Annealing Titanium

Jewelry Discussion
1

Hi all,

I’ve been looking at producing some work in Titanium, however most
metallurgy books imply that you can’t anneal the metal in a studio
and it must be taken to a foundry. Do any of you that work with
Titanium have a ‘studio’ solution to this problem?

Cheers!
Taylor in Toronto

2

On the other side, Ti is very slow to work harden. In an early
experiment we forged a fibula from Grade #1 10ga(2.59mm) round wire
all the way down to the pin stem without annealing. You have to hit
it but it does move and roll out.

I do not know anyone who has done this. It might be possible to bury
a piece in charcoal and wrap in a stainless steel foil. Then furnace
anneal. The charcoal might and I say might help.

Good luck, Bill

Reactive Metals Studio, Inc.
PO Box 890 * Clarkdale, AZ 86324
Ph-928/634-3434 * Ph-800/876-3434 * Fax-928/634-6734
E-mail- @Michele_Deborah_Bill
Catalog- www.reactivemetals.com

3

Titanium is just too reactive with the gasses in the air to anneal
it in anything less than a high vacuum. High vacuum (10^-4 to 10^-6
tor) is beyond what a standard mechanical pump can produce so the
pumping and chamber systems require special skill and expensive
materials. While it is possible to build a vacuum furnace yourself
the cost will probably be $8,000-$10,000 using second hand and
surplus materials so you would have to be able to sell enough to pay
the cost of the furnace. Anything short of this kind of furnace
will leave you with brittle material due to gas reactions with the
Ti. I have looked into building this kind of thing and have most of
the parts for one but have not had the time or money to finish it. I
can give you some places to look for the used equipment if you
decide to do it.

Jim Binnion

James Binnion Metal Arts
Phone (360) 756-6550
Toll Free (877) 408 7287
Fax (360) 756-2160

@James_Binnion
Member of the Better Business Bureau

4

Hello Taylor,

Annealing should be done in a vacuum or gas protected environment if
you make aero planes or rockets.

For Jewelry titanium has enough strength so if some oxides or
hydrogen gets in the metal is for us jewelers no problem.

You can anneal up to dull red. (650 degree Celsius) This is enough
to make titanium (grade 1,2,3) soft again. You will get a rather
thick oxide layer you have to grind or etch of.

Also when you want to deform heavily you can heat up the titanium an
easy bend or forge it etc. When I make tension rings I heat up the
wire to wrap it around a coil.

Success,
Martin Niemeijer
N design
compositions in precious metal
Rieteweg 10
8041 AK, Zwolle
Netherlands
info@ndesign.nl; www.ndesign.nl

5

weather I did anything or not, I have turned it red and let it cool
/air. I have stretched ti bands up a little over a size amybe even
two with out problems, compressing is another matter, that ti is
tough!! I have gone down about less than one size. I thought the
heating made it a little easier but maybe it was all in my mind

ricngdoc

6 
    I've been looking at producing some work in Titanium, however
most metallurgy books imply that you can't anneal the metal in a
studio and it must be taken to a foundry. Do any of you that work
with Titanium have a 'studio' solution to this problem?

If you are trying to forge titanium, I suggest you have a look at
tantalum and niobium. These metals will both take the oxide colours
that titanium does, but are more ductile and malleable, niobium much
more so.

Bill Bedford

7

Bill: Thanks for the info about titanium. Normally since I am in the
machine shop business I would take the blanks to a heat treater for
annealing but It would be faster and less expensive to do in the
shop. Where are Niobium and Tantalum suppliers to be found? I havn’t
come accross either of them in machining. I had planned to machine
out the blanks flat and then either forge or cold form them over a
mandril.

Thanks
Harry Walter

8

Doing a quick Google I’ve found this for Niobium and this for other
metals http://www.reactivemetals.com

Bill Bedford

9

Harry, I do not like to do business within the Orchid site. I can
supply both these metals. Please contact me at
<@Michele_Deborah_Bill>. Bill

Reactive Metals Studio, Inc.
PO Box 890 * Clarkdale, AZ 86324
Ph-928/634-3434 * Ph-800/876-3434 * Fax-928/634-6734
@Michele_Deborah_Bill

10

Let us not forget what can be produced hot. These goblets(by yours
truly) were hot spun from titanium pipe. The oxidation was machined
off. A small dime sized shoulder was cut in the bottom of the cup. A
disk of Titanium was welded on to the shoulder and machined out. The
inside of the cups were anodized. Bill

Attachment Removed

Reactive Metals Studio, Inc.
PO Box 890 * Clarkdale, AZ 86324
Ph-928/634-3434 * Ph-800/876-3434 * Fax-928/634-6734
@Michele_Deborah_Bill