Titanium is similar to steel in when it comes to strength, but it can be around 40% lighter. And it has many other properties that make it the preferred choice for different manufacturers.

Dovetail Furniture

However, there are some issues that need to be taken into account when working with titanium sheet and titanium plate. Especially if you are thinking of milling these materials. The main considerations are:

The best solution to the issues above when working with titanium sheet or titanium plate is using alternatives such as water cutting or laser cutting.

Dovetail Workwear

However, while water cutting can achieve results when cutting a titanium sheet or titanium plate in a more complex shape, the process will take very long. In this case, laser cutting is a better option. Initial costs may be higher for laser cutting, but a reduction in operational costs will compensate that initial investment.

Dovetail menu

We tend not to use the coping saw method for the majority of fine woodwork and furniture making, as it is not as precise and it takes quite a bit of practice to get as accurate as Paul is at it. There is also risk of tear-out. So for fine work we would use the method as seen in our making a dovetail video above. Paul might use a coping saw for rougher carpentry, but the cuts are consistently finer when done with the chisel.

For example, water cutting for titanium sheet and titanium plate makes more sense when cutting simple shapes, since it will be a more cost-effective and efficient approach.

Dovetail Games

Titanium sheet, as well as titanium plate, are great raw materials for applications that require high strength but lightweight components.

Nevertheless, whenever in doubt, the best thing to do is to ask an expert before investing in water cutting or laser cutting of titanium sheet.

Dovetail restaurant

On the other hand, thanks to the high-precision that can be achieved with laser cutting, laser cutting will be a better idea when cutting very small holes on a titanium sheet or titanium plate. It is not that water cutting will not achieve it, but it will be harder and might not meet tight tolerances.

If you are a beginner, we recommend our sister site, Common Woodworking, which takes you through how to make a dovetail step by step:

Dovetail login

Dovetail joint

Both water cutting and laser cutting work well on titanium sheet and titanium plate. However, there may be reasons to choose one over the other.

Dovetail Software

To better understand what are the differences between water and laser cutting, let’s take a look at the basic definitions of each method.

It’s not really a good habit to gang up dovetails. In many cases ganging them up together can result in both dovetails being out of square or misaligned or both and thereby the two dovetails end up being different sizes. Also, the very practice we need when we begin dovetailing is denied by introducing something we never really do in practice.

However, the answer to which is best out of the two options is that it will depend on the application in hand and the resources available. Also, the need for complex geometries plays an important role.

Paul Sellers & Company Ltd-Paul Sellers & Company Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales with the company number 10347569. The company's registered address is Accsol House High Street, Johnstown, Wrexham, LL14 2SH, United Kingdom.

Water cutting, also known as water jet cutting, is a process that uses water at high pressure together with an abrasive element that is capable to cut through the metal. Common abrasive media include:

When cutting titanium sheet and titanium plate to manufacture parts, water cutting and laser cutting are usually the best options. Of course, they have their own advantages and disadvantages. These are the most relevant.

Laser cutting can be defined as a cutting method with no direct contact to the material which uses energy concentration in the form of a beam of light to cut through the metal. The light beam is focused through a nozzle and melts the metal until eventually vaporizing it. Most common laser cutting machines used to cut titanium sheet are CO2 machines with nitrogen or oxygen as supporting gases.

Water cutting and laser cutting are two titanium sheet and titanium plate processing methods which have grown in popularity in recent years. Therefore, there are a couple of international standards which cover the best practices for these two processes.