Help Inspire; Titanium

[Travis Helton]

Hey all, Im fairly new around here, as you may have noticed, so most of you probably do not know I am a machinist. I work in a small shop with all kinds of materials and lately, work has been slow. Ive had time to do all kinds of projects of my own, and now, Id like to focus on creating a lightweight backpacking "item".

What Id like to know is, if you could have any metal item in your closet or backpack made lighter, what would it be" We have a surplus of scrap Titanium so Id like ides and inspirations. Let me know if ya think of something.

Im currently using CAD to draw up a light weight, collapsible stove but would like some more ideas. Thanks!

[Adam Kramer]

seemed like 20 or so titanium trowels sold in a few days here this week…

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=38134

[. .]

This is what I have been pondering for a while:

A mug/pot with a liquid-tight screw-on Ti lid and internal silicone or ABS sippy lid – think a thermos with a wide mouth, but with only a single-wall of thin titanium. A removable food-grade 4mm thick EPS foam cozy of 2 equal sized parts that would also function as cups would go around the whole thing to insulate and protect in the pack.

Target weight = <4 oz. for the package
Target voume = 600ml-800ml

Thus you have a mug (or 3-4 mugs depending on lid depth), a water bottle, a thermos, and a UL cook pot + cozy for freezer-bag meals.

[Eric Lundquist]

Maybe not what you were thinking, but I've wanted to find a heavier duty 'tea light' container for cooking. The thin aluminum + crushproof container (Jason Klass method) seems quite fragile and I'd rather get rid of the crushproof container and just have a heaver duty 1/2oz capacity vessel.

[Travis Helton]

By container, do you mean the little aluminum piece each candle comes from the manufacturer with?

Also, to everyone: I should have specified the type of tooling we have at our disposal. I am not able to press/punch anything from sheet metal such as cups, mugs, etc. Would be great if I could though. We really only have CNC/Manual Lathe, mill, and hone. Basically I can make things like handles for knives, stove pieces, solid type items.

For anyone unfamiliar with machining, imagine having a block of soap/wood, what can you carve or turn from it? Those are my capabilities with the given machines and material. Removing material, drilling, etc.

Thanks for the ideas though everyone! Keep 'em comin'! Im really stuck on the creative part. My little stove/grill will be neat but theres a million different stoves out there already proven.

[Eric Lundquist]

Travis, I was thinking you had access to a press. Then you could make an alternate to the thin aluminum foil found in a tea light. But by 'container' I was speaking to my current setup with an empty tea light and a 1.0fl oz. REI Polyethylene Container to protect the flimsy aluminum. I was hoping to swap both the aluminum container and the polyethylene for a Ti version.

What about snow stakes? Is there already a Ti version that I'm not aware of?

[Roger Caffin]

> What about snow stakes? Is there already a Ti version that I'm not aware of?

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/make_your_own_gear_titanium_snow_stakes.html

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/myog_ti_snow_stakes_part_2.html

Cheers

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

It might not be that feasible with the equipment at your disposal, but I'd love to see a lower cost alternative to the Zia Fabrications Titanium Grill sold by BPL. That grill is 0.9oz and $69.
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/zia_fabrications_titanium_grill.html

[Richard Brownkatz]

A titanium version of the MSR Groundhog tent stake.

http://www.cascadedesigns.com/msr/tents/tent-accessories/groundhog-stake-kit/product

[Dustin Short]

More snow stakes. These are made by BPL member Steven Evans.

http://suluk46.com/products%20%20-%20P2%20Ti%20Snow%20Stakes.html

[Doug DuBree]

I would think if you made anything like tent stakes, trowels. or alcohol stoves using the pop can design or you could make stove stands. Sporks would be another good idea. I know some pots don't have lids that come with them so you could make pot lids. Whateve you make I'm sure you'll get some buyers. Good luck in your venture.

[Eric Lundquist]

Actually, If you had the equipment for pot lids I see that as something many people could use. More durable than an aluminum makeshift one. You could sell them as simple blanks with a lip rim to hold them in place, or modify them a bit with drain holes etc. How about some pot stand designs?

[drowning in spam]

I'd love titanium crampons, or at least the the toothy plate to retrofit on my existing crampons.

I'd also like some type of plate to steady my shaker bottle so it's less likely to fall over as I fill it.

[Diane “Piper” Soini]

A pot stand that can be stowed inside my pot would be nice.

[Travis Helton]

The pot stand: This is more or less what you could call my original "grill" design. It can either be used to raise the pot above your Alcohol stove for boiling OR the top surface can be used directly for cooking meat such as fish youve caught, game, etc. It is fully collapsible and will in fact fit easily into a 700ml pot.

So many replies! Thanks everyone! I will try and get back to every post.

[Travis Helton]

Thank you Dustin for this link. I have not yet bought a subscription so I couldnt view the previous poster's links to see what a snow stake was. Those are definitely a possibility though, mine would not be as wide (3.5") because my stock is not that large.

Ive also been tossing around the idea of a "clip", so to speak, that can be used for guy lines, straps and what not. Almost like a Figure9 "knot substitute" deal. Ive drawn a few neat, very unique designs. Now for some cutting and testing.

[Bob Gross]

A summer tent stake is typically of a small size, either a rod (like a shepherd's hook) or "angle" with a V-shaped or Y-shaped or T-shaped cross section of maybe 1/4".

A snow stake is typically different. Thirty years ago, I always used yellow plastic stakes with a T-shaped cross section, and somewhat larger. Now, I use the yellow ones, but I supplement that with some metal flukes. Mine were fabricated out of thick aluminum back then, but now I would make them out of titanium. Flukes are much larger, typically 4-7" across. Flukes get more important if you are camping in a place with high wind.

–B.G.–

[Jason Klass]

Pot lids!

[Bob Gross]

Are we talking about lids for "herbs"?

–B.G.–

[Richard Gless]

I wouldn't mind seeing a source of titanium stakes that were longer than 6 inches and had better holding power than the skinny ones on the market. Something on the order of maybe 7.5 to 9 inches. They might have have to be flanged to give them some holding power.

[Sam Farrington]

Travis,
From your second post, this is probably not what you're looking for; but I would love to have an internal fit ti lid for my Evernew pasta pot sold by REI. It holds over a liter, and is the only pot that a Coleman gas canister, slightly larger (and cheaper) than other brands, will fit perfectly. Sent several emails to Evernew, but could not drum up much interest.

The Snow Peak GP stove also takes a top mount wind screen that comes in heavy aluminum; but a ti version of that may also not be what your shop is tooled for.

[Doug DuBree]

Another type of stand would be a stove stand for winter use kinda like the one made by MSR for Whisperlite stoves and other models. Basically a stand so your stove doesn't sink down into the snow. I realize this might not be something that all ultralighters might use but alot of other BPers may. I know I currently use a small sheet of sheet metal for my sotve in the winter.

[Bill Burk]

Coffee grinder, burr/mill mechanism. I tried making a MYOG version but the guts I started with were 4 oz, so it was hopeless to reduce the weight.

[Yukio Yamakawa]

If you can get a thin titanium foil, then just begin to cut with scissors.
Carbon felt, to a central place in the form of cylindrical rolls. Used as an ultra-light stove. Of course, Esbit fuel is useful because it can also be used.

my movie is here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMs7P2bNh5w

[Dug Shelby]

Piper,

What pot do you use? I've found a pot stand that very very cozily fits AROUND my pot, very light, and doubles as a dual-fuel burner. I'm using the MSR Titan Kettle…pot stand is the Ikea silverware holder, modified…Ti stakes can be used to adjust height of kettle above flame (I use a can stove, denatured alc), and if necessary, use wood chips/twigs etc. found on the ground for a wood fire if necessary…

Viva La Santa Barbara,

Dug
http://thf2.wordpress.com

[Author]

Posts