Guys, I've said several times that I don't have lots of experience with titanium..
But it has similarities to stainless that could be golden rules, I suppose.
The first is decent quality cutters. I've used HSS and inserts. The taps and dies on my last three pens were all done with the 8.4mm Tapco tap and dies.
I shake my head when I see guys wanting to buy DIY store drill and taps
Same goes for wet'n'dry paper too.
Don't even attempt to cut, drill or tap with a dull tool. You will see pretty colours on the tool and workpiece in nano seconds and the air around you will be blue too.
Don't mess about. A tool mustn't dwell on the piece. The feed must be steady and constant. Think low speed, high feed.
Rigidity is paramount for any successful machining. I'm starting to think that you to some extent, need a bigger machine to do finer work.
Material comes in a vast range of sizes. Buy the size you want to limit the work. The titanium I used here is 10mm O/D and 8mm I/D . So besides the threading, the only turning was the step between the cap and body. ( some people leave that step, but I think it's essential)
To answer your question though. Yes you could use a wood lathe but the only hand tool I'd use is a good quality file.
:biggrin:
Edit in: I forgot about coolant/ lubricant...
Although people often interchange them, they are supposed to do different things.
Heat is your enemy. But perhaps surprisingly it's ok too. Blue chips from stainless is fine and that is pretty damned hot. The heat being referred to is that which will destroy the cutter. Most heat is generated by the chips being formed as the material is crushed on the top of the cutter.
Coolant flowing over the action will draw away the heat. But the lube in my opinion is the important one....it allows the chips to move away from the point of cutting. The heat here can actually weld the material to the top of the cutter.
If it is lubed, it can't stick.
I don't think turning needs much lube/cooling but deep drilling and tapping does as the hot chips cant easily fall away from the action point.
Remember, it's not the point between the cutter and work that needs it, it's the tool. If the tool is happy then the job will be good...:biggrin:
Ok, sorry for the lecture...:biggrin: