I have a love/hate relationship with Titanium Damascus it seems. Don't forget to try MyHeritage, buy a DNA kit here: bit.ly/AlecSteele. Use the coupon code FORGE for free shipping. As an added bonus, you can start a 30-day free trial of MyHeritage’s best subscription for family history research!
Get yourself a "pneumatic ejector" it works similiar to the principle of an improvised bottle flute, if you blow over the hole it creates negative pressure, that's what causes the sound by interaction with the bottle. An ejector is made for pulling a vacuum, it doesn't care if it isn't tight, or if the workshop is dirty, it's basically a T-pipe with the leg of the T having a very small diameter, or a Y-pipe fitting with one arm being of a smaller diameter adn the compressed air rushing past it, ripping teh air out of it as it moves past. They also exist as a water driven variant, but you already have compressed air in your workshop and there is no need to ruin your vacuum pump.
I am a titanium aerospace welder who welds tons of jet engine parts inside an argon chamber and we have very strict requirements of what we're allowed to Weld on because our company and companies like Lockheed Martin and airbus who we make parts for have done tons of testing on how to get the best weld possible with no inclusions and a little tip that might be helpful is that we are not allowed to Weld on stone or belted surfaces because the stones and belts can smear contaminants into the titanium that can cause gas pockets or porrisity when welded! We can only Weld on either acid etched surfaces or surfaces that have been carbide burred! I have also forged my own damascus knife but just the once so I know the forge welding process is a bit different than tig welding but it's something to consider that if you want the best finish possible and highest chance of success for forge welding especially damascus with so many layers that each could have a problem you should acid etch after you surface grind your titanium to insure the cleanest material and best chance for a perfect forge Weld! 😁
Solid advice 👌 I would also suggest reconsidering the forge weld container design to allow for greater argon dispersal between the layers. Or some sort of vacuum setup to prime them before heating.
😂😂 @@AlecSteele brilliant. Hey could you do something similar with your last billet but use the copper again. A copper line in that would look so good on the arms.
@@AlecSteele I think about a few hundered people just sat in front of their pc/phone and read out that sentence loudly to see if they can do it in less attempts
This is the Alec Steele that drew me in some years ago. Pushing the limits of metallurgy and in due time the limits of delicate machining. Learning what doesn't work and then figuring it out. Turning your eventual billet into a set of frames will be yet another learning experience too.
"That's not kitchen you're in rn, Hal!" "In order to replace the light bulb in the kitchen, I need a spare light bulb. They have stopped making them in 1985. I'm installing a turbo on your car, so that it can break the 88mph barrier and effectively enable me to travel back to 1985 to buy the last remaining specimen. Now fetch me a 1/4in wrench." "I hate side projects."
Venturis are used in industry to take advantage of facility-scale compressed air to reduce the number of moving parts that have to be maintained across the plant, not because vacuum pumps have any problem being used for a vac bed.
You should be dipping them in acid and immediately putting in an argon atmosphere because the titanium oxide coating takes milliseconds to form. When you are grinding it in an oxygen atmosphere it's re formed before you even finish grinding it so you are always going to have inclusions and weak points between the layers. In a stack with a just a few layers like 5 it might be ok but with the harringbone pattern you are actually multipling the ammount of included oxide by 4 times every cut using the inverse square law Ive actually heard a process where you electroplate it with aluminum guranteeing no oxide than use Sodium Hydroxide to dissolve the aluminum leaving a clean surface of titanium
When i am doing stainless-to-high carbon can welds, i store the stainless in kerosene until it's time to can it up. I don't know how fast the oxides form at typical room temperature, though
Dry Nitrogen would generally be cheaper for this purpose. It has a higher thermal conductivity than Argon, so it is probably a worse solution for the forging/welding purposes. But it should be just fine for the grinding & storing part.
To everyone buying one of those DNA tests in Alex’s advert I warn you I was charged £114 extra because I forgot to cancel the subscription then when you go to try to contact the company they make it impossible
The rules are very simple: Never ever engage with a company that uses youtube sponsorships as promotions. They only exist to help content creators, which we accept... while fast forwarding until the pitch is over.
@@andersjjensenthis is a wild take and if you believe this you’re so obviously out of touch. So you don’t use Google, Apple, or any big brand? god I’ve even seen grocery stores sponsor spots.
@@SCRNSH0T I think he's saying that that's how they should be treated, not how they actually are. Obviously companies would stop sponsoring youtubers if the investment wasn't seeing any returns.
@@SCRNSH0TIf a company has the money to sponsor on RUclips it's either overcharging people, or it's entirely financed by venture capital and probably a scam, or it's selling your data or it's like honey where it's secretly stealing money somehow, RUclips sponsorships (at least on larger channels like this) cost a decent amount, so they expect to make a lot of money from it, which probably means it isn't especially good value
TIP Alec FESTO makes a valve (Vakuumerzeuger called here in Germany) that you just plug in compressed air on one side and on the other side it pulls a vacuum that way you don’t need a pump they are used in industrial applications to suck up components on a assembly line for instants eg. Festo VN-10-L-T3-PQ2-VQ2-RO1
This is smarter than what I came to say, I was really worried for the vacuum pump. I don't think it's a sufficient sucker for the job, tho the jig is a briliant idea for sure
I actually work with these sorts of items, it's a simple Venturi, and they also make mufflers/noise suppression for them. They're handy, no doubt, but a bit application sensitive... Not sure the grinding room is somewhere you might want to use this...
Btw, a better method of generating vacuum pressure for that grinding fixture is what's called a venturi vacuum generator, very commonly used in industry for securing flat, non magnetic materials. Essentially a device that you plug in high pressure, low flow rate compressed air from an airline, and redirects the air out in such a way that the Venturi effect pulls air out of a perpendicular connected pipe that the airstream rushes past. Not super high vacuum pressure (needs a greater vacuum pad surface area), but just needs compressed air and are small, inexpensive, completely pneumatic, and can be attached inline. Ideal for such applications where the actual airflow rate through the vacuum pipe is zero, such as vacuum fixturing.
And, crucially, it means there is no chance of damaging either a vacuum pump or air compressor- the former, because there isn’t even one involved, and the vacuum is generated at the point of the Venturi - which has no moving parts! - not a pump… and the latter, because again the vacuum is generated by the Venturi, and has no moving parts that particulates or corrosive gases could damage
@AlecSteele, ditch the vac pump and get a vac generator. Easily turns compressed air into vacuum strong enough to hold parts such as you're doing. You can easily find an in-line vac generator for $15-$20 from most robotics and die/mold suppliers.
You need some things for your vacuum fixture; a bypass needle valve to bleed in some air so it isn't running at the highest amps to hold a deep vacuum past what you need, you could get along with a small shop-vac. Second is an oil vapor filter. When you run them at a deep continuous vacuum they blow a lot of oil, you'll see it smoke/mist eventually and start getting hot. That little bit from the needle valve bypass and it won't be running near as hard. I did a bunch of wood stabilizing and ran them as long as it took, sometimes for hours. Might have wrapped it in wet towels or put a cooling fan on it, they get hot. Can't remember. 5 hours is pretty hard on them. A second valve to hold with the pump off might be helpful, it is for vessels.
Vacuum pumps (that are not vacuum cleaners) are actually happiest holding vacuum pressure and are unhappy pumping continuous flow. The type shown here is perfect for vacuum fixturing like this. (EDIT: Assuming you have a good particulate filter) @Alec - you could make your own vacuum bed for your surface grinder with your plasma cutter. Rather than 1 or 2 big holes, cut LOTS of small holes in a grid in a few layers of sheet, then do a few layers of horizontal and vertical channels to connect the holes together, add a blank bottom sheet, weld up the edges, and then drill and tap into the side of the stack to connect a fitting for the pump. Fixture the contraption to wherever you want to use it, lay out your workpiece(s), cover any exposed holes with a thin sheet of plastic, turn on the pump and you're in business.
It's been an interesting series so far. Though I'm seeing some constants with the different methods you're trying. -Exposure to oxygen -Hammering -Hammering at the roughly the same temp. -Possible other one: Not allowing enough time to heat up thoroughly (hard to tell with the editing of the video) Titanium does NOT like oxygen at higher temps (why i mentioned the SR-71 and the aluminum content as an example last vid). Because of Titanium's properties, like LOW thermal conductance rate as one example, the hammering process may not be allowing for enough time for bonding. Maybe holding a pressing force for longer may change that. Though difficult, keeping the heat on while pressing to slow the rate of cooling may also have a positive impact as well.
I've been following your channel for years and You have really levelled up in the last few months!! Your content keeps getting better and its been my favourite journey to follow on RUclips. Thanks for all the fascinating videos Alec & Jamie and happy new year!
A little tip for your vacuum fixture: The bigger the vacuum's surface area the more adhesion there will be (seeing as there was space for a larger circle). You could also potentially make a detachable valve system so you don't have to keep the vacuum generator running which could also serve as a handle, though if there are leaks the seal will fail at some point (which may or may not matter depending on the amount of leakage and how fast you work).
Your work ethic is unmatched! Coupled with your can do positive attitude! Make your videos enjoyable to watch! The care you take in your craftsmanship 🤌🏽🤌🏽
Just because a corporation states they "wont give your data away" does not mean they will. Especially with DNA data, you don't want it on someone's server.
Hey Alex you ought to put a shut off valve on the back of that vacuum suction for your steel that way that you could shut the vacuum and seal it and turn off the vacuum pump.
When you are milling sticking out of the vice like that it makes sense to toss a machinist jack under each side or work against a longer parallel if setting the jack up is too much hassle for you... Might not solve the chatter but it probably will help.
This has become one of my favourite channels on RUclips, and probably the only one I view as soon as i see a new video come out. Keep up the good work.
FYI: Privacy policies can change. They're almost certainly worded such that nothing in them is entirely binding. As far as I know, the only time you're entirely certain to not have your genetic data used in any way you dont approve of ... is if it's in a medical context, and therefore subject to medical privacy laws. Like, sure, the current sponsor may have it in their privacy policy, but ... the other companies also didn't used to sell the data, either. Wasn't their policy. Then it was.
That whole "privacy policy may change without prior notice" thing that you're talking about? ....yeah that's. Super illegal actually. Like no, they can't change it without notifying you. At which point they are also legally required to destroy that data they have on you upon your request. Good luck enforcing it though :/
@@arturjogi6054 They go out of their way to make it as obscured as possible. Just because they send you a notification doesn't mean you don't need to go through pages and pages of gibberish before finding the part you might take issue with. Nobody reads policy updates, and they certainly aren't going to compare and contrast previous ones with new ones.
@@gloriouslumivery few people bother to read the initial policy statement in the first place, so it is a safe bet that even less people will read the policy update. South Park did an episode about it.
I like that you address this concern about privacy policies ☺ Here was also a case where "forbrukerrådet" (Norwegian Consumer Authority) rased a case aganst MH for this back in 2020. You can find the article by Googeling "myheritage forbrukerradet" if interested in the topic.
Always appreciate when creators don't try to cover up or ignore their mistakes. You let us see all the times you've goofed up and it feels far more genuine.
hello alec! I used to work as a machinist at a company which made glass parts. we would fixture these parts on our magnetic tables using secondary steel blocks placed all around the part which stopped it from moving. maybe would be worthwhile using this method to hold titanium rather than having to glue it to a piece of steel.
One of the most entertaining content creaters on RUclips. Love your videos. Love the way you show the failures as well as the successes to teach and entertain. Thanks for sharing 😁
I mean that's what the industry does, but I imagine he wants basically the thicker metal/plastic glasses he wears but thicker and made out of Titanium Demascus. Really cool project, but I suspect the glasses are secondary to just the "I need to learn what to do here and they're small and pretty solid" aspect.
The most admirable thing about this video is your persistence even in the most clear indication that you are struggling and clearly discouraged. Please keep the good work, I am sure with your persistence, you are well on your way to obtaining that patent. Your resilience outdoes even the most stubborn of damascus.
I thought you were going to make a vacuum plate for the surface grinder. Maybe in a future episode?!? So you can surface grind A LOT of titanium at once. You know, if you want to make a product in the future that has Damascus Titanium in it.
As someone who did hvac for 10 years, I would pull to absolute 0 pressure for 1 hour minimum before caring what my micron gauge said. Some systems I would have to leave it running for 6+ hours to get to the needed level and it ran fine. All this to say if your vacuum pump fails from this alone then you need to buy a better 1.
I just started improving my own work space with little improvised additions. Seeing that vacuum grip you made and how ecstatic you were to see it working…I really felt that part.
I know Alec is in his titanium stage, but i'd still love for him to go back a bit, and make a new sword or maybe a champagne sabre, for old times' sake.
The tenons on your dies warm up and create a small gap between the die and base plate as they get longer. Machine an angle on the tenon that makes a rounded or pointed bolt pull it down
Vacuum tables are one of the coolest things I've seen in the machine shop I work at. I've only used it once but it still takes the cake for the coolest way to clamp.
not only seeing the bumpy road to success but looking into the comments and seeing all the advice from people with odd technical knowledge contribute is wonderful
For the vacuum fixture you could use a reserve tank and cycle the pump like an air compressor as it runs out of vacuum. You might also be able to rig up certain air compressors to do the same thing. Would be made cost effective and easy with a relay, a cheap map sensor, and an Arduino.
I have left a couple of other comments agreeing with you (and expanding on my thoughts on it), and I won't repeat all of that for a third time. But not enough people are saying this, so just wanna amplify your comment because, like, exactly. 23andMe is at risk of potentially being sold whole. Not to mention even if they don't sell your info, they could get hacked/data breached, users could leak their own info by accident, and they'll almost certainly comply with governmental authorities when asked for any reason. The world is too unstable and there are too many bad actors to trust anyone with this information except as strictly required under HIPAA (or similar) medical privacy requirements (and even then, "strictly required" is important).
It will not hurt the vacuum pump. In the hvac trade we use them on every piece of equipment. On large systems I have left 3 vacuum pumps on for over 2 weeks at between 500-1000 microns . But change the oil on a regular basis. I do daily on those systems
1:58 Bloody awesome idea! Never have i ever thought of something like this.The amount of times I've had to work on a similar sized piece at the belt sander before resorting to hand sanding. 🤯
For the vacuum fixture, I'd recommend milling a circular O-ring groove on the face, and slotting in a silicone O-ring, and then you should be able to put a shut-off valve on the line, and turn off the pump in between runs, so it's not just sitting there hammering on the already emptied line.
You can get a vacuum generator that runs off compressed air, used them all the time at my old job doing automated food packaging machines. Air goes in one side, out the other side and a vacuum is generated on a third hole, ours were tiny about 1 x 1 x 1.5 inch. They are also noisy since they're just pissing compressed air but they last a long time if you keep dust out.
Love all the music you use it really is a small but important part of the Videos, I feel every video has a unique vibe to it with the same brilliant personality!
A modification of that vacuum pump setup that you can make easily that will help protect your pump will be a release valve and only vacuum till you okay with the amount of grab then shut the pump off and use the release valve to release
Cool as that would be did you miss the part early in the video whair he said that inch and a half square was 100£ or $124.21 armor is big and finding a way to keep the oxygen out would be the biggest pain in the ass of his life that being said i also want to see him try
It's a lot of fun seeing how many problems crop up that require solving in this project. It's really like a series of a hundred and fifty different tiny projects laid end to end with inevitable failures waiting at the end of it. Kudos for hanging in there!
If you make the vacuum block a manifold with many holes, you should be able to just use your shop vac to hold plates.. The problem with the vacuum pump is that while it has a much higher vacuum than the shop vac, if you are using it in the grinding room, it will ingest a huge amount of grit and dust and that will kill the pump and its seals in short order..
Ya just bc a company says they “wont give your data away” doesn’t mean they won’t. Especially with DNA data you definitely don’t want that being on someone’s server
I know here in the US, most major companies that deal with DNA only share it with law enforcement agencies with a court order. Other than that, they don’t really share it (what are they going to do with it, clone you?) I’d recommend going to watch Veratasium’s video on the Golden State Killer, it discusses some of this stuff.
The FBI uses ancestry sights to find criminals by finding people they are related to using those services. They don't even need a warrant they just have to have the criminals DNA since you already signed away your rights when you submitted your sample.
You might want to experiment with a vacuum table chuck for the surface grinder. If you use a series of small holes and distribute a number of vacuum chambers, then use compressed air and a venturi you should be able to just hold most anything. And as you have access to a near unlimited amount of compressed air now, you shouldn't have to worry about gaskets and leakage. As long as the part being held covers enough holes and is reasonably flat, it should be held down with a decent amount of force. It's how a lot of the vacuum lift systems pickup massive plate steel.
"Almost" irrelevant being the operative word. As someone who wears glasses 24x7 you'd be surprised at the difference a few grams makes over the course of many days resting on one's nose. The lighter the better, at least for me.
I stumbled on your channel this weekend, and I have to say how much I've been enjoying your content. I've always enjoyed learning and watching blacksmithing and metallurgy, but watching you experiement, fail, and solve problems is a great watch and educational. Just thought I'd share that. Cheers from an American cousin!
Since the 23andMe fiasco I was hoping people would have learned to not provide your DNA to these services. Please don’t promote ANY DNA testing services.
The vacuum fixture is an awesome solution. Anything you can do to shorten or reduce the duty cycling of your pump would go a long way for that piece of equipment. Great proof of concept. Just wanted to add more noise to the use of venturi or reservoirs people suggest.
I found some of my biological family through Myheritage. I'm adopted and was given it as a Christmas gift. Through this I was connected with one of my parents 2nd cousins, soon after a 2nd cousin once removed and was able to figure between speaking to them both how we were all related. I was the link between the 2 people. They found family never knew existed and found an older uncle was reconnected with nephews and nieces. He left Ireland when he was 14, when his father died and never returned. He was 92. His daughter was over the moon that she found family that she looked for for years.
So cool thing with vacuum blocks. You can make a one way reed valve with a piece of plastic and the part will stick. That way you don't have to run your vacuum pump and burn it out.
Wow, with what’s going on with the commercial dna industry right now you’d think Alec would care enough about his viewers to not actively try to expose them to hackers. But nope. All he cares about is that paycheck.
Re the vacuum pump: for liquids you can have a jar between the workpiece and the pump, with a tube going in and out through two holes in the lid. This will collect any liquid being sucked in. I suppose you can do the same with a filter for grinding dust?
Hey Alex! I just discovered you late last year as I made my way into blacksmith RUclips! I’m super stoked to keep watching you and follow along the projects in real time! Also.. you are a great example of a professional who manages ADHD very well haha. Don’t be so hard on yourself with the time thing. I’m the same. 😊
2:00 the vac pumps at my work run into a reservoir tank. Getting a small tank and PLC programmed to only run when under a certain amount of pressure would fix the pump burn out issue
I’ve worked in similar work shops most of my life and not once has anyone thought about making their own glasses you’re just brilliant keep it going lad
To use a surface grinder on non-magnetic materials, build a fixture - no glue required. For you titanium, I would mill a bar of steel that is slightly wider than the stock and maybe 150-250mm long such that there was a lip on 3 sides to catch the stock and on the fourth side an adjustable plate - effectively a vice. After grinding both sides of the stock, cut the material to length (fewer operations when done in this order). One might be able to get away with just one lip and an opposing plate to secure the work piece along its length.
Always used 3M Scotch double sided tape (green and white checkerboard pattern backing film). Stone the chuck and parts, clean well with alcohol and stick. It will require cleaning solvent and a razor blade to pry them off. Never threw a part in 2 decades. Shits not cheap though. 60$ for a 1" wide roll last I checked years ago.
30 seconds main project into immediate side project seems like the appropriate amount of time any maker spends 😂😂😂 Glad to see whether you're designing, forging or coding, we all work the same
After abrading the titanium and before forming the billet, store the titanium in 90% isopropyl alcohol while refinishing the rest of the parts of the billet. I work with stainless, and store the parts in an inert solvent “away from flame” while prepping the other stainless parts for ceramic coating. This prevents any oxidation/dust/oil from settling on the freshly sandblasted parts. This may assist your delamination.
I remember way back when I was in college doing a course in Design Tech : Resistant Materials, my lecturer gave me a sound piece of advice when doing something new/experimental. When it comes to time management, have a think on how long you expect its going to take. Then triple it or even quadruple it. So far in my career, that single piece of advice has been more or less spot on. It seems this is ringing true in your own quest 😉
11:00 Here's the reason you're bad at estimating time: You're an optimist. In your head, you *know* you have the ability to complete a task in, say, 2 days. You've probably done it before. But you've set that experience as your baseline and estimate time based on everything going smoothly, and you being focused and undistracted. You don't have to estimate time based on the worst case scenario (who wants to be a pessimist??), you simply have to remind yourself that you tend to think in terms of best cases. After a while you'll internalize this and you'll naturally start estimating more practically.
I have a love/hate relationship with Titanium Damascus it seems. Don't forget to try MyHeritage, buy a DNA kit here: bit.ly/AlecSteele. Use the coupon code FORGE for free shipping. As an added bonus, you can start a 30-day free trial of MyHeritage’s best subscription for family history research!
and im loving watching everything
Dna for everyone to see if it got hacked
Details are in the fine print. They promise never to sell the data. But they will
give it away for “free” if asked by a responsible 3rd party.
@@craigwallace7002 that’s even worst then it getting out because of a hacker
Get yourself a "pneumatic ejector" it works similiar to the principle of an improvised bottle flute, if you blow over the hole it creates negative pressure, that's what causes the sound by interaction with the bottle. An ejector is made for pulling a vacuum, it doesn't care if it isn't tight, or if the workshop is dirty, it's basically a T-pipe with the leg of the T having a very small diameter, or a Y-pipe fitting with one arm being of a smaller diameter adn the compressed air rushing past it, ripping teh air out of it as it moves past.
They also exist as a water driven variant, but you already have compressed air in your workshop and there is no need to ruin your vacuum pump.
I am a titanium aerospace welder who welds tons of jet engine parts inside an argon chamber and we have very strict requirements of what we're allowed to Weld on because our company and companies like Lockheed Martin and airbus who we make parts for have done tons of testing on how to get the best weld possible with no inclusions and a little tip that might be helpful is that we are not allowed to Weld on stone or belted surfaces because the stones and belts can smear contaminants into the titanium that can cause gas pockets or porrisity when welded! We can only Weld on either acid etched surfaces or surfaces that have been carbide burred! I have also forged my own damascus knife but just the once so I know the forge welding process is a bit different than tig welding but it's something to consider that if you want the best finish possible and highest chance of success for forge welding especially damascus with so many layers that each could have a problem you should acid etch after you surface grind your titanium to insure the cleanest material and best chance for a perfect forge Weld! 😁
Excellent advice, Alex probably never considered the surfaces that he hammer on!
Aaand breathe 😊
Solid advice 👌 I would also suggest reconsidering the forge weld container design to allow for greater argon dispersal between the layers.
Or some sort of vacuum setup to prime them before heating.
Soooo… no dog hairs then? 🤔 asking for a friend
Excellent advice. I would also like to recommend punctuation. It does wonders.
Most entertaining blacksmith content on RUclips!
On the point! I agree 💯%
Most entretaining restoration chanel on YT! Cant wait on the Datson restoration project!
Can't wait for Alec to make a new one (billet)
Look who’s here! I look forward to your next restoration upload!
im going to watch you now
I enjoy very much that failure is an option on your channel, as are 1000 side projects, never felt more seen as a craftsperson.
"Gratuitous application of mechanical persuasion" is a wonderful sentence
It took me about 4 tries to get it to roll off the tongue smoothly 😅
😂😂 @@AlecSteele brilliant. Hey could you do something similar with your last billet but use the copper again. A copper line in that would look so good on the arms.
I used to call it applying the tapometer......
@@AlecSteele I think about a few hundered people just sat in front of their pc/phone and read out that sentence loudly to see if they can do it in less attempts
I was NOT ready for the weaponized cuteness of 11 year old Alec
The children yearn for the forges
now adult Alec is still cute
Nor was I.😂
Same. That was absolutely adorable.❤❤❤❤
@@yuvie9588 facts!
This is the Alec Steele that drew me in some years ago. Pushing the limits of metallurgy and in due time the limits of delicate machining. Learning what doesn't work and then figuring it out. Turning your eventual billet into a set of frames will be yet another learning experience too.
Very well said. 100% agree.
Louis: "Hal, did you replace the light bulb in the kitchen?" - Hal: "WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE I"M DOING?" (rolls up from underneath the car)
"That's not kitchen you're in rn, Hal!"
"In order to replace the light bulb in the kitchen, I need a spare light bulb. They have stopped making them in 1985. I'm installing a turbo on your car, so that it can break the 88mph barrier and effectively enable me to travel back to 1985 to buy the last remaining specimen. Now fetch me a 1/4in wrench."
"I hate side projects."
Use a compressed air Venturi vacuum generator instead of a vacuum pump. That's what method that industry uses.
Second this, it’s also something you could make in a video
Yeah, but what are the odds he'd have access to a massive source of compressed air?! Oh wait righ
And gasket cord instead of o rings for greater surface area vacuum zone.
Yeah, DeWalt licensed the Grabo from Issy Swan - it seems like it'd be perfect for this useage.
Venturis are used in industry to take advantage of facility-scale compressed air to reduce the number of moving parts that have to be maintained across the plant, not because vacuum pumps have any problem being used for a vac bed.
You should be dipping them in acid and immediately putting in an argon atmosphere because the titanium oxide coating takes milliseconds to form. When you are grinding it in an oxygen atmosphere it's re formed before you even finish grinding it so you are always going to have inclusions and weak points between the layers. In a stack with a just a few layers like 5 it might be ok but with the harringbone pattern you are actually multipling the ammount of included oxide by 4 times every cut using the inverse square law
Ive actually heard a process where you electroplate it with aluminum guranteeing no oxide than use Sodium Hydroxide to dissolve the aluminum leaving a clean surface of titanium
When i am doing stainless-to-high carbon can welds, i store the stainless in kerosene until it's time to can it up. I don't know how fast the oxides form at typical room temperature, though
Absolutely revolutionary for this project, thanks bro!
Dry Nitrogen would generally be cheaper for this purpose. It has a higher thermal conductivity than Argon, so it is probably a worse solution for the forging/welding purposes. But it should be just fine for the grinding & storing part.
He says that at 2:24
To everyone buying one of those DNA tests in Alex’s advert I warn you I was charged £114 extra because I forgot to cancel the subscription then when you go to try to contact the company they make it impossible
The rules are very simple: Never ever engage with a company that uses youtube sponsorships as promotions. They only exist to help content creators, which we accept... while fast forwarding until the pitch is over.
@@andersjjensenthis is a wild take and if you believe this you’re so obviously out of touch. So you don’t use Google, Apple, or any big brand? god I’ve even seen grocery stores sponsor spots.
@@SCRNSH0T🐑
@@SCRNSH0T I think he's saying that that's how they should be treated, not how they actually are. Obviously companies would stop sponsoring youtubers if the investment wasn't seeing any returns.
@@SCRNSH0TIf a company has the money to sponsor on RUclips it's either overcharging people, or it's entirely financed by venture capital and probably a scam, or it's selling your data or it's like honey where it's secretly stealing money somehow, RUclips sponsorships (at least on larger channels like this) cost a decent amount, so they expect to make a lot of money from it, which probably means it isn't especially good value
TIP Alec FESTO makes a valve (Vakuumerzeuger called here in Germany) that you just plug in compressed air on one side and on the other side it pulls a vacuum that way you don’t need a pump they are used in industrial applications to suck up components on a assembly line for instants eg.
Festo
VN-10-L-T3-PQ2-VQ2-RO1
venturi effect is what thats called, basically one flow "drags" the other air with it (from my understanding)
Yep, they work well for a small volume, but can also be quit loude. Buf for cheapish fast vacuum they are very usefull.
This is smarter than what I came to say, I was really worried for the vacuum pump. I don't think it's a sufficient sucker for the job, tho the jig is a briliant idea for sure
I actually work with these sorts of items, it's a simple Venturi, and they also make mufflers/noise suppression for them. They're handy, no doubt, but a bit application sensitive... Not sure the grinding room is somewhere you might want to use this...
Or you could just spend 1 dollar on a suction cup, lol
Btw, a better method of generating vacuum pressure for that grinding fixture is what's called a venturi vacuum generator, very commonly used in industry for securing flat, non magnetic materials. Essentially a device that you plug in high pressure, low flow rate compressed air from an airline, and redirects the air out in such a way that the Venturi effect pulls air out of a perpendicular connected pipe that the airstream rushes past. Not super high vacuum pressure (needs a greater vacuum pad surface area), but just needs compressed air and are small, inexpensive, completely pneumatic, and can be attached inline.
Ideal for such applications where the actual airflow rate through the vacuum pipe is zero, such as vacuum fixturing.
And, crucially, it means there is no chance of damaging either a vacuum pump or air compressor- the former, because there isn’t even one involved, and the vacuum is generated at the point of the Venturi - which has no moving parts! - not a pump… and the latter, because again the vacuum is generated by the Venturi, and has no moving parts that particulates or corrosive gases could damage
Man, you _know_ we love a side project!
Hmm, so much so why don't you know the entire video into a side project...
@AlecSteele, ditch the vac pump and get a vac generator. Easily turns compressed air into vacuum strong enough to hold parts such as you're doing. You can easily find an in-line vac generator for $15-$20 from most robotics and die/mold suppliers.
You need some things for your vacuum fixture; a bypass needle valve to bleed in some air so it isn't running at the highest amps to hold a deep vacuum past what you need, you could get along with a small shop-vac. Second is an oil vapor filter.
When you run them at a deep continuous vacuum they blow a lot of oil, you'll see it smoke/mist eventually and start getting hot. That little bit from the needle valve bypass and it won't be running near as hard.
I did a bunch of wood stabilizing and ran them as long as it took, sometimes for hours. Might have wrapped it in wet towels or put a cooling fan on it, they get hot. Can't remember. 5 hours is pretty hard on them.
A second valve to hold with the pump off might be helpful, it is for vessels.
*SAVING THIS FOR TOMORROW* with a cup of tea and a biscuit
I love the quality and the frequency of the videos lately.🥳Keep up the good work.😁
Vacuum pumps (that are not vacuum cleaners) are actually happiest holding vacuum pressure and are unhappy pumping continuous flow. The type shown here is perfect for vacuum fixturing like this. (EDIT: Assuming you have a good particulate filter)
@Alec - you could make your own vacuum bed for your surface grinder with your plasma cutter. Rather than 1 or 2 big holes, cut LOTS of small holes in a grid in a few layers of sheet, then do a few layers of horizontal and vertical channels to connect the holes together, add a blank bottom sheet, weld up the edges, and then drill and tap into the side of the stack to connect a fitting for the pump. Fixture the contraption to wherever you want to use it, lay out your workpiece(s), cover any exposed holes with a thin sheet of plastic, turn on the pump and you're in business.
9:06 the forbidden salmon
😂😂
It's been an interesting series so far. Though I'm seeing some constants with the different methods you're trying.
-Exposure to oxygen
-Hammering
-Hammering at the roughly the same temp.
-Possible other one: Not allowing enough time to heat up thoroughly (hard to tell with the editing of the video)
Titanium does NOT like oxygen at higher temps (why i mentioned the SR-71 and the aluminum content as an example last vid).
Because of Titanium's properties, like LOW thermal conductance rate as one example, the hammering process may not be allowing for enough time for bonding. Maybe holding a pressing force for longer may change that. Though difficult, keeping the heat on while pressing to slow the rate of cooling may also have a positive impact as well.
I've been following your channel for years and You have really levelled up in the last few months!! Your content keeps getting better and its been my favourite journey to follow on RUclips. Thanks for all the fascinating videos Alec & Jamie and happy new year!
A little tip for your vacuum fixture: The bigger the vacuum's surface area the more adhesion there will be (seeing as there was space for a larger circle). You could also potentially make a detachable valve system so you don't have to keep the vacuum generator running which could also serve as a handle, though if there are leaks the seal will fail at some point (which may or may not matter depending on the amount of leakage and how fast you work).
Your work ethic is unmatched! Coupled with your can do positive attitude! Make your videos enjoyable to watch! The care you take in your craftsmanship 🤌🏽🤌🏽
Just because a corporation states they "wont give your data away" does not mean they will. Especially with DNA data, you don't want it on someone's server.
This is bot account that links to phishing sites under the guise of sexual content.
My heritage is already a partner with FBI and other american surveilance and law branches.
This is a bot that links to phishing websites, don't go to them.
an the thing with DNA date is: its not only your data witch you are selling.
@@zuldero which*
Hey Alex you ought to put a shut off valve on the back of that vacuum suction for your steel that way that you could shut the vacuum and seal it and turn off the vacuum pump.
When you are milling sticking out of the vice like that it makes sense to toss a machinist jack under each side or work against a longer parallel if setting the jack up is too much hassle for you... Might not solve the chatter but it probably will help.
This has become one of my favourite channels on RUclips, and probably the only one I view as soon as i see a new video come out. Keep up the good work.
FYI: Privacy policies can change. They're almost certainly worded such that nothing in them is entirely binding. As far as I know, the only time you're entirely certain to not have your genetic data used in any way you dont approve of ... is if it's in a medical context, and therefore subject to medical privacy laws. Like, sure, the current sponsor may have it in their privacy policy, but ... the other companies also didn't used to sell the data, either. Wasn't their policy. Then it was.
That whole "privacy policy may change without prior notice" thing that you're talking about?
....yeah that's. Super illegal actually. Like no, they can't change it without notifying you. At which point they are also legally required to destroy that data they have on you upon your request.
Good luck enforcing it though :/
@@arturjogi6054 They go out of their way to make it as obscured as possible. Just because they send you a notification doesn't mean you don't need to go through pages and pages of gibberish before finding the part you might take issue with. Nobody reads policy updates, and they certainly aren't going to compare and contrast previous ones with new ones.
@@gloriouslumivery few people bother to read the initial policy statement in the first place, so it is a safe bet that even less people will read the policy update.
South Park did an episode about it.
I like that you address this concern about privacy policies ☺ Here was also a case where "forbrukerrådet" (Norwegian Consumer Authority) rased a case aganst MH for this back in 2020. You can find the article by Googeling "myheritage forbrukerradet" if interested in the topic.
@@arturjogi6054 tumblr reading comprehension moment, it is saying they won't tell you in advance not that they wont tell you when it updated
Always appreciate when creators don't try to cover up or ignore their mistakes. You let us see all the times you've goofed up and it feels far more genuine.
hello alec! I used to work as a machinist at a company which made glass parts. we would fixture these parts on our magnetic tables using secondary steel blocks placed all around the part which stopped it from moving. maybe would be worthwhile using this method to hold titanium rather than having to glue it to a piece of steel.
One of the most entertaining content creaters on RUclips. Love your videos. Love the way you show the failures as well as the successes to teach and entertain. Thanks for sharing 😁
wouldn't it have made more sense to make titanium damascus wire to make the glasses frame rather than trying to mill it out of a block?
I mean that's what the industry does, but I imagine he wants basically the thicker metal/plastic glasses he wears but thicker and made out of Titanium Demascus.
Really cool project, but I suspect the glasses are secondary to just the "I need to learn what to do here and they're small and pretty solid" aspect.
The most admirable thing about this video is your persistence even in the most clear indication that you are struggling and clearly discouraged. Please keep the good work, I am sure with your persistence, you are well on your way to obtaining that patent. Your resilience outdoes even the most stubborn of damascus.
I thought you were going to make a vacuum plate for the surface grinder. Maybe in a future episode?!? So you can surface grind A LOT of titanium at once.
You know, if you want to make a product in the future that has Damascus Titanium in it.
I really appreciate the open honesty of your work. You show what it's like to do real work. Thank you. Love your work!
As someone who did hvac for 10 years, I would pull to absolute 0 pressure for 1 hour minimum before caring what my micron gauge said. Some systems I would have to leave it running for 6+ hours to get to the needed level and it ran fine. All this to say if your vacuum pump fails from this alone then you need to buy a better 1.
Just put a valve on the pipe, so after vaccum is create you can close It and shut off your pump.
As always you do amazing work, congratulations mate 😀
I just started improving my own work space with little improvised additions. Seeing that vacuum grip you made and how ecstatic you were to see it working…I really felt that part.
19:30 Thank you for all of the good videos
I really enjoy these video and there actually like not boring like a lot of blacksmith videos
I know Alec is in his titanium stage, but i'd still love for him to go back a bit, and make a new sword or maybe a champagne sabre, for old times' sake.
The tenons on your dies warm up and create a small gap between the die and base plate as they get longer. Machine an angle on the tenon that makes a rounded or pointed bolt pull it down
Vacuum tables are one of the coolest things I've seen in the machine shop I work at. I've only used it once but it still takes the cake for the coolest way to clamp.
not only seeing the bumpy road to success but looking into the comments and seeing all the advice from people with odd technical knowledge contribute is wonderful
Add an air tank in line with the vacuum hose. It will ease the stress on the pump.
For the vacuum fixture you could use a reserve tank and cycle the pump like an air compressor as it runs out of vacuum. You might also be able to rig up certain air compressors to do the same thing. Would be made cost effective and easy with a relay, a cheap map sensor, and an Arduino.
No, I will NOT be sending my DNA to a company that'll sell that data to the highest bidder :D
I have left a couple of other comments agreeing with you (and expanding on my thoughts on it), and I won't repeat all of that for a third time. But not enough people are saying this, so just wanna amplify your comment because, like, exactly. 23andMe is at risk of potentially being sold whole. Not to mention even if they don't sell your info, they could get hacked/data breached, users could leak their own info by accident, and they'll almost certainly comply with governmental authorities when asked for any reason. The world is too unstable and there are too many bad actors to trust anyone with this information except as strictly required under HIPAA (or similar) medical privacy requirements (and even then, "strictly required" is important).
It will not hurt the vacuum pump. In the hvac trade we use them on every piece of equipment. On large systems I have left 3 vacuum pumps on for over 2 weeks at between 500-1000 microns . But change the oil on a regular basis. I do daily on those systems
You could actually use the ventury effect to create vaccum using compresed air instead of having a bespoke vaccum pump.
1:58 Bloody awesome idea! Never have i ever thought of something like this.The amount of times I've had to work on a similar sized piece at the belt sander before resorting to hand sanding. 🤯
When surface grinding longer thin pieces like this, I found that putting the pieces on the chuck more diagonally will help keep them from lifting.
Yeah, less surface contact at once is absolutely what you want when its stuff like that
Your videos, mind, and projects have saved me in more ways than you will ever know. Thank you and god bless you 🙏
Can’t wait!! Always exiting to see a new video from you :)
For the vacuum fixture, I'd recommend milling a circular O-ring groove on the face, and slotting in a silicone O-ring, and then you should be able to put a shut-off valve on the line, and turn off the pump in between runs, so it's not just sitting there hammering on the already emptied line.
14:15 Nah dude, you should be wearing a cup.
😂😂😂😂😂when I read that it was happening on the screen😂😂
You can get a vacuum generator that runs off compressed air, used them all the time at my old job doing automated food packaging machines. Air goes in one side, out the other side and a vacuum is generated on a third hole, ours were tiny about 1 x 1 x 1.5 inch. They are also noisy since they're just pissing compressed air but they last a long time if you keep dust out.
Alec put a shutoff valve on it. Get the suction up turn the tap off and turn the pump off.
I love how honest you are with the process! Best of luck for next episode, I look forward too it. Good music choices.
Make the block out of steel and tap it on the side for the vacuum. Then you can use it on your surface grinder and evenly hit the surface.
Love all the music you use it really is a small but important part of the Videos, I feel every video has a unique vibe to it with the same brilliant personality!
Broo the laugh when the vacuum works 😂❤
A modification of that vacuum pump setup that you can make easily that will help protect your pump will be a release valve and only vacuum till you okay with the amount of grab then shut the pump off and use the release valve to release
4:42 I am all about that camera angle!
14:32 The insertion of the "Exertion Grunt" in time with the music is masterful editing! 🙂
Petition to make a full suit of armor
Cool as that would be did you miss the part early in the video whair he said that inch and a half square was 100£ or $124.21 armor is big and finding a way to keep the oxygen out would be the biggest pain in the ass of his life that being said i also want to see him try
It's a lot of fun seeing how many problems crop up that require solving in this project. It's really like a series of a hundred and fifty different tiny projects laid end to end with inevitable failures waiting at the end of it. Kudos for hanging in there!
15:42 bars..
If you make the vacuum block a manifold with many holes, you should be able to just use your shop vac to hold plates.. The problem with the vacuum pump is that while it has a much higher vacuum than the shop vac, if you are using it in the grinding room, it will ingest a huge amount of grit and dust and that will kill the pump and its seals in short order..
Ya just bc a company says they “wont give your data away” doesn’t mean they won’t. Especially with DNA data you definitely don’t want that being on someone’s server
I know here in the US, most major companies that deal with DNA only share it with law enforcement agencies with a court order. Other than that, they don’t really share it (what are they going to do with it, clone you?) I’d recommend going to watch Veratasium’s video on the Golden State Killer, it discusses some of this stuff.
I agree... don't hope they get a 'honey- moment'
It's basically common knowledge now that these companies give their data away to law enforcement and intelligence agencies
But they won't give it away, That would be bad... for them. They will sell it.
The FBI uses ancestry sights to find criminals by finding people they are related to using those services. They don't even need a warrant they just have to have the criminals DNA since you already signed away your rights when you submitted your sample.
You might want to experiment with a vacuum table chuck for the surface grinder. If you use a series of small holes and distribute a number of vacuum chambers, then use compressed air and a venturi you should be able to just hold most anything. And as you have access to a near unlimited amount of compressed air now, you shouldn't have to worry about gaskets and leakage. As long as the part being held covers enough holes and is reasonably flat, it should be held down with a decent amount of force. It's how a lot of the vacuum lift systems pickup massive plate steel.
18:46 It looks like Salmon
Certainly digging this titanium work you are doing. It seems to have reignited a light in you I haven't seen in a bit. Keep at it brother. Thank you.
0:17 ok but the weight is almost irrelevant in the amount you need and rust/skin staining is also avoidable with a coating.
True, but it’s also a really cool project.
@Nathan-vt1jz it is either way.
"Almost" irrelevant being the operative word. As someone who wears glasses 24x7 you'd be surprised at the difference a few grams makes over the course of many days resting on one's nose. The lighter the better, at least for me.
@maj429 I exclusively use metal frame glasses, I prefer them heavy but somewhat balanced.
Coatings just don't hold up to sweat and constant contact with skin..
I stumbled on your channel this weekend, and I have to say how much I've been enjoying your content. I've always enjoyed learning and watching blacksmithing and metallurgy, but watching you experiement, fail, and solve problems is a great watch and educational. Just thought I'd share that. Cheers from an American cousin!
Since the 23andMe fiasco I was hoping people would have learned to not provide your DNA to these services. Please don’t promote ANY DNA testing services.
Yep. Vital info will get hacked, sold, or given to oppressive governments. It is only a matter of time.
The vacuum fixture is an awesome solution. Anything you can do to shorten or reduce the duty cycling of your pump would go a long way for that piece of equipment. Great proof of concept. Just wanted to add more noise to the use of venturi or reservoirs people suggest.
I found some of my biological family through Myheritage. I'm adopted and was given it as a Christmas gift. Through this I was connected with one of my parents 2nd cousins, soon after a 2nd cousin once removed and was able to figure between speaking to them both how we were all related. I was the link between the 2 people. They found family never knew existed and found an older uncle was reconnected with nephews and nieces. He left Ireland when he was 14, when his father died and never returned. He was 92. His daughter was over the moon that she found family that she looked for for years.
So cool thing with vacuum blocks. You can make a one way reed valve with a piece of plastic and the part will stick. That way you don't have to run your vacuum pump and burn it out.
Wow, with what’s going on with the commercial dna industry right now you’d think Alec would care enough about his viewers to not actively try to expose them to hackers. But nope. All he cares about is that paycheck.
Jamie are you the one choosing the music?
I just love it, jazz, metal, swing, mambo, etc, love it all
1:48 It's great to see your ingenuity and excitement!
I enjoy watching you experiment and refine your methods.
Love your videos and you have helped me so much with blacksmithing!! Keep on rocking!!
1:47 when the obscure idea you invested time and effort into for the sole reason of reducing time and effort actually works. its a good feeling.
Re the vacuum pump: for liquids you can have a jar between the workpiece and the pump, with a tube going in and out through two holes in the lid. This will collect any liquid being sucked in. I suppose you can do the same with a filter for grinding dust?
Hey Alex! I just discovered you late last year as I made my way into blacksmith RUclips! I’m super stoked to keep watching you and follow along the projects in real time! Also.. you are a great example of a professional who manages ADHD very well haha. Don’t be so hard on yourself with the time thing. I’m the same. 😊
I'm literally getting more and more excited every time you drop a video. Keep it up🙏
2:00 the vac pumps at my work run into a reservoir tank. Getting a small tank and PLC programmed to only run when under a certain amount of pressure would fix the pump burn out issue
Have to say I loved the music you used in this video, really great editing and cinematography that I always enjoy from your channel
This series is fantastic. Love the way you don’t hide the failures and hardships
I’ve worked in similar work shops most of my life and not once has anyone thought about making their own glasses you’re just brilliant keep it going lad
16:55 I love the maniachal laughter while Alec just goes ham on the steam hammer
To use a surface grinder on non-magnetic materials, build a fixture - no glue required. For you titanium, I would mill a bar of steel that is slightly wider than the stock and maybe 150-250mm long such that there was a lip on 3 sides to catch the stock and on the fourth side an adjustable plate - effectively a vice. After grinding both sides of the stock, cut the material to length (fewer operations when done in this order). One might be able to get away with just one lip and an opposing plate to secure the work piece along its length.
Your vacuum pump idea would also work on the surface grinder. Probably better than my suggestion.
Always used 3M Scotch double sided tape (green and white checkerboard pattern backing film). Stone the chuck and parts, clean well with alcohol and stick. It will require cleaning solvent and a razor blade to pry them off. Never threw a part in 2 decades.
Shits not cheap though. 60$ for a 1" wide roll last I checked years ago.
30 seconds main project into immediate side project seems like the appropriate amount of time any maker spends 😂😂😂
Glad to see whether you're designing, forging or coding, we all work the same
After abrading the titanium and before forming the billet, store the titanium in 90% isopropyl alcohol while refinishing the rest of the parts of the billet.
I work with stainless, and store the parts in an inert solvent “away from flame” while prepping the other stainless parts for ceramic coating.
This prevents any oxidation/dust/oil from settling on the freshly sandblasted parts.
This may assist your delamination.
Just casually whips up an amazing and useful vacuum-pump holder in first minute and a half of the episode. Lovely work!
I remember way back when I was in college doing a course in Design Tech : Resistant Materials, my lecturer gave me a sound piece of advice when doing something new/experimental.
When it comes to time management, have a think on how long you expect its going to take. Then triple it or even quadruple it.
So far in my career, that single piece of advice has been more or less spot on.
It seems this is ringing true in your own quest 😉
11:00 Here's the reason you're bad at estimating time: You're an optimist. In your head, you *know* you have the ability to complete a task in, say, 2 days. You've probably done it before. But you've set that experience as your baseline and estimate time based on everything going smoothly, and you being focused and undistracted.
You don't have to estimate time based on the worst case scenario (who wants to be a pessimist??), you simply have to remind yourself that you tend to think in terms of best cases. After a while you'll internalize this and you'll naturally start estimating more practically.
I love these videos lately. Absolutely brilliant stuff!