etching titanium

Thorstenn · Post by **Thorstenn** » Fri Dec 12, 2003 1:37 pm

Hi all,
Does anybody know how to etch titanium ?.
I want to etch a shield, I think about 060 thick
thanks.

Urban · Post by **Urban** » Fri Dec 12, 2003 1:42 pm

I don't know the specifics on etching titanium in particular. But there was a thread a long while ago on how to etch metal with a bucket of salt water and a car battery charger. Someone else will have to tell you the specifics though.
~Folcric

Sean Powell · Post by **Sean Powell** » Fri Dec 12, 2003 6:51 pm

At work we etch titanium with a laser and then pasivate in a bath of nitric acid... thats probably not what you wanted to hear.

Regardless of the strength you may find that .060" ti is too flexible for a shield... now 2 pieces of .030" of ti laminated to the front and back of balsa-wood would be penominal.

What do you want to etch on the shield anyway? you could sand-paper the surface and use an appropriate glue to layer on some light fabric. Then you could paint or draw or whatever any device you wanted... and it would look more period too.

Good Luck,
Sean

mrks · Post by **mrks** » Fri Dec 12, 2003 7:12 pm

bwahahahahaa

.060 is thick for a ti shield if made correctly. my current two are .040 al6-4v

a slight curve will help stiffen it up.

re-enforcing strips also reduce the flexibility.

"pics or it doesnt count"

http://tiarmour.com/help%20making%20a%20shield%20handle.htm

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sir mrks

tiarmour.com ==>> maker of fine Titanium armour... please note I am not a period armourer I make high tech sport armour using nonperiod materials(titanium) for the type of stick fighting used in the sca.

Sean Powell · Post by **Sean Powell** » Fri Dec 12, 2003 10:27 pm

Mrks, and your .060" shield holds up well? Mine is .100" through the body, 2 layers for the outer 2 edges and behind the hand and 3 layers across most of the top. Despite being over a quarter of an inch thick the upper edge has a series of half inch dents matching the curve of a rattan stick and a number of stress fractures. Sure its 6 years old and on its third set of edging but I can't imagine a single layer of .060" lasting a season. What do you do to reinforce the edges?

Inquiring minds want to know.
Sean

mrks · Post by **mrks** » Sat Dec 13, 2003 2:38 am

hi there

if you look at the link I posted it will bring you to pics of the shields backside. I think its three to four years old?

holy smokes .010 dented? are they using rebated steel on you? hmmmmmm.... well is it an al6-4v or better alloy tpye? my old .063 6-4 is still not dented yet? I think I didnt re-inforce the edge either? will ask my squirebrother.

the alloy of Ti you use is very important. a cp grade 4-7( you can deform comercial pure (CP) by hand. cp1 bends like alum) or higher is no where as tough as the high strength alloys. having the shield curved helps by letting the shield flex under impact flex. the edges are reinforced with (2" on top and front edge about 1 ft down? and 1" of the sides) with .080 al6-4v Ti and thick (I use them for my knees?3/16ths?) stainless rivets. brass rivets sheared right off under the pounding.

the .040 is also reinforced across the shield in small strips to reduce flex of the shield face and everyone really likes it. the larger one for use against (avelocs) great weapons is about 9 1/2lbs.

duke davin tried to dent it when it was new later on sir mike the tall(6'8 3 3/4lb sword(I weighed it when I rewelded the barsfor him)) has made my hand go numb from the shock of some of his blows...he does it every once in a while? so its help up under very high powered blows.

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sir mrks

tiarmour.com ==>> maker of fine Titanium armour... please note I am not a period armourer I make high tech sport armour using nonperiod materials(titanium) for the type of stick fighting used in the sca.

[This message has been edited by mrks (edited 12-13-2003).]

losthelm · Post by **losthelm** » Sat Dec 13, 2003 12:15 pm

you may have luck with a sand blaster on the ti diging throught my brother had a piece of glass from art clas that they eched this way. using I think contact paper as a resist.

Alcyoneus · Post by **Alcyoneus** » Mon Dec 15, 2003 5:07 am

Years ago, we had a guy try to put a curve on a titanium shield using one of the big three bar rollers (4"d?). He completely wrapped the sheet onto one of the bars. It came out flat! We were amused.

Robert P. Norwalt · Post by **Robert P. Norwalt** » Mon Dec 15, 2003 12:53 pm

Mastic works okay, but you have to have it CAD cut to design.

Urban · Post by **Urban** » Mon Dec 15, 2003 1:16 pm

Hehe, my friend etche his sword with a sand blaster the other day. He covered the entire thing in duct tape and cut out the designs that he wanted. Worked pretty good too.
~Folcric

Thorstenn · Post by **Thorstenn** » Tue Dec 16, 2003 11:09 pm

Thanks for the great replies, all the info helps.

Thorstenn

mrks · Post by **mrks** » Tue Dec 16, 2003 11:32 pm

hi there
if you are going to put any paint on it at all make sure you coat that area with contact cement before you paint it.

it will be much more durable and not chip at all.

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sir mrks

tiarmour.com ==>> maker of fine Titanium armour... please note I am not a period armourer I make high tech sport armour using nonperiod materials(titanium) for the type of stick fighting used in the sca.