Machining marks

[jblackwood]

Sounds like a strange request, but can anyone clearly identify machining marks on their Ti lights? If so, can you get pics up so that I can see them myself? I only ask because each day I have my two new LS20's, I love them more and more and wonder what Don means by machining marks. I was looking on the Spy threads and they mentioned the same thing. Someone also talked about the grain of the machining on Ti. Look as I can, I don't see evidence of either for these lights.

Maybe my expectations were too low! :thinking: Either way, I'm curious about these terms.

 

[Th232]

Without my microscope, I can see very, very slight chattering next to the o-ring groove in the head on the side closer to the window. Extremely slight. Unfortunately I can't get any pictures of it.

If you look at the flutes (and maybe turn it in the light), I can also see the pattern the bit left. I believe someone posted pictures of it, it looks quite nice actually.

Note: Neither of these affects it in any way, shape or form, and just the other day I had a machinist of over 30 years experience saying that the machining on it was excellent.:twothumbs

 

[McGizmo]

In fairness as well as appreciation to the machine shop, the finish on the titanium pieces just keeps getting better and better. In some cases, you can see marks where the part was held in a second operation and in some cases, there may be some surface irregularities if the cutting tool was getting on the worn side and not yet replaced.

Any more, the more obvious tool marks are on the pocket clip itself and I can only guess where these may come from, possibly in the raw sheet stock itself or in the forming of the bends.

The finish on the parts these days really is impressive but I want to leave some slack here just for tolerance sake. I realize I have entered the realm of cosmetics with offering a bead blasted option and I hope I can bear up to the scrutiny.

 

[jblackwood]

Don,
Didn't mean to bring this up as I, like you, am more concerned with the function of the light than the way it looks. For the record, though, I've always loved the way your lights looked, I know the finish can be polished to a mirror-like extent, but I'm perfectly happy with the finish the way it is. Seeing pictures, I'm glad that when my lights get scratched (and they will), I'll be able to sandpaper them back to their original state.

With the bead blasting, if I get scratches on those regions, there's not much that can be done if I don't own a bead blaster, right? I'm assuming if I take sandpaper to it, the Ti will end up looking just like one that was never bead blasted?