Bending titanium d ring

[eelnoraa]

As title says, I have some Ti straight d rings. I want to bend a few, use as chest d ring. I have tried a few home method, like clamping down real hard with bench top vise grip, and use another clamp with long leverage, the method works easily for Al, but not successful with Ti at all. Any suggestions? Or any recommendations for SF bay machine shop for this task?

 

[PR_SMITH]

I bend mind by clamping them in a vise and tapping with hammer

 

[lostsheep]

As title says, I have some Ti straight d rings. I want to bend a few, use as chest d ring. I have tried a few home method, like clamping down real hard with bench top vise grip, and use another clamp with long leverage, the method works easily for Al, but not successful with Ti at all. Any suggestions? Or any recommendations for SF bay machine shop for this task?

I bend mind by clamping them in a vise and tapping with hammer

^^^this

That said I’m in South Bay and I have a machine shop

 

[JohnN]

I have to ask. . . why Ti ?

 

[nickbutcher]

I bend mind by clamping them in a vise and tapping with hammer

Good luck bending titanium by 'tapping with hammer'.

Belting with a sledge hammer might have more luck but I'd seek out somebody that owns a press brake and get it done properly.

 

[PR_SMITH]

Good luck bending titanium by 'tapping with hammer'.

Belting with a sledge hammer might have more luck but I'd seek out somebody that owns a press brake and get it done properly.

I have bent D rings with a mobile articulating swing press(that's a hammer, to you) A 4lb'er works fine.

 

[eelnoraa]

^^^this

That said I’m in South Bay and I have a machine shop

I guess let me try the method. If not success, I may need to contact you. Lol.

I read that I am suppose to torch it so it is easier to be bend. Not sure how realistic it is at home.

I have to ask. . . why Ti ?

No reason other than i happen to have some laying around, and want to make use of them. And I am bored?? Thinking back, I have them for about 12 years. When I was actively diving and webbing doesn’t not need to replace, I was not bothered switching them out at all. Not with 2 kids, more time tinking gear than diving, so I guess I do something about them. D ring and glides. No buckle tho, not something easily made.

 

[eelnoraa]

Update. I finally got a chance to give it a try. Summary: I am not even close. Not chance of bending it with equipment I have at home (bench wise grip, plumbing torch, hammer, ... )

What I did: First, I marked where I want t bend. I used cold chisel to make a "dent" at that locations. Then I clamped the heck out of the d-ring with bench wise. Then heat up the ring with plumbing torch, and hammered with 16oz hammer. In picture, you can see the chisel mark, clamp mark, also the hammer mark. D-ring isn't bended at all after maybe 5 minutes of hammering. And I think I hammered as hard as I can without destroying bench.

I also tried this with a SS and Al d-ring. The physical property of Ti is kind of strange. It is "stiff", doesn't deform like SS or Al under the same attach. The sound of hitting Ti is also weird, it is kind of muffle. It is like the vibration from hammer hitting was absorbed. Al is similar in sound, but Al does it by deforming. SS give out a more cleaner solid sound and deform. What I am not sure if does Ti even deform much at all, or it will break off if it really start deforming (I mean less ductile, more brittle )

 

[Whitrzac]

16oz hammer is tiny. Use a proper 4lb hammer.

You get 1 shot to bend it at the correct angle. The elastic(?) strength of ti is pretty low compared to steel and will crack if you have to bend it again.

 

[broncobowsher]

Get a bigger hammer. It will bend, or it will break. If the hammer just bounces off, you are not using a big enough hammer.