[Doug W.]

Quote:

Originally posted by Andy@Ross-Tech.com
Doug,

Remember that MkIV Golf/GTI/Jetta vehicles ('99.5-'03) and New Beetle ('98-'03) have unthreaded rods.

How do the knobs attach?

Doug W.

[Andy@Ross-Tech.com]

They have plastic tabs sticking down from the shift knob with an Otiker clamp around them. When people replace the knobs, they usually put a small hose clamp on there. The rod has a groove down the side (looks like Pac-Man from the top) to keep the knob from rotating.

[gleep]

just out of curiousity, i did a google search to try and find somebody that sold titanium spheres... very strange results!

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&l...ium+spheres%22

lots of pages about satellites falling from the sky and implanting things in people's bones! zoiks!

anyhoo, i'll be searching for other types of metal spheres so that maybe i can send you one and trade so some currency for its transformation into a very unique knob...

[gleep]

i contacted several manufacturers today that produce titanium pipes, rods, sheets and other forms but none of them make spheres

i did however find a plethera of people who can make brass, nickel, chrome, glass and many other types of spheroids though...

[Doug W.]

Quote:

Originally posted by gleep
i contacted several manufacturers today that produce titanium pipes, rods, sheets and other forms but none of them make spheres

i did however find a plethera of people who can make brass, nickel, chrome, glass and many other types of spheroids though...

The same place where I buy the stainless steel balls also advertises that they make titanium ones.

I'll give them a call tomorrow and check it out.

[gleep]

Quote:

Originally posted by Doug W.
The same place where I buy the stainless steel balls also advertises that they make titanium ones.

I'll give them a call tomorrow and check it out.

how friggin cool would that be!!! man! i don't even know if i'll be able to sleep i'm so excited! whoooo!!!

[Grinder]

Titanium Spheres:


Here in NJ
Possibly here in NY
Maybe here in NV (not sure what "hearth technologies" might mean)
Titanium Metals Corporation
Titanium Industries

Sorry of most of those links turn out to be irrelevant and un-helpful. I did a quick search and some of them looked like they might be promising (to my uneducated eye). The higher on the post, the more likely they are to be useful i guess...

[Doug W.]

Quote:

Originally posted by Doug W.
The same place where I buy the stainless steel balls also advertises that they make titanium ones.

I'll give them a call tomorrow and check it out.

Well, so much for that idea.
They only have very tiny ones, up to 2mm.

I'll do some more checking.

[Hat]

wouldn't making them out of titanium defeat the object of the exercise though, i.e. a heavier shifter = smoother action?

titanium is roughly half the density of stainless steel, therefore if the Whalen knob in SS = 500g, then a titanium one would be around 250g, which is barely heavier than the standard fit knob @ 185g

[Andy@Ross-Tech.com]

The workaround for that is to make the quick release balls out of depleted uranium.

[Hat]

lol!

[paulmon]

Titanium rocks! Believe it or not I had my wedding ring custom made in Titanium 6/6/2 so that it would match my Titanium watch. To have a Titanium shift knob would be really cool! However I know how much my ring cost and know how much my watch cost and by extension shudder to think how much a large sphere of Titanium would cost for a shift knob.

Titanium 6/6/2 consists of 86% titanium, 6% aluminum, 6% vanadium, 2% tin. It has a tensile strength of up to 180,000 psi and a Brinell hardness value of 389. I'm sure 6/6/2 would be something Doug W. would not want to machine. In fact I think I can here him screaming and running the other way as I type this.


Paul

[Andy@Ross-Tech.com]

How about an Aermet shiftknob. That's actually a type of steel used in the tailhooks of navy jets! Tensile strenth is up to 300,000 psi! Here's a cool chart:

Quick Reference Guide to Materials Used In Fasteners

[Hat]

how about ceramic? that'd look suitably retro

[LuckyRVA]

Quote:

Originally posted by Andy@Ross-Tech.com
Here's a couple pics of the stocker and the Whalen knob:

Is it just me or does the "R" on the Whalen knob look crooked?



Jason

[Doug W.]

Quote:

Originally posted by LuckyRVA
Is it just me or does the "R" on the Whalen knob look crooked?



Jason

Optical illusion; all engraving is computer-programmed and CNC machined using a 3-axis mill.
The program is drawn in 2D and wrapped around the 1" radius of the ball.

Doug

[LuckyRVA]

Quote:

Originally posted by Doug W.
Optical illusion; all engraving is computer-programmed and CNC machined using a 3-axis mill.
The program is drawn in 2D and wrapped around the 1" radius of the ball.

Doug

Ah, I see. So, it's just me then?!


Jason

[Doug W.]

Quote:

Originally posted by LuckyRVA
Ah, I see. So, it's just me then?!


Jason

Well, you can explain it any way you like, but I've been a toolmaker for 25 years, and my $40K machine and $5K software program don't do anything "crooked" unless that's what I intended.

Doug

[MiniFEB29]

Doug I take it these work on any mini and not just the MCS? Also what would shipping a hunk of steel like this to the uk cost?

[LuckyRVA]

Quote:

Originally posted by Doug W.
Well, you can explain it any way you like, but I've been a toolmaker for 25 years, and my $40K machine and $5K software program don't do anything "crooked" unless that's what I intended.

Doug

Didn't mean to make you feel you had to defend yourself. Was just trying to say it looked crooked to me in the pic. If you say it isn't, then I believe you.


Jason