobby, you walk off a few pounds, it generates thousands of dollars, and the women in the family get to pick over the loot before I cash in the rest at the refiner in TX.  




And if you know where to look you can dig up Spanish ship wreck treasure, this is 2 Spanish 8 reales (pieces of 8) from the 1700's before cleaning, these silver coins are a bit larger than a US half dollar.


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## MontanaAardvark (May 22, 2015)

I made myself a titanium ring on my Sherline lathe.  Unmodified.  It's a tough metal, but in my limited experience, I'd say it turns a lot like stainless steel - not the "free machining" 303/304 type, but the stuff lots of people hate.

I got a titanium bar (3Al-2.5V? don't recall) 1" OD, cut off about an inch, bored out the ring diameter using one of those online ring size to decimal equivalent charts and then turned the outside smooth.  Then, just for appearances, I CNC milled a couple of sine waves on it.  Pretty standard Sherline mill and rotary table.  Once that was done, I parted it off the bar. 

On a Sherline?  Sure.  When I got my stuff, Dan Statman from Statman designs was on the Sherline Yahoo groups and was using Sherlines exclusively.

Other than using carbide tooling, I'd say nothing to it.  Only problem is I packed on too much weight and now my finger is too fat to wear it!


Bob


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## MontanaAardvark (May 22, 2015)

coolidge said:


> Not a problem, this was my haul from just one season (fall, winter, spring) walking along a beach with a metal detector, cost $0.00 You are talking thousands of dollars in gold and silver, I'm over $20k in just a few seasons. One diamond ring alone sold for $3,400 Women typically are okay with this hobby, you walk off a few pounds, it generates thousands of dollars, and the women in the family get to pick over the loot before I cash in the rest at the refiner in TX.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



You know, for some odd reason, a metal detector shop has been emailing me an ad two or three times a week.  I'm kind of interested, but haven't taken the plunge.  

Thanks to this, I could really see playing with these!  If only I had the time.


Bob


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## coolidge (May 22, 2015)

MontanaAardvark said:


> You know, for some odd reason, a metal detector shop has been emailing me an ad two or three times a week.  I'm kind of interested, but haven't taken the plunge.
> 
> Thanks to this, I could really see playing with these!  If only I had the time.
> 
> ...



Talk to me first before you purchase a detector. Like machining its about having the right tool for the job and some knowledge, there are plenty of detectors not worth owning, most of them in fact. The best machine is no longer manufactured, but you can pick one up on ebay used. They manufacture a newer model but the engineers screwed it up, one of those if it aint broke don't fix it situations.

PS: South Beach is literally a gold mine. I know teachers who detect SB as their summer job.


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## rcaffin (May 22, 2015)

Very fashionable these days, Ti wedding rings.

Just be aware that many hospitals nowadays have to have very special custom cutters for removing titanium rings which have become stuck on a finger and are causing gangrene etc. Could be a problem if you make the ring just slightly too small. Ti rings canNOT be stretched.

Low RPM, serious cutting, do NOT allow any rubbing as the Ti will work-harden. Carbide is advised but not absolutely essential if you know what you are doing. Can give a wonderful finish.

Cheers
Roger


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## rwm (May 22, 2015)

I was wondering if hospitals had new ring cutters for these. Here you go:
https://www.titaniumstyle.com/titanium-tungsten-ring-cut-off.htm
R


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## coolidge (May 22, 2015)

Just curious is there any toxicity with Ti rings? That's the thing with gold its really inert, impervious to just about everything other than aqua regia.


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## rwm (May 22, 2015)

Titaniosis. But it's rare.


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## genec (May 24, 2015)

I believe they use Puk  3 welder for welding ti


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## Round in circles (Jun 1, 2015)

As a 4 yr old kid in the mid kid in the 1950's at some time in the early evening I got  high carbon steel ring stuck on the middle finger of my left hand , it came off a pre - ww2 leather handbag clasp .  Mum tried every thing she as a former nurse knew to get it off .
I even slept with my arm tied up high to some timber wedged behind the bed headboard  to try and get the finger deflated. Come 07.00 in the morning the finger was starting to blister with gas gangrene & was a lovely dark purple .  We had to walk five miles to a place where we cold catch the daily bus to the nearest town some 9 miles away  and then walk half a mile to the hospital . By that time my finger was not quite black but well on the way , the blisters were all over the the upper finger and a bit below the ring area .

 In the casualty dept they broke four pairs of ring cutters ,   They even called in a local jeweler who bragged that his cutters would cut the ring off no problem  .....PING it didn't even  polishe it  ! no more ring cutting from them .
 Twas now just into the afternoon & I was prepped for an operation to have my finger taken off when the jeweler came back saying he had a possible solution . I was taken by ambulance as dopey as a politician to a local precision engineering company whey they lifted me up on some planks of wood covered in a blanket and  used some strange scissor looking clamp to hold the ring and finger  . I was given tow injection in my hand  , then they held up a white sheet between my face and the machine the proceeded to wet grind the grind the ring  open , then rotated it and after sliding something  under the eased off part to lift it off my skin ground off the  other side .  

 Fortunately there was no damage to my skin and a course of penicillin sorted out the possibility of gangrene infection ... I remember that I got a big bowl of ice cream with strawberries on top  as it was  a very rare thing in my life in those days , for  we hadn't got electricity or running water.
My mum kept those bits of ring  for years and years usually bringing them out at weddings ,  christenings , my own marriage & family's christenings  .


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## rwm (Jun 1, 2015)

That is the craziest story ever. Sounds like a great reason not to wear my wedding band!!
Robert


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## T Bredehoft (Jun 1, 2015)

rwm said:


> That's a great reason not to wear my wedding band!!
> Robert


I stopped wearing my wedding ring when one of the guys working on our farm jumped from the bed of a stake truck, leaving his wedding ring and finger on one of the stake hooks.


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## Bill C. (Jun 1, 2015)

T Bredehoft said:


> I stopped wearing my wedding ring when one of the guys working on our farm jumped from the bed of a stake truck, leaving his wedding ring and finger on one of the stake hooks.




They always preached to us not to wear rings calling them hand traps.


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## JimDawson (Jun 1, 2015)

I haven't worn any jewelry (rings, watches, anything) since I was working on a car about 45 years ago and shorted a ring across a hot wire and ground.  Pretty much welded the ring to my finger.  Too dangerous working around machinery and electrical equipment.


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## Bill C. (Jun 1, 2015)

coolidge said:


> Just curious is there any toxicity with Ti rings? That's the thing with gold its really inert, impervious to just about everything other than aqua regia.




You can buy them so I guess there is no toxicity.  Just make its big enough to slip over the knuckle without to much trouble.  If is it drillable then you can bore it to the right size.  Years ago they used to bore out large SS nuts out to make rings.


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## coolidge (Jun 1, 2015)

JimDawson said:


> I haven't worn any jewelry (rings, watches, anything) since I was working on a car about 45 years ago and shorted a ring across a hot wire and ground.  Pretty much welded the ring to my finger.  Too dangerous working around machinery and electrical equipment.



Once as a mush brained teenager with my first used car...I found a bare wire just hanging loose under the hood, naturally I touched it to the fender to see if it sparked...POW it arc welded itself to the fender and ruined the battery. Don't know what it was for but I found the other end of the wire was attached directly to the battery terminal.


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## Round in circles (Jun 1, 2015)

coolidge said:


> Once as a mush brained teenager with my first used car...I found a bare wire just hanging loose under the hood, naturally I touched it to the fender to see if it sparked...POW it arc welded itself to the fender and ruined the battery. Don't know what it was for but I found the other end of the wire was attached directly to the battery terminal.



 It's called an ID 10 t's  wire ........ just waiting to be tried


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