Making Titanium Wedding Band: What Tools, Attachments Needed?

[Mr.Haines]

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

 

[Flammable_Solid]

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.

 

[rwm]

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

 

[coolidge]

Craft it from 18k gold instead, timeless.

 

[coolidge]

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

 

[brav65]

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.

 

[randyc]

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

 

[Andre]

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.

 

[rwm]

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

 

[Mr.Haines]

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!