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Old 01-15-2015, 07:35 AM
Brion Toss Brion Toss is offline
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Join Date: Jun 2005
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Hello,
It can be argued that stainless is the worst possible material for chainplates; it only corrodes where you can't see it, is vulnerable to several forms of corrosion -- including contact with water, of all things -- and it becomes brittle with age, tending to fail catastrophically. Grade 5 titanium, of proper scantlings, is just about invulnerable to all of these things, as well as being much stronger. And since it doesn't need to be polished, it can compare favorably in price with polished stainless.
So yes, I like it a lot. On the other hand, it requires some skill to work it, and a lot of machinists are yet unfamiliar with how to do so. Learning curve.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss
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