[Jewelry making - Article 00053] - Re: [Orchid] [Source] Custom titanium bands

[Alberic]

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Hi Ellen:

    Titanium has a nasty reputation because it has some very odd habits,
    but a standard jeweler's sawblade will cut it just fine. One of those
    little 'circular saw turned by a key, on a pair of pliers' ring
    cutters will chop right through it, no problem. The real trick is to
    do it slowly. Titanium doesn't transfer heat very well, so the heat
    generated by cutting stays near the cut, which will burn the temper
    out of a cutter unless you know about this, and cut slowly, or use a
    coolant, or both. Part of titanium's nasty reputation for being 'hard
    to cut' is from people who don't realize that it's keeping the heat
    right at the work site, and burn their drills and saws by cutting too
    quickly. There are some things that you can *do* to titanium that
    will make it very hard indeed to cut, but a diamond grit sawblade or
    cutoff wheel will always get through it. Just take your time, keep
    the cutter speed down, use as much pressure as you dare, and use
    coolant if you can. 

    Do not fear the funny metals. Learn their ways, and profit from their
    oddities. 

Happy New Year
Brian Meek.
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