My Ti mug(used for testing only) no longer sits flat on my stove.

What is the recommended way to fix the problem?

Watch the video and thanks for your help

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/sub%20two/th_2007-09-02012612.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/sub%20two/?action=view&current=2007-09-02012612.flv)

Why would you want to? That sounds like a great bear scarer awayer :D

It has character. It shows attitude. It's good just as it is.:)

Well I don't know how to fix it but here's why it happened:
Linear Coefficient of Expansion. Heating a metal to temperatures below its melting point causes it to expand or increase in length. If a bar or rod is uniformly heated along its length, every unit of length of the bar increases. This increase per unit length per degree rise in temperature is called the coefficient of linear expansion. Where a metal will be alternately subjected to beating and cooling cycles and must maintain a certain tolerance of dimensions, a low coefficient of thermal expansion is desirable. When in contact with a metal of a different coefficient, this consideration assumes greater importance.

Titanium has a low coefficient of linear expansion which is equal to 5.0x10-6 inch per inch/°F, whereas that of stainless steel is 7.8x10-6, copper 16.5x10-6, and aluminum 12.9x10-6.

well, if i take your meaning of "th'ol' 2 lb sledge hammer 'OOPS!' fix" correctly then i would be more than willing to take that mug off your hands before you do anything drastic =)!

I like stoves with character:banana

I like supermans solution, leave it as is:banana

I can use it as Foyt20 suggests: a great bear scarer awayer:D One thing about this DIY forum is that it always has had "classic humor" Thanks Foyt!!! Ya know at one time they had a commercial on tv that showed a coffee percolator doin it's thing and it had a catchy tune of the "perking" sound. I think I'll play that tune on my mug while out on my next adventure. No bears or wild beasts will come near!!!!!!:banana

cwayman1, ever since I saw oops56 swing that hammer to his "penny" stove I've wanted to do something similiar. I've got my sights set on a White Box Stove and when I come back into town I'm goin to swing the 2 pounder down upon it with vigor.:banana

Don H, thanks for the explanation. I'm thinking if the outside were heated to a high heat maybe the bottom would "pop" back in. I'll see if it fits inside of "the ring of fire" stove:-? and then heat it up without water in it:-?

The bulge is because the circular part of the bottom has expanded (gotten wider) from something unknown because you didn't identify what happened to cause this. There is more bottom diameter than can be accomodated by the wall circumference. Circumference = PI * Diameter.

Since this bulge or bowing has an outward phase and and inward phase and no flat stable phase in the middle, you have few choices.

1) make the inward bowing stable by more or less bending it inward. This is best accomplished if you can limit the bending to near the perimeter of the bottom. Placing a flat metal ring or perhaps a stiff disk on the bottom and forcing the inward bulge with gradually increasing force or impact may cause the inward bulge to be the stable for, and that might be useful.

2) Try to increase the diameter of the pot wall at the bottom to effectively stretch the bottom flat. I can't envision how to do that easily, sorry. Maybe a "dent repair" guy would have some suggestions.

The above arguments would imply that simply hitting it with a 2 pound sledge will be more emotionally satisfying than straightening. But, you never know. Let us know how it comes out.

Try heating the bottom to a high temp and cool quickly by dunking in ice water. By the way I'm not a metallurgist, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night!

Try heating the bottom to a high temp and cool quickly by dunking in ice water. By the way I'm not a metallurgist, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night!

That makes you qualified and gives you character to boot!!!!

I use the same cup with my alcohol stove and have not had a hint of warping. Yours looks like it has had some extreme heat applied to the bottom. So how'd it get that way?

I use the same cup with my alcohol stove and have not had a hint of warping. Yours looks like it has had some extreme heat applied to the bottom. So how'd it get that way?

I'm not sure, it may have boiled dry or I may have put it over a stove to check flame pattern without putting water in it first, in a hurry stove testing technique:rolleyes:

That heating and quick cooling technique works on removing dents from cars. If you're good you can heat with a heat gun and cool with a towel soaked in ice water to remove a small dent without damaging the paint. I'm thinking that the heat/cool cycles might work on Ti like it does on steel.

Well I don't know how to fix it but here's why it happened:
Linear Coefficient of Expansion. Heating a metal to temperatures below its melting point causes it to expand or increase in length. If a bar or rod is uniformly heated along its length, every unit of length of the bar increases. This increase per unit length per degree rise in temperature is called the coefficient of linear expansion. Where a metal will be alternately subjected to beating and cooling cycles and must maintain a certain tolerance of dimensions, a low coefficient of thermal expansion is desirable. When in contact with a metal of a different coefficient, this consideration assumes greater importance.

Titanium has a low coefficient of linear expansion which is equal to 5.0x10-6 inch per inch/°F, whereas that of stainless steel is 7.8x10-6, copper 16.5x10-6, and aluminum 12.9x10-6.
You sound suspiciously like a teacher.

No, Fireman

No, Fireman
I guess I wasn't even close.:p

The bulge is because the circular part of the bottom has expanded (gotten wider) from something unknown because you didn't identify what happened to cause this. There is more bottom diameter than can be accomodated by the wall circumference. Circumference = PI * Diameter.

Since this bulge or bowing has an outward phase and and inward phase and no flat stable phase in the middle, you have few choices.

1) make the inward bowing stable by more or less bending it inward. This is best accomplished if you can limit the bending to near the perimeter of the bottom. Placing a flat metal ring or perhaps a stiff disk on the bottom and forcing the inward bulge with gradually increasing force or impact may cause the inward bulge to be the stable for, and that might be useful.

2) Try to increase the diameter of the pot wall at the bottom to effectively stretch the bottom flat. I can't envision how to do that easily, sorry. Maybe a "dent repair" guy would have some suggestions.

The above arguments would imply that simply hitting it with a 2 pound sledge will be more emotionally satisfying than straightening. But, you never know. Let us know how it comes out.


Did anyone suspect the Ti mug was aging past 40 and resembled an older person.... I need a bigger chair.....

You sound suspiciously like a teacher.

Very Wise.

I know exactly what happened to my double wall REI Ti. mug. I stupidly tried to heat up water in it over my stove. After I realized that the same double wall that would keep my beverages warm was also keeping the water at room temp, the bottom of the mug blew out! Yeah I could have tried to return it, but it was my mistake and I may try to fix it myself with the cold water method. Anyway, now it has character.

all firemen are teachers:)

Replace smoke detector batteries twice a year.;)

Plan a fire escape route with your family members;)

y not just bash the stove till its fitting w/ your mug, then theyll both have character and youll have TWO conversation pieces. as an added bonus, itll look like modern art *wink*

Zelph, Did you find a fix for your Ti mug yet?

try modifying your stove to better fit the mug

Instead of nesting your stove in your mug, you can nest your mug in your stove

Zelph, Did you find a fix for your Ti mug yet?

Yes, sorta :banana

I used my mighty thumbs to push in around it's perimeter as per the instructions to use a wood dowel. I improvised and used my thumbs:rolleyes:

A new situation exists though. Now it's concave:D and I can make it covex at will by pushing from within on the bottom of the mug. My stoves work well under Heineken cans so all is well:banana

I now have an Inne-Outee mug.;)

Thanks everyone for your input on how to resolve the challenge. We Ventured, We Gained:)

With your "Innie - Outie" mug bottom, you may well have a useful side effect.

A coffee cup that jumps up when it gets filled with hot coffee. Boing ! !

With your "Innie - Outie" mug bottom, you may well have a useful side effect.

A coffee cup that jumps up when it gets filled with hot coffee. Boing ! !

I'll have to see if that happens when hot liquid is put into it. It might just pop it good enough to push it up and out like a big vurp:eek:........:D

but it sounds cool mug on top shotglass on the bottom:banana

but it sounds cool mug on top shotglass on the bottom:banana

"Bottoms Up" takes on a whole new meaning:banana

i loose more chaser that way

Most high quality mugs are thick enough that this will not happen. If they are not thick enough a good design is to have the bottom concave from the outside. Take a look at most mugs, they are this way.
To fix your mug, simply turn it upside down, place a baseball on it and smack it until it is permanently deformed inward about 0.75inches. That way, it will not bounce back once it is hot