Drilling Titanium

Is it true that its harder to work with ti?
If I wanted to, say, drill out some cable-guides on a ti frame to accept full length cable outers, will I have a hard time doing it?

Slowly with lots of lube.

if you used brand new top quality drill bits(no chinese bargain stuff) ,you might get through the cable guide if you give it everything,but the slightest stall and the ti.will gall and snap the bit. if you can fit it in ,you could try a junior hacksaw with new blade,(good for choppin down ti. bolts)then small warder file to open it up.work fast as ti. grabs horribly!

WOOF!

I’d hacksaw the end off – way cleaner

Yes you will have some trouble – unless you’re careful.

I believe that Titanium does unusual things when you work it. Basically the heat from drilling/cutting etc… changes the metals structure into an extremely hard compound that destroys all cutting tools.

Go slow, use something that’s either new or recently sharpened and use plenty of lubricant (mainly to conduct the heat away).

Try a cobalt drill, variously called cobalt, HSCO or M42 which is one of the more common grades.

I believe that Titanium does unusual things when you work it. Basically the heat from drilling/cutting etc… changes the metals structure into an extremely hard compound that destroys all cutting tools.

How would anyone ever make anything out of titanium if that were true?

With wrong machining parameters (typically too slow a feed rate) it will plastically deform and work harden but this is true for lots of material – famously stainless steel in particular. When this happens you end up just rubbing the end of the drill against the surface with resulting heat build up and possibly breakage.

given that youve presumably spent a fair bit of wedge to buy it, would it not be safer to get an engineering shop to do it?
be a shame to damage a new frame, and a small outlay now wil be cheaper than a new frame.
just my 2p worth.

Titex 3 flute drill. Thats what we use but thats on a 5 axis makino :D. Just go easy and it will be fine but use some lubricant.

Mr bandito likes to slather it with lube. So should be all good.

I’ve do this on my old Litespeed tellico, so that i could run a brake hose. I used new Heller Drill bit(s) and 3 in one oil (because i was a pikey) and an old Bosch Cordless. Most end stop things are 6/4 Ti, as opposed to the softer 3/2.5 Ti, so care is needed. Mine came up a treat, no issues, but if in doubt use an engineering firm.

Drilling titanium just requires a sharp drill bit.
Titanium is no harder than steel; ironically it is because titanium is soft that it can gall (particles stick to the drill bit) fairly easily.
It is the drilling out cable guides that is the difficult bit.

Solid carbide three fluted drill (Titex Maximiza) with 50bar of through-tool coolant.
This could be a problem with a hand drill. 🙂

I’d use a Dremmell a with a very small, solid carbide slot drill. Mask tube well, coke can wrapped around ?
If a big drill slips its going to leave a mark.

Ive drilled titanium with a 14 pence chinese hss drill bit with no issues.