Milling Titanium

[CraigB1960]

i'm just not able to cut it.
I'm running a slitting saw and i'm trying to cut off a 8mm chunk, i just cant get it to cut through. it smokes and throws sparks but i cant get more than a few mm without it seeming like it's going to break or something bad is about to happen.

i spray lubrication on it but it just doesnt want to go....

Have to have a tool made for the job. If you look at the video I posted, the guy is not even using lubricate. If the tool is not coated with ALTIN or ALCrN then it will just smoke and burn up your tool.

 

[mmcmdl]

I don't think it's a big problem but I have had fires start up running that material.
Jimsehr
Be safe.

While rummaging (sp) thru my junk drawers the other day I came across an old unfinished project from 27 years ago . I had made some titanium valve cover custom nuts for my 70 Corvette motor . I turned them on a Makino cnc lathe with not much problem and drilled for a 1/4-20 tapped hole . When it came to the tapping , NO WAY ! I was in a model shop with any kind of top rated tools available , but still , I couldn't tap this stuff . Not sure of the grade or tensile strength but it was tougher than a $2 steak ! My solution was to drill a 3/8" hole and press some 303 stainless plugs into it and tap that 1/4-20 hole . It worked just fine although I never finished them all . They are as shiney and bright as the day they were turned to this day .

As Jim stated above , Titanium will " light up " just like Magnesium if not careful . One of my old time bosses was taking very light skim cuts on an engine lathe and lit it up in the chuck . I never saw Ed move as fast as he did that day . LOL , God rest his soul .

 

[dragos28]

Have to have a tool made for the job. If you look at the video I posted, the guy is not even using lubricate. If the tool is not coated with ALTIN or ALCrN then it will just smoke and burn up your tool.

I'll order some altin coated end mills

 

[Tony Wells]

The key is high chipload and fairly low surface speed. Ti alloys work harden in the blink of an eye. Coated tools will outlast non coated, but unless you need the speed increase (modest though it is) they offer, use cobalt tooling.