Spyderco titanium handle

[henningssom]

Hi,
So I have this collaboration coming up with Spyderco.
Of course they had to make the handle in titanium grade 4.
I haven't tried to engrave in Ti but it is supposed to be a nightmare. I have read posts here on this forum about Ti trying to figure it out. I have bought carbide gravers but is there anything else I should think of, prepare with? Are there any tricks to it?

 

[Boomhower]

I haven't engraved any yet I am new to this sport I did do some reading on it what I read was to use some cutting fluid and that slower speeds worked better. And that it depends on the alloy. My friend's boy is wanting to do some scale's with it. I told him to let me get the basics first lol. I found the reading with a Google search. I thank there may been some post on here bout it not to sure what page I found it on

 

[henningssom]

Thanks for your tips. Does anyone have some close ups on engraved Ti? That would help a lot.

 

[Dave London]

MTC
4al6v kind of crumbles in front of the graver no nice chips . I also use tap magic as a lube

 

[henningssom]

Okay so you are using some sort off lube. Tap magic, I have to look that up.
Yes I was afraid of what you described, crumbles in the front, I have read about that before but haven't seen how it actually looks. I guess I have to try but if I don't have anything to compare with it is hard to know when I am doing it right or how it is supposed to look.
Thanks

 

[tsterling]

Hi Mike,

I've engraved both Grade 2 Titanium (pure, or CP titanium, engraves great) and Grade 5 titanium (also called Al6V4 Ti, not great to engrave). I've looked at the ASM data sheets, and here are some of the pertinent numbers:
Grade 2 Ti - 145 Vickers Hardness
Grade 4 Ti - 280 Vickers Hardness
Grade 5 Ti - 349 Vickers Hardness

While I've never cut Grade 4, I believe it will be a bit harder than Grade 2 which engraves just fine, and not as bad as Grade 5. In fact, most of my speculative jewelry work I make in Grade 2 Titanium.


Here's a close up of Grade 2 Titanium sheet in progress, approximately 1.75 cm across, cut with Lindsay Palm Control Classic and HSS graver


Close up of Grade 5 Titanium in progress, Lindsay Palm Control Classic and carbalt graver. About 1 cm across, these lines are just a bit larger than shade lines and cut fine with the carbalt, however, deeper cuts are considerably more difficult, requiring full power and the accompanying graver breakage and risk.


This is the finished work, with a differential finish between the inside and outside texture. The outside texture was done before engraving by stonewashing, and I removed the stonewash texture on the inside with a 0.5 mm ceramic superstone. This might be a good solution for your problem, because fine line cutting in Grade 5 Titanium wasn't difficult, and the differential finish really ended up being quite attractive, so removing the anodized color on your scales should work out about the same.

Also, if you can get a reject Grade 4 titanium knife scale to practice on, that would tell you everything you needed to know. Since this is a collaboration with the knifemaker, they should be able to give you a reject or some scrap pieces.

Best of luck!

Tom

PS - I don't use any lube

 

[Dave London]

Thanks Tom
I allways get the alloy wrong you are right al6v4 , most common in the knives that I have engraved

 

[henningssom]

Wow thank you! That was really helpful. I'll let you know how it goes.