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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

Tungsten Hosts?

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Hi everyone.

So I was recently contacted by an american manufacturing company that offers tungsten and molybdenum manufactured products, and they have no minimum order! So this got me thinking: a tungsten host would be sick.

Imagine this: a host that will not scratch because it's material is incredibly hard. It is super heavy, almost twice as dense as lead. but also has a thermal conductivity just slightly below that of aluminum, and a heat capacity slightly bellow copper. It would have a grayish, gunmetal finish that won't tarnish, oxidize, or scratch. I think that would be pretty cool, don't you guys?

So what do you think, is there any real interest here or is this just a cool thought?

anyways, i'm awaiting info on whether the company can make the intricate things out of tungsten required for a host (like the threads on everything) since tungsten is very hard to machine. it would be great if someone could computer design an extremely simple host, i do have some ideas so PM if you are good at CAD and want to help with this.

just know everyone, this is not set in stone. this may be super, super expensive so don't get your hopes to high up.
 
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It may be scratch resistant but wouldn't it break if you dropped it?

Eh, probably not. I have a chunk of tungsten that I have dropped a million times accidentally and it only has a crack in it from the time I dropped it about 12 feet to a cement floor. The floor was in worse shape, trust me. The tungsten was only cracked on the side but it wasn't even chipped anywhere.
 

gozert

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I think having the host fall apart is the least to worry about when you drop it. Think of the diode in there, it would most likely already be dead.
 
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Sounds interesting to me, but I like my hosts to be four times more massive than is reasonable so that would be a big host.
 

BowtieGuy

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Might be interesting! There are a few threads about this, but I don't think anything ever went past the "what if" discussion.

I know that IsaacT had been interested in these, and I had sent him a sample of tungston alloy along with a similar sized piece of aluminum to get a real feel of just how dense this material is.
Here is a link to a company (Mi-Tech Metals) that sells tungston, and makes tungston alloy parts, take a look, it's pretty interesting, at least to me.
This stuff is hard to machine, even the copper or iron alloys. I think a pure tungston host would almost have to be cast.

The good thing is you won't break anything but your toes if you drop it! :D
 
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Pman

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Sounds interesting to me also. How expensive is it?
I can just see Alaskan carrying his around with a wheelbarrow;) Those huge units you have may not be for me but it doesnt mean I don't appreciate what others like. Lots can't stand pen units and I still tolerate you lol
 
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That is interesting that they do not have a minimum quantity for orders but then again they will most probably insert the programming and setup costs into the final price of the unit.
Hold onto your hat when they hit ya with a quote :D
Tungsten and Moly are two metals that are a son of a gun to machine but the hosts will be almost indestructible. Those metals do scratch but not easily like aluminum. Can't say what will happen to the diode though :/
 
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Tungsten hosts sound like they could be very heavy though. 2.5x the density of iron and around 7x of aluminum. Even if they could absorb more heat I wonder how hard they would be to move around.

Also, is it even possible to cast tungsten? Considering you'd need to heat it above 4000C.
 
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BowtieGuy

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Apocalypse, it looks like you are correct, because of the high temps. needed, the tungston is sintered with the required alloys.
 
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Also, is it even possible to cast tungsten? Considering you'd need to heat it above 4000C.

Not with our current technology. Only thing that could take higher heat is tantalum hafnium carbide, and that can't be manufatured into large parts.

That is interesting that they do not have a minimum quantity for orders but then again they will most probably insert the programming and setup costs into the final price of the unit.
Hold onto your hat when they hit ya with a quote :D
Tungsten and Moly are two metals that are a son of a gun to machine but the hosts will be almost indestructible. Those metals do scratch but not easily like aluminum. Can't say what will happen to the diode though :/

Wel, I just tested with my pure tungsten cylinder, tried scratching with a sharp pair of scizors (didn't want to wreck my knives) and not a single scratch on it. And i have a feeling if you dropped it the host would be the last thing you'd be worried about.
 
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Speaking as a fan of tungsten in jewelry (I own several watches, couple of rings) a tungsten laser host is interesting, but I would pass.

First and foremost it will be HEAVY. Very heavy compared the aluminum hosts we're used to.

Second, price will be high.

Third, while tungsten absolutely will not scratch (I have scratched one watch link with diamond only) it may very well crack. I have broken a tungsten ring by slamming my hand down, open palm, on a stone counter top, and frankly, not too hard.

If you can get the price down to something reasonable, I'd probably get one as a curio, but I doubt that will happen.
 

Gabe

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Hah! Imagine a pen-sized host weighing as much as a PL-E Pro! No doubt a tungsten host would be skookum as frig, but I wasn't aware pure tungsten was brittle just as tungsten carbide is. 'Spensive too! Like others have said, a son of a diddly to machine, that's for sure.
 

mwang

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The key is to use sintered tungsten alloys such as 95W 3.5Ni 1.5Fe. I have a block of this: it is extremely dense, 18 g/cm^3, and is not as brittle as pure tungsten, yet almost as hard. I have literally thrown this as hard as I can on cement and only a few minor scratches resulted. It would me much easier to machine as well. For reference, this is alloy MT-18F on Tungsten Alloy Properties | Midwest Tungsten Service

The downside of course is that any type of tungsten material would be expensive in large quantities. We're talking about maybe ~$200 for a 501b sized host.
 
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We're talking about maybe ~$200 for a 501b sized host.



And that's before any actual machining or any other issues.

Bear in mind the ring that I cracked was also not pure tungsten. Given how lasers are treated (at least by me) durability is never an issue, but it's just something to bear in mind that it's far from an indestructible material, which is how some portray it. Also unlike steel, aluminium, titanium, etc,. it doesn't bend... it breaks, and it breaks thoroughly.
 
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