Making picks - Ti or Steel better?

[bprzybyl]

I'm supposed to be doing stuff, but I found this info on some standard grades of titanium and steel (6AL-4V & 304, respectively). If you compare the ultimate and yeild stresses of the 2, titanium is a clear winner. Just so everyone knows, I haven't forgotten about this. I will settle it.

Titanium 6AL-4V:
http://www.matweb.com/search/SpecificMaterial.asp?bassnum=NLTIT05E

Stainless Steel Type 304:
http://www.matweb.com/search/SpecificMaterial.asp?bassnum=MQ304A

[eric343]

I have a small sheet of 0.020" titanium. If you can supply a CAD drawing in OMAX format, I'll happily have a pick made up and report back.

[bprzybyl]

OMAX? What package is that for? I can put them into DWG & PART files (Pro Engineer) for sure. I'd have to see about OMAX.

UPDATE: 304 Stainless Steel has been Acquired. 0.024" if you must know.

Thanks

[bprzybyl]

UPDATE: Titanium has been acquired. Neither are here yet. Stainless Steel might arrive today, Titanium hopefully will be shipped today.

Does anyone have any idea how I should go about testing this? I have some ideas of my own, but any help would be greatly appreceiated.

Thanks

[Jay J. McCool]

I don't think there's anything wrong with trying to improve our tools! Even if they work fine already, why not look to make them stronger or more resistant to breaking? bprzybyl is doing good.

If you find that Titanium isn't any better than steel, you might try to find some steel infused with a high percentage of tungsten, or perhaps even try to find some tungsten carbide.

When you look at hard metals though, you're looking at tools that are more difficult to make. That's probably why some people frowned at you - "if it aint broke, don't fix it." Personally, I don't think it ever hurts to seek improvement, and if your wallet is willing to try new things, I gladly stand to support you.

[Isakill]

If you find that Titanium isn't any better than steel, you might try to find some steel infused with a high percentage of tungsten, or perhaps even try to find some tungsten carbide.

I'm going out on a limb here. Carbide tips in drills are used all over the coalfields here with great success, though tough when fixed you can smack one with a hammer and practically shatter one to pieces.
So I would say it is way too brittle to be shaved down to 1 mm and thinner.

[Omikron]

If you find that Titanium isn't any better than steel, you might try to find some steel infused with a high percentage of tungsten, or perhaps even try to find some tungsten carbide.

I'm going out on a limb here. Carbide tips in drills are used all over the coalfields here with great success, though tough when fixed you can smack one with a hammer and practically shatter one to pieces.
So I would say it is way too brittle to be shaved down to 1 mm and thinner.

I'd agree with Isakill. Generally speaking, different alloys and materials that are reknowned for hardness, are equally reknowned for their brittleness. When you reduce the thickness of the material down to lock pick specifications, that brittle-ness is going to be a major factor. The trick is to use a material that is hard enough to give good feedback during picking, but soft enough to flex under stress instead of shearing.

[pizarro]

Spiders silk/web is stronger than steel....


err.....


Talk about random comment, but it is true, even though we can't make steel to the same thickness as a spiders web.

[Omikron]

Spiders silk/web is stronger than steel....


err.....


Talk about random comment, but it is true, even though we can't make steel to the same thickness as a spiders web.

I think it has a stronger tensile strength, but I don't think it's more ridgid.

[bprzybyl]

Okay people-
Titanium arrived today and Stainless arrived yesterday. I should get some picks made by the end of the weekend, or at least sometime into next week.

Thanks you everyone for the help!

[n2oah]

I think you should use the sheet to test the strength, you might screw up the metals if they are heated too much.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

[WDPaladin]

Ok just to put an end to the Ti misconceptions.. Ti is half the weight of steel (but NOT as strong), twice the strength of Al at only a 60% increase in weight compared to the Al, and will not corrode only after the outer layer oxidizes into TiO2 (like Mg, which also oxidizes at room temperature). -->Im in a Chem 212T college course right now so the #s may be SLIGHTLY off, but I've got the charts in the book right next to me and it was in last chapter...

ANYWAY..gl with ths.
WDPaladin

[WDPaladin]

UPDATE! Ok got it right here.. Ti IS as strong as steel at 45% of the weight (not 50%), twice as strong as Al at only a 60% increase, and the rest of the info is useless unless your going to be picking locks in a 1668 degree blast furnace. Thats why they make Ti bikes and not drill bits. Hope this helps..

WDPaladin

[jamesphilhulk2]

dont forget to post your pics, cant wait to see them

[raimundo]

gemologists will tell you that diamond is the hardest, it can cut all other stones, but it fractures easily with a blow. Jade is the toughest, easily cut or ground by harder materials, it resists fractureing. it makes a great hammer. tungsten, used in some steels is a very hard alloying material, but hardness has no give and it is almost always brittle and will shatter when an irresistable force meets the immovable object.
making picks with tungsten is not a good idea, but also it should prove so difficult to actually do that I doubt anyone will do it. Aluminium has a natural abrasiveness, so that things drag rather than slide along it. some metals such as brass, actually have some lead in the alloy just to lubricate the cutting by machines. Aluminum chatters in machineing, that is, it tends to wrap around and fuse to the cutting edge, then gouge the remaining aluminum under the cutter in a bad way. aluminum is almost always found in some alloyed form and so some of these alloys are probably made to assist in machineing. The common form is duralauminum, with just a pinch of copper in the alloy for hardness.
MY Questioon is , is titanium abrasive, is it hard, can it flex and bend, will it flex a lot (springy) or will it just bend when under force.