Solider / Braise / Weld Ti Rods?

[David Lewis]

I have a bunch of BPL Ti rods left over and I was thinking it would be cool to use them to make a hardware cloth style stand for my beer can stove. Any idea how to connect Ti (solder, braise, weld) and have it hold up to the 1400F heat of an Esbit tab? As a DIY'er… I don't have equipment for welding… and don't see myself getting such equipment just to make a little stove stand… but perhaps braising is a good DIY option?

[Mike Barney]

Ti melts at 1660 – 1800 °C depending upon purity and alloy content. It gets soft with higher temperature, but I don't have the table with me.

If you want to weld, you might consider MAPP w/ Oxygen. MAPP burns at 2210°C – 2927°C depending upon Oxygen content.

[Jason Klass]

Could you rent or borrow the welding equipment? I heard the guys on Cartalk say that there is a place where you can rent a space in a workshop with various specialized tools.

[Joe Kuster]

Titanium is one of the harder things to to work with regardless of the method you are using.

Titanium cannot be soldered but can be brazed or welded, since the temperature exceeds 450 C. Titanium in the presence of any oxygen forms a tightly adherent oxide layer, which impairs joining by brazing, welding, etc.

In ideal welding titanium is brazed in an argon atmosphere, without a flux, using different types of filler metal. Field welding is possible but requires equipment and skill beyond the typical hobbyist.

There is a good description of the technology in a technical paper from Nippon Steel, one of the leading producers of titanium alloy products. Use the following link for more information: http://www.nsc.co.jp/gikai/en/contenthtml/n62/6205.pdf

[David Lewis]

Thanks Joseph (and everyone else). That's kinda what I figured. I was just thinking that the rods… being ever so tiny… might be a little easier to work with using hobbiest level gear.

[Joe Kuster]

The only thing I can think of that would be practical would be JB weld, but I have no information on it's use with titanium.

[Roger Caffin]

You CAN spot weld titanium. If you look at the Vargo Triad stoves or some Ti pots with handles you will see they have been spot welded.

The interesting thing is that Ti exhibits 'superplastic flow' (I think that is the term), which means that when it reaches a high enough temp it really does 'flow'. You have to get it to this temp to get a weld, and cleaning the surface just beforehand helps.

I spot weld the BPL Ti rods and some heavier 2.4 mm dia Ti rods quite successfully. But you need a good spot welder to get the temperature needed – many amps! Then you experiment.

I can also spot weld 0.020" 6Al4V Ti sheet – with some care.

[Betzi Marshall]

Outside the box thought- many jewelers now have access to Argon Atmosphere laser welding equipment; might ask around and see who in your area is willing to work with you on a non-precious pmetal project: Ti is gaining some reconition in the Jewelry field; again for lightness and durability- who'd a thunk?
HTH, B.

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