Specialized shops to solder titanium frames?

Google it. There are several shops that specialize in repair of spectacle frames, including titanium.

I do not believe you can get there from here. A "solder" job on titanium would amount to a JB Weld fix, as titanium has very specific metal properties. There was a titanium processing plant in my hometown (Henderson, NV), and I knew people who welded titanium. It amounted to welding scraps together in a chamber so that the whole weldment of hundreds of scraps could be lowered as one block into the molten puddle of a melt. Most titanium products are cut from billets, or done by special melts, although IIRC, repairs are possible.

Titanium is awesome stuff. It CAN be welded. I just don't know if such a small cross section as a eyeglass frame can be repaired. BTW, I have titanium frames, and I would not buy anything else. You can just about stomp on them, pick them up, and put them on, and you wouldn't know the difference.

Let us know how this shakes out.

Steve

A jeweller with a laser or equivalent welder can easily do it. I'm in UK - I could do it for you.

Im in the UK as well, and have worked a lot with titanium as a jeweller. Theres only one way that titanium can be joined with a lower melting metal, ie brazing, thats in an inert atmosphere in a brazing jig with pure silver as the joining metal all heated by induction. there mass produced this way. However there are other ways to join small components ie spectacle frames. but that also needs special inert gas sheilded arc. Try the repairers who say that theycanfix titanium frames. here your only bet.

On Thu, 28 Jun 2007 20:24:48 -0700, with neither quill nor qualm, " snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com" quickly quoth:

After 3 years, you're ready for another optometric exam and a fresh prescription, Maruk.

Get that and use the new prescription to get glasses from one of the cheapie online shops like Zenni ($40 titanium frames, $17 bifocal lenses, $5 shipping =$62 complete new glasses.)

- Metaphors Be With You -

my guess on a max repair cost ~$50

mail in service in Atlanta, GA

cheers

I called some shops, and all charge around $45-$65 to apply a simple solder. When I bought titanium frames I did not expect that they snap so easily and it costs almost the price of new frames just to solder them.

So what is the advantage of titanium over stainless steel. How much it costs to solder stainless steel frames??

The difference is the material. While titanium is nearly as light as aluminum and strong as steel it has several properties that make it expensive to work with. It oxidizes rapidly when exposed to oxygen, for example, which means that welding or soldering titanium requires special equipment. Titanium welding is usually done in a totally inert atmosphere. Thus the "normal" jewelery shop is not equipped to repair your glasses frames.

I also wear titanium glasses and when I sat on them and broke the weld/solder/whatever joint where the ear piece attaches to the frames I initially took them to a goldsmith who said he couldn't repair them and to take them to a "glasses store", which I did, who repaired them, and charged me twenty-something US dollars. (In a third world country).

Bruce in Bangkok (brucepaigeatgmaildotcom)

does titanium repairs for a $54.90 flat rate plus postage. They also have a complete line of titanium frames in the paper catalog. Very good prices and complete lens selection. I buy all my sunglasses there.

Randy