Titanium Hazard

Yes, it can be legal to make a silencer. For everything Form-1, from silencer designs that are easily made, to filing forms with the BATF, to 3D modeling. Remember, you must have an approved BATF Form-1 to make a silencer. All NFA laws apply.

Moderators: mpallett, bakerjw

Post Reply
Historian
Silent But Deadly
Posts: 3503
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2010 10:37 pm

Titanium Hazard

Post by Historian »

Ran across this YouTube on dangers of titanium scraps.
Some of brethren use Ti in their builds.

<< https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDhnwLh ... r_embedded >>

"The LAFD responded to a structure fire located in South Central LA on Slauson Ave.
The fire contained large amounts of scrap titanium which eventually exploded like a bomb."
Historian
Silent But Deadly
Posts: 3503
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2010 10:37 pm

Re: Titanium Hazard

Post by Historian »

Added information from Practical Machinist site:


<< https://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/g ... ine-88539/ >>

"Titanium will burn, just as magnesium does. Commercial shops that do a lot of titanium machining
keep buckets of a special kitty-litter-looking material to suffocate a fire;
before the special extinguishing material was available,
buckets of sand often lived in machine shops for exactly the same reason.

As with magnesium, feather-fine shavings and dusty-fine particles of titanium
will ignite more readily than serious-size chips.

Also as with magnesium, letting dull tools rub is a good way to start a blaze."
User avatar
mr fixit
Silent But Deadly
Posts: 481
Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2012 10:09 am
Location: N.E. Texas

Re: Titanium Hazard

Post by mr fixit »

Good info. I had a gr5 chip light off while turning with carbide inserts. I won't turn it now without coolant, my DIY fog buster and kool mist 77.
alordnapa
Silent But Deadly
Posts: 192
Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2014 11:01 am

Re: Titanium Hazard

Post by alordnapa »

I had my recycle bin ( Aluminum cans, etc) plus random lathe and mill cuttings go up in a blaze of glory when I set them out for trash day. When it could not be put out with the garden house, I realized I had made a kind of ratty thermite of steel, iron, aluminum, magnesium, Titanium, and plastic. The fire department was most impressed. It seems someone threw a couple of batteries into that bin.
Historian
Silent But Deadly
Posts: 3503
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2010 10:37 pm

Re: Titanium Hazard

Post by Historian »

Mr. Fixit. Your informative post on fog-buster precipitated my
researching item. Below is great article on making one, including
anodizing.


Alordnapa's illuminating story of inadvertently making thermite
is information that must be passed on.

What type of extinguisher should be used to suppress metal fires?


<< https://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?6 ... ess-mister >>
User avatar
Capt. Link.
Silent But Deadly
Posts: 2829
Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2007 9:05 pm
Location: USA.

Re: Titanium Hazard

Post by Capt. Link. »

I used to machine alot of magnesium dry because of the reactivity of the material. Standard procedure was a bucket of sand plus the ways had sand on them.You must be careful if you use a coolent as it might cause more problems than its worth.Do the homework first!
You can't extinguish a metal fire only contain it. Kitty litter is clay and sand will both act as a insulator giving you time to dump the burning material in the bucket to remove it from the shop.Metal fires are unique in that they contain all three sides of the fire triangle,heat,fuel,oxygen.They will burn even under water as many WW2 and Vietnam era flight-deck personel can attest to after pushing planes into the ocean.
You can prevent metal fires through careful chip size.All metal can burn given the right conditions.
The only reason after 243 years the government now wants to disarm you is they intend to do something you would shoot them for!
http://www.silencertalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=79895
alordnapa
Silent But Deadly
Posts: 192
Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2014 11:01 am

Re: Titanium Hazard

Post by alordnapa »

Metal fires should be extinguished with a Class D Extinguisher, which naturally, I don't have...
User avatar
mr fixit
Silent But Deadly
Posts: 481
Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2012 10:09 am
Location: N.E. Texas

Re: Titanium Hazard

Post by mr fixit »

As was stated, class D fire extinguisher must be used on metal fires. Just to be clear and make sure everyone knows, the "Multipurpose" (also known as ABC) will have no effect on metal fires.

I have heard of keeping sand on hand to smother the metal fire. I've also heard of having the chemical powder used in the class D extinguishers on hand to shovel on. Water will make it worse unless you have a huge amount. For example, the magnesium in a Ford steering column one night on the side of the road took most of a 500 gallon tank flowing at about 120 gallons per minute to put out. You won't get that out of any garden hose.
Post Reply