Took my spoon to the shop

[fastfoxengineering]

I have a thing for backpacking spoons. Titanium, bamboo, or some kind of food safe plastic. A spoon is something I use pretty much every day on the trail. I had a name brand long handled spoon laying around, so I decided to take it to the shop and make it my creation. I have always found great joy in making something my own, or maybe it's just that I can't help leaving good enough alone.

The spoon was long handled. I took about an inch off of it. Polished titanium is much more pleasant to eat from than the rougher finishes so I polished the whole spoon. I then took it to the wire wheel to give it a brushed finish. Took a small endmill and put a hole at the top. Tied up a small suede loop for aesthetics. Finally, I took it to the laser marker to add my initials.

So yeah... this is what I do in my spare time when I'm not out hiking.

Didn't do it to save weight. Just to make it my own.

Regards,
Fastfox

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

[Highland Goat]

Your spoon was too big?

[egilbe]

Your spoon was too big?

No such thing!

[zelph]

Nice :-)

If you slowed down the travel of the laser, can it burn through the titanium?

Thanks for the wire wheel tip to get rid of the rough finish.

[fastfoxengineering]

Nice :-)

If you slowed down the travel of the laser, can it burn through the titanium?

Thanks for the wire wheel tip to get rid of the rough finish.

Z offset (distance of laser to work piece), power, and speed are pretty much the three basics to setting up a laser marker. The whole process to do my initials took about 20 minutes and I'm new to lasers.

But yes, the machine has to be setup correctly or you can burn right through a part no problem. I ran a test run on a piece of scrap metal first.

Furthermore, I used a polishing wheel to get rid of all the grit. Polished the whole spoon to shiny, smooth metal. Made the hole. Put on my initials. Then took it to a deburring/wire wheel to give it the brushed finish.

I'm thinking the gritty finish is from media blasting. Stamp the spoon. Drill a laynard hole. Debur it. Blast it. Done

I could be wrong



Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

[Tipi Walter]

I have two models of these spoons, aluminum and titanium, made by sea to summit. I like the long length of these spoons for various reasons as people who eat out of bags know.

One time I was coming down the Stratton Ridge trail in winter and decided to stop for lunch. It was very cold and I wanted some bread and cheese but the cheese seemed partially frozen. When I used the spoon to slice off a chunk the spoon snapped in half where the spoon part connects to the handle.

[fastfoxengineering]

I have two models of these spoons, aluminum and titanium, made by sea to summit. I like the long length of these spoons for various reasons as people who eat out of bags know.

One time I was coming down the Stratton Ridge trail in winter and decided to stop for lunch. It was very cold and I wanted some bread and cheese but the cheese seemed partially frozen. When I used the spoon to slice off a chunk the spoon snapped in half where the spoon part connects to the handle.

Maybe it broke because it was long handled! All that extra torque you had being able to put some serious distance beltween your mitts and the failure point. I'm assuming it was the aluminum one lol

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

[Crossup]

I'd be very interested to hear what kind of laser you have that can punch thru Ti, not that laser cutting metal is anything special in todays world. I engrave all kinds of materials, including metal with a cheap Chinese CO2 40w machine but no way will it cut anything beyond very thin metal foil.

Z offset (distance of laser to work piece), power, and speed are pretty much the three basics to setting up a laser marker. The whole process to do my initials took about 20 minutes and I'm new to lasers.

But yes, the machine has to be setup correctly or you can burn right through a part no problem. I ran a test run on a piece of scrap metal first.

Furthermore, I used a polishing wheel to get rid of all the grit. Polished the whole spoon to shiny, smooth metal. Made the hole. Put on my initials. Then took it to a deburring/wire wheel to give it the brushed finish.

I'm thinking the gritty finish is from media blasting. Stamp the spoon. Drill a laynard hole. Debur it. Blast it. Done

I could be wrong



Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

[fastfoxengineering]

I'd be very interested to hear what kind of laser you have that can punch thru Ti, not that laser cutting metal is anything special in todays world. I engrave all kinds of materials, including metal with a cheap Chinese CO2 40w machine but no way will it cut anything beyond very thin metal foil.

Industrial grade machine by Rofin. Probably cost more than a bmw. Like I said I'm new too lasers. I saw it burn .025 deep into hard stainless with ease. I use it everyday to put numbers .008 deep into hardened stainless and it never missed a beat. Doing about 1000 pieces a day.

.008" is a large number in my world. A piece of printer paper is typically about .004" thick.

Fastfox

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

[fastfoxengineering]

Ps it's not my personal equipment

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

[1azarus]

very nice, fastfox...

[Crossup]

sounds like "your" Rofin would be a fiber laser...bad ass stuff. Like Zelph the stove guy and a few other here, I am a hobby machinist with a lathe and mill in my home shop so I'm no stranger to decimal measurement. .025" is pretty impressive, my laser etches only a few microns deep and while it can cut 6mm plywood/mdf etc it can also be stopped by the glue in 1/64" aviation grade plywood. I mostly cut balsa wood and foam with it for R/C model planes but also mark my tools with it- much easier than using a lettering punch set. I'll have to see if my laser can do anything with my Ti spork, you have a good idea with that.

[zelph]

I'm looking to make a DIY laser to cut .004 Ti.

I'll start my search tonight for possibilities. Love designing stoves :-)

[Crossup]

I've hear the only way to do that with less than a couple hundred watts(CO2) is using O2 assist- like a acetylene cutting torch. Check Aliexpress for the cheapest fiber laser parts to get an idea of what it costs to get in the door of metal cutting the normal way.

[fastfoxengineering]

sounds like "your" Rofin would be a fiber laser...bad ass stuff. Like Zelph the stove guy and a few other here, I am a hobby machinist with a lathe and mill in my home shop so I'm no stranger to decimal measurement. .025" is pretty impressive, my laser etches only a few microns deep and while it can cut 6mm plywood/mdf etc it can also be stopped by the glue in 1/64" aviation grade plywood. I mostly cut balsa wood and foam with it for R/C model planes but also mark my tools with it- much easier than using a lettering punch set. I'll have to see if my laser can do anything with my Ti spork, you have a good idea with that.

I dream of the day I have a mill and lathe for personal use.

I wonder how Dutch over at dutchware gets all of his titanium hardware made. He's got some complex little pieces. I doubt they are milled.




Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

[SwathHiker]

"I could be wrong"



Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk[/QUOTE]


"but I don't think so!" Loved that Monk show, and of course your comment made me think of a certain catchphrase, either Jim Cramer or Monk, either way. Seems like a way lot of trouble to go through over just One spoon. I'd have to say that the SPoon owns you, rather than the other way around after all your Time and ef fort.

"Back away from the spoon."

[sqidmark]

...I wonder how Dutch over at dutchware gets all of his titanium hardware made. He's got some complex little pieces. I doubt they are milled.

Water jet.

[HerdBull]

No such thing!

I second this thought. I often thought Mtn. House should turn their packs 90 degrees and have the zipper on the side. Would make it easier to reach all the goodies left on the bottom.

[10SEns]

I second this thought. I often thought Mtn. House should turn their packs 90 degrees and have the zipper on the side. Would make it easier to reach all the goodies left on the bottom.

Trailtopia figured that out! Have not tried them yet, but the fact that they got the bag right is a good sign.

[swatsullivan]

Wow! That is an awesome spoon! Good work!