Ok so after an extra two weeks of waiting for the first bit of Ti I have finally got the lathe spinning and started to make the most expensive swath I have done to date.

The first bit of Ti that came in was 31.7mm OD x 300mm in length and weighted 1,036g.

After machining it down to the dia required. It now weights 603g.

As I machined it 0.1 oversize from the required diameter, I will be getting it ground late this week by a local shop as my lathe has .06 throw out over the length of the material.

Photos to come as I have just locked myself out of photobucket...

selexon wrote:Ok so after an extra two weeks of waiting for the first bit of Ti I have finally got the lathe spinning and started to make the most expensive swath I have done to date.

The first bit of Ti that came in was 31.7mm OD x 300mm in length and weighted 1,036g.

After machining it down to the dia required. It now weights 603g.

As I machined it 0.1 oversize from the required diameter, I will be getting it ground late this week by a local shop as my lathe has .06 throw out over the length of the material.

Photos to come as I have just locked myself out of photobucket...

Did you weigh the original?

Amorti yeah the std steel axle is 300g.





& 443g of Ti swath...

selexon wrote:Amorti yeah the std steel axle is 300g.

& 443g of Ti swath...

That's a lot of bedding for a really hardcore guinea pig.

How do you decide how thin the wall thickness can be? You seem to have decent tools, I am guessing you have some engineering knowledge so would be interested to know.

do we have any idea of price yet?

amorti wrote:

selexon wrote:Amorti yeah the std steel axle is 300g.

& 443g of Ti swath...

That's a lot of bedding for a really hardcore guinea pig.

How do you decide how thin the wall thickness can be? You seem to have decent tools, I am guessing you have some engineering knowledge so would be interested to know.

amorti. its a bit of maths and a bit of try and see.

Knowing the tensile strength between the std material and the Ti bar and then working from the std wall thickness we can take a bit off or add a bit if needed.

All the machines etc are in the workshop at my place of employment. So have unliimted access to them.

Back when I was in High School I done a Metal & Fabrication Course for 2yrs instead of getting stuck with Law or Advance Maths... I would spend two half days a week at the local Tafe (community college) workshop welding, cutting, machining and general fab work.

tanuki wrote:do we have any idea of price yet?

Crunched some numbers and thinking should workout to be about $130-$150 for the frt axle in Ti and alloy spaces plus the alloy axle bolt.

I have a new tool turning up next week that will let me cut hex's on the mill. So can make the bolt's from some 7075-T6 alloy. Or use the Pro Bolt stainless item they sell. (but defeats the lose weight idea)

selexon wrote:

tanuki wrote:do we have any idea of price yet?

Crunched some numbers and thinking should workout to be about $130-$150 for the frt axle in Ti and alloy spaces plus the alloy axle bolt.

I have a new tool turning up next week that will let me cut hex's on the mill. So can make the bolt's from some 7075-T6 alloy. Or use the Pro Bolt stainless item they sell. (but defeats the lose weight idea)

I really wouldn't want to put the necessary amount of torque (60Nm / 43 ft/lb) through an alloy bolt. I think it would break off pretty quickly, whether the shank snapped or whether the head rounded off.

Why not make it from stainless, and drill the middle hollow? That'll lose a few grams and look nice too.

selexon wrote:

tanuki wrote:do we have any idea of price yet?

Crunched some numbers and thinking should workout to be about $130-$150 for the frt axle in Ti and alloy spaces plus the alloy axle bolt.
)

thats sounds good.

I'll make some enquiries as I think all of the Honda front axles are the same, you could be onto a winner here.

Yeah if you get any info that would be good, As I have started to make a set for a 851 and a 74' Paul Smart Replica...

I got a quote from a local mob the other day they wanted $800.00 for 2m length, so the search continues for a better price.