Ti-mo

Super cool!

Nice work the design looks great :+1:

What will you use to make the texture (layers?) of the mokume stand out?

:heart_eyes:

SWEET!!!:+1:

About time this torch had its own thread. :slight_smile: :beer:
I wasn’t game to ask why the steel was crappy on the end but you have now answered my un asked question.
Love the style and look. Personally I would not run the grooves to the end as i prefer the look of all the work being internal if that makes sense.
How did you go doing the cooling fins and what tool did you use?
Orsm job so far mate and looking forward to the completion.

Thanks everyone :innocent:

I feel exactly that way when some of these guys talk about building drivers or writing code :laughing:

It’s not the first time I’ve cut ti. However this time I did need to replace some index bits and resharpen drill bits and HSS bits. I didn’t realize they were dull when cutting aluminium but ti is much less forgiving. When the bit is sharp and used correctly (height, angle etc…) then it cuts quite nicely. It is a must to use lots of lube. Aluminium cuts better with lube but ti needs the lube to keep it cool. I did like Dale and started a fire at one point. Didn’t ruin anything but I was definitely surprised when it happened. I do like using ti because it has helped me learn when I’ve got it right. Roughing out is slower but not by a lot (in my experience).

I don’t think I have the patience to wait for natural patina so I’ll look into forced patina. From memory some guys were using dishwashing liquid to bring it out??

My initial thought on the grooves was to mount the complete host in the lathe to groove the body and tail so they all lined up perfectly with the head grooves. I kinda forgot that when I was making the tail. At the time I made the tail I thought “I can cut the grooves now while the part is perfectly concentric”. I may be able to shave a little off the tube threads to try and line up the grooves, we’ll see.

I did the cooling fins with a 2.3mm HSS parting tool. Had to give it a quick touch on the grinder to keep it sharp but otherwise was no problem.

Cheers :beer:

Your a better machinist than I. My HSS parting of tool has not been used for years as I never really had any success with it. To wide, not enough rigidity and not enough ability from me to get around the first two problems.
Nice effort.

A better machinist…? I find that hard to believe. Do you use a carbide parting tool?

Yep. Cheap 2mm carbide.
This one.

When I finished the grooves on the tail it still looked a bit over weight. I didn’t envision holes in the tail but that’s what I got. I am worried the tail (and head) might look too busy and detract from the mokume body.

Next is making a switch retaining ring. Then I’ll be at a bit of a cross roads. I think it looks pretty cool with a straight body as is. In which case I might have enough space to bore out the body some more to use 21700 cells. However my initial thoughts were to have a tapered, rippled or curvy body to pronounce the mokume grain.

… I’m still thinking my initial idea.

It doesn’t really show up in the pic but the grooves on the tail are not quite as deep (and wide) as on the head, I thought I had this suss’d :person_facepalming: So many things let me know how much I still have to learn about machining :stuck_out_tongue:

I think it looks really wonderful as it is now :heart_eyes: , but considering the battery tube is made of mokume I can understand that it deserves emphasizing with a suitable texture :slight_smile:

Thanks djozz, I think I’ll go ahead with shaping the body somehow.

Switch retainer is done.

Beautiful work! I’m looking forward to seeing the body with some shaping.

:beer: Nice.

Awesome work in TI. Some etching in the mokume will make my drool puddle bigger than it already is.

Is the body of that light going to look something like this?

Yes, similar to that but not nearly as nice. The twist is… well… less twisty and as I mentioned in the OP one side doesn’t show any copper. Pic with one of the bars for reference.

My brother has a bead blaster. Shall I spray the ti ?

I was going to do this but am in 2 minds about it now.

I wasn’t happy with the switch retaining ring so I made that again today. It makes the switch that little bit harder to press.

Before

after

After that I assembled it with orings in place to check for water tightness in my water feature in the backyard. I’m not 100% on the bezel orings and might make some adjustment there but it otherwise survived the dunking without ingress. Of course, tried for a glamour shot…. but you know …. :person_facepalming:

Do you still have my address? :slight_smile: