Tungsten

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karlthev

karlthev

Flashlight Enthusiast
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Probably (possibly?) been asked before but, who will machine Tungsten parts and, will I find I need to re-mortgage to have some parts done? Any ideas? Thanks!


Karl
 
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Well, ya know what "they" say, "sometimes there's no rhyme or reason"! :shrug: Got any possible ideas who may machine the ornery stuff?


Karl
 
Tungsten, as in tungsten carbide, which is used to make most cutting tools for lathe and mill work??

Ya know, Karl, that stuff is pretty tough. :devil:

One would need diamond tipped tooling, or some exotically coated tool steel, to handle tungsten carbide.

But, hey, it has been done before--Larry did it, so maybe you should badger him to make one for you. :D
 
I believe that tungsten carbide is used for rings and watch cases Fred. Trying to cut that stuff is virtually impossible I understand. I "think" (yeah I know, hard to believe:laughing:) the tungsten carbide stuff is actually molded into the "final" form and then cast and sintered at high temperatures then polished with diamonds to get that "forever polished" advertisement. You know more than I do--you're the one with the lathe--wanna bust up some nice new tools? :devil: Some machine shops will cut it but I'm not sure of the $ and the number of pieces they would need to do to make a profit. I don't want a light (too dang heavy!!!) just some parts and you know what they say, "parts is parts"!!

Larry is a thought but probably a long, long shot at best. I don't wanna start a stampede ya know!! This just an idle thought--my brain is on idle until work tomorrow morning.....


Karl
 
Not sure about how to get it done but I would love to have a light made out of tungsten... It's almost impossible to scratch and it would match my watch...
DSC00511.jpg
 
Tool grinder shops can do tungsten carbide. I have custom tools made all the time. They can start with round or square stock. And yes, it is ground with diamond wheels, not cut on a lathe or mill. They use special machines many of which are CNC.


Cheers
Dave
 
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EDM (Electrical Discharge Machining) can machine the hardest of tungsten carbide (and pure tungsten as well). But EDM is slow and expensive. If you want complicated things like threads made, it gets really expensive.

Pure tungsten isn't too hard to machine conventionally as it is softer than tungsten carbide (I say that, having drilled holes in pure tungsten with a carbide [tungsten carbide] drill). I'm sure there are tungsten alloys (as opposed to pure) out there. McMaster-Carr sells tungsten carbide and something called "high strength durable tungsten" or "chatter free tungsten".

If you get a machine shop to quote parts for you, you should be sitting down.
 
I'm curious as to the shape and operations required. Is it a fairly simple job? Mill work? Lathe work?
 
I just got a machine shop to quote me a price on one piece of Tungsten--25mm X 20mm X 2mm, 4mm threaded one end. I was sitting down and the quote wasn't/isn't a firm one----"around" $1,000!! :sick2: Fortunately I was sitting down. As I am lead to believe, it is the threading which drives the price up---waaaaay up!!! Yikes!! How's about we use some styrofoam instead??!! :naughty:;)



Karl
 
There has to be a more efficient way to get the job done... Is Tungsten Carbide really that much harder than titanium?
 
Well yes but, at the price differential it's not worth it--at least not to me. This has been more of an interest story and detective hunt rather than a critical task thank goodness! I just didn't realize what was involved---figured all ya halfta do is pull out the old Gilbert Erector set, slap a couple parts together and mill away!!!:laughing: Well, not exactly it seems!! As I said, not critical. Hope this post gets to that other guy looking to mill and entire light out of Tungsten--possible but only after winning the Lotto!



Karl
 
What kind of tungsten were you going to use? How much of that quote was for the material?

$1000 seems just a little steep, though I have no idea what to expect material to cost. And then you've got to figure it'll probably take them a couple parts before it's "right".

Regardless, keep us updated, I'm curious to see how it all turns out.
 
I made a CR2 flashlight out of it once which Don has now. It's identical to your Ti one, Roth. I used chatter-free tungsten. Check McMaster cat# 8279K33. The stuf's heavy, and pricey!

Larry
 
OK, Karl, here's an offer you can't refuse:

1) Buy an 8" length of 7/8" diameter chatter-free Tungsten from McMaster Carr, for $187

2) Send it to me with a check for $600, and I'll see if I can make a CR2 twisty light for you.

:devil:
 
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As I recall, it was fairly easy to machine! Nothing like Ti and most species of SS. If I recall, it's 90% W 8% Ni, and 2% Cu, but don't quote me. It's denser than lead.

Larry
 
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