I have a customer request for a mans Titanium ring, with a 5 sided
keystone shaped stone in it, I realize that no bezel can be
soldered, also that I will have to machine the seat by turning the
mill head to an angle.
(lotsa fun) can some one tell me how difficult it would be to either
bend prongs, (once I had machined them) or to raise Large beads with
a Gravermeister and cobalt gravers then moving the beads over the
stone?. I have seen titanium engraved with a Gravermeister and
anodized into beautiful Pocket Knife Bolsters. So I know it will cut!
but I don’t know if it will ball up for a setting bead, How much
malleability is there in the metal? Thanks, Kenneth Ferrell
ken@shadras.com
Dear Kennet Farrel,
Titanium can be seen like soft stainless steel, but 3x more
flexible. Depending on the pureness and way of annealing, titanium is
more or less ductile.
The softest ones are grade 1 and 2. These when well annealed can be
deformed up to 200 %. If you have alloyed titanium forget it. 50% is
the max (so bending can be done to a sharp angle of 45 degrees) I am
afraid if you want to raise a large bead it will break. You can try
to raise it and than anneal the titanium before pushing the bead
down on the stone. But this will be a risk. You can deform titanium
very good when it is hot (650degrees Celsius/ dull red) than it is
very malleable and ductile and wont break. However most stones do not
like this heat. Your option of milling prongs is good and will work
out when using grade 1 ore 2 titanium.
Greetings
Martin Niemeijer
N design
compositions in precious metal
Rieteweg 10
8041 AK, Zwolle
Netherlands
info@ndesign.nl; www.ndesign.nl
Phone/fax +31 38 750 1258
mobile +31 6 518 315 76