Sold/Expired Pre-payment thread for titanium 3pc SF-III. ENDED!

[ArsMachina]

Uhh, I hope TNC will be able to solve the knurling problem...

This looks really terrible compared to the wonderful fine knurling of the original 3 Piece SF III

Jochen

 

[ShortArc]

I agree with Jochen.
The picture is not great but the knurling does not look good.
I have been told by various folks that knurling Ti-6Al-4V is difficult because of hardness, Titanium 6/6/2 is even harder and CP is relatively soft. All trade offs. For me personally, looks count for alot. Another option would be to machine a pattern....

 

[toby_pra]

I am sure this problem will be solved...cant wait to see pics of the final version...:twothumbs

 

[ARC mania]

Sorry for the late update. I've been conversing over the phone with TNC and he seems to be having trouble with knurling titanium. Says its extremely difficult and he is doing his very best to match the knurling on the titanium with the aluminum version SF-III. Here is an e-mail he sent me and of course with his permission, I will post:

Hello Mike,

Regarding the knurling on the titanium. I only had one body of each for setting up the knurling. When I first tried to do the cut knurling the outcome was not good and the Knurling Doubled up. So instead of a nice diamond knurl pattern it came out as just a bunch of criss cross lines. Same outcome when I tried to roll the knurl. So I just finished off the tubes without any knurling.

I sent the tubes out to a grinder that rolls threads and knurls. I had to give him (5) aluminum samples of each, Combat & Strait tubes. He ran the aluminum and got the machine dialed in with the aluminum setups but when he went to run the Titanium it had a doubled up pattern. He tried to adjust on the other 4 titanium tubes but none came out acceptable. With only a few titanium lights to run there is no margin for error and too expensive to purchase more material to run scrap setups.

After the grinder ruined two pieces of the combat grip I pulled the job from him so no more tubes got scrapped. I will have to mill a diamond pattern into these tubes to get a nice finish.

I have included a picture of the messed up knurling on the tubes.

Regards,

Chris

[oversize image deleted - DM51]

TNC wanted an additional $100.00 to cover his time as he mentioned that he will spend 3 hours knurling the head, tailcap and, barrel on the mill. I told him that he should have mentioned this before I opened this pre-pay thread. He came back and said he will eat the $50.00 on his end so the amount he wants is $50.00. Well, I don't have the heart to ask the pre-payers as this run is taking much longer than expected so I will pay the $50.00 to TNC out of my own pocket. To do this, I am going to work part time since my sales have been extremely bad lately. To make up the funds to pay TNC will take roughly two weeks.

I will be receiving more pictures from TNC in the next 24 hours in which the knurling looks closer to the original aluminum SF-III three pc light or comes close to matching it. From talking to TNC, knurling titanium is extremely difficult. This is why McGizmo never put knurling on his titanium lights. Don, I hope you don't mind me posting this.

ARC mania

 

[ArsMachina]

Hi Mike,

I am sorry to hear about these troubles and extra costs for you :-(

But I have to admit that I did expect these troubles with the Titanium knurling.
To knurl Ti is an extremely hard job and within seconds a complete workpiece can be ruined...
Roll-knurling Ti with good results is close to impossible, the only chance is milling-knurling - and even this is no easy game.

The results are also depending on the Ti used.
Grade 2 Titanium is relatively smooth and much easier to knurl than Ti6Al-4V which is probably used for this run.

Try to remember how many really nicely knurled Ti lights we have seen in the past years.
There were some, but they are quite rare.
Some years ago I got my hands on a couple of LionCub Ti (V1) lights which were damaged while TNC tried to knurl them - then they decided to just put some groves into the lights ;-)

I instantly hope things will come to a good end and finally we all will have a holy grail light then ;-)

Jochen

 

[calebra]

i wonder how 'pineapple' would look?

 

[ShortArc]

I am sure TNC will do a fantastic job milling a diamond pattern. The only thing which surprises me a bit is that with the amount of experience the shop has this was not anticipated? Oh well....

 

[luxlunatic]

I am sure a solution will be found. A milled pattern may do the trick.
I have had a bunch of Ti lights but only a few have sported knurling, 3 actually that I have had. The Ion, the Nautilus, and The Ra. All of which have fantastic knurling, especially the Ra. I cant recall though what grade of Ti was used for these lights and I was trying to find info in old threads with no luck but I thought that the Ra used 6Al-4V but I cant confirm this, if so, I was just wondering what solution was used for that light to create that awesome knurling, was it rolled or milled? IIRC the Nautilus was milled and that knurling is great.
Just have to wait a bit longer for our grail.

 

[ARC mania]

Finally, I received some better pictures of the knurled barrel. TNC is still trying to make the knurling finer but seems that this may be best.

ARC mania

 

[ARC mania]

Just wanted some input on the newer knurling pictures compared to the one on post #80.

ARC mania

 

[luxlunatic]

IMO it looks OK, I kind of like the snake skin look but it will definately change the character of this light, and by only seeing the barrel, I just cant tell if that is a good thing or not, I am trying to imagine that pattern on the head and I am just not sure about it.
I think it would look a lot better, and have better mass-appeal, if the grooves were not only closer together but if the grooves themselves were finer and not as thick.
Probably not what you want to hear Mike, but that could be why no one has commented yet....

 

[ArsMachina]

Mike, the new knurling looks much better than the earlier rolled one.

Most of all I like that the knurling now has the same diameter as the rest of the barrel and it is very accurate.
The earlier rolled knurling had a bigger diameter than the rest of the barrel so there was a step - as it was with your last run of the SF III and what I really do not like.

But this new milled knurling is still far away from the fine and smooth knurling of the original "old" SF III, which also had the same diameter as the rest of the barrel.

I am not a specialist for milled knurling and for sure it is a big difference in machining Ti in stead of Al, but I really believe it should be possible to make this milled knurling somewhat finer by putting the milled grooves closer together.

Jochen

 

[chipwillis]

I think the newer stuff looks nice. I have a lot of lights and it's nice to have things that are different.

 

[E-J-J]

I think the newer stuff looks nice. I have a lot of lights and it's nice to have things that are different.

＋１ :thumbsup:

 

[Henk_Lu]

I like the look! It is definetely much better than the first try and on a titanium light it looks somewhat classy, but I don't like aggressive knurling... :wave:

 

[Elakazam]

........some updates to be available...!?

Thanks, Oliver

 

[ShortArc]

........some updates to be available...!?

Thanks, Oliver

Actually I would like a more precise time to completion please.
Thanks!

 

[gjg]

Actually I would like a more precise time to completion please.
Thanks!

Hey ShortArc: I know this won't help much, but I've been in contact with Mike on another project, and he is REALLY under the weather. He said cold or flu, but in talking to him it sound to me suspiciously like pneumonia... I know the Ti and the black SFIII's are both moving along, hopefully Mike will post an update soon. Again, not much of an update, but I'm sure Mike will appreciate your patience.
gg

 

[ARC mania]

gjg: Thank you.

I am back and have some pics. I still may be late at times as I am jammed up with PM's and e-mails.

ARC mania

 

[Henk_Lu]

The more I look at these pictures, the more I wonder whether these lights need a knurling...