Titanium Post-Scaling Prevention

When you hot form or weld titanium, a hard, brittle layer forms on the surface, the so-called alpha case. It forms by absorbing oxygen from the air and makes the material cracky and hard to work with. So you must shield the hot part with shielding gas (argon). As soon as the material glows, no oxygen may get to it, otherwise the edge layer is ruined. Keep the shielding zone generous and let the gas run during cooling until the part is dark.