Stainless Steel vs. Titanium

[ThomasP]

I've asked some of my friends about the difference between the two, but I would like to get the thoughts of others.

If, and only if, you've played SS and Titanium yourself should you consider commenting on this thread. I don't need "I've heard ______" or "My friends say they've heard_____"

And please refrain from telling me the price difference, I'm well aware.

Basically, can this post be as "normal" as one can be on this board?

[TubaRay]

Basically, can this post be as "normal" as one can be on this board?

You, sir, are a bit of an optimist. Wouldn't you say?

[tubaguy9]

Don't quote me on this, but I think stainless still has a tiny trace of nickel, when titanium does not...

[pgym]

Don't quote me on this, but I think stainless still has a tiny trace of nickel, when titanium does not...

AFAIK, the reputable SS mpc makers use surgical grade stainless: either 304 or 304L.

Surgical grade SS contains manganese rather than nickel. Given the undisputed pathology of nickel, using SS containing even trace amounts of nickel in medical equipment would amount to a cattle call to class action lawyers (line forms behind me ).

[pwhitaker]

I regularly rotate among a titanium, gold plated brass and stainless steel mpc. The stainless steel seems to be a little brighter, the brass a little warmer and the titanium a little crisper. This is in a Rudy 5/4 BBb and a Conn 2J. My son tells me that the titanium sounds a little clearer to him. The titanium seems to be the most accurate of the three, the stainless the least accurate but the the difference is negligible and could be purely psychological - as is a lot of what we perceive to be the case in our tuba endeavors. The titanium is the quickest of the three for me to warm up with when I first pick up the horn.

[Allen]

Don't quote me on this, but I think stainless still has a tiny trace of nickel, when titanium does not...

AFAIK, the reputable SS mpc makers use surgical grade stainless: either 304 or 304L.

Surgical grade SS contains manganese rather than nickel. Given the undisputed pathology of nickel, using SS containing even trace amounts of nickel in medical equipment would amount to a cattle call to class action lawyers (line forms behind me ).

Wrong.
304 stainless steel may contain up to 2% manganese, but it also contains 8% to 10.5% nickel (and 18% to 20% chromium). In this alloy, the elements are chemically combined and are not as reactive as they would be individually.

The term "surgical grade stainless steel" is only a marketing term. It does not refer to any particular metal alloy.

Titanium is an element itself, and thus does not contain any other elements.

Allen

[oedipoes]

Titanium is an element itself, and thus does not contain any other elements.

Allen

I can imagine the 'titanium' used for making mouthpieces, is also an alloy rather than a pure metal.
Pure metals tend to have very poor mechanical properties.

Wim

[David Richoux]

Get some Titanium Machine-Shop Geek stuff here:
http://www.titanium.com/titanium/tech_manual/tech2.cfm
http://www.titaniummetalsupply.com/Mach ... rence.html

Looks like Titanium forms an oxide layer (like aluminum) to make a stable surface. But there can be human reactions - this from a dental study:

Recent reports have questioned whether metal sensitivity may occur after exposure to titanium. This clinical report demonstrates the emergence of facial eczema in association with a titanium dental implant placed for a mandibular overdenture supported by 2 implants. Complete remission was achieved by the removal of the titanium material. This clinical report raises the possibility that in rare circumstances, for some patients, the use of titanium dental implants may induce an allergic reaction. (J Prosthet Dent 2008;100:344-347)

(from abstract)