Inconel 600???

Status
Not open for further replies.
Steven Kelly

Steven Kelly

Joined
Nov 18, 2007
Messages
277
Has anyone tried using Inconel 600 in Damascus??

I have a friend who used to work in the aerospace field. He gave me a 50 lb coil of it. I am planning on using some of it in a can, but was wondering if I am going to need to pump argon through it to get it to weld to carbon steel.

Any help would be appreciated.....

Thanks,

Steve
 
I've never worked with it, but I'm going to make a few guesses here as to what might happen.

  • I'm betting it will require a can to weld due to the chromium content.
  • It may want to shear apart in forging due to the difference in elastic modulus between Inconel and steel. I'm having some trouble getting some of the force conversions right, but it looks like they might be vastly different.

That said, it's just a guess. the high nickel content (72%) will make for something shiny for sure. It will probably be a bear to machine and grind though. I've had conversations with airospace machinists who have to deal with the stuff and heard things like "yup, 2 passes with a carbide cutter and it's time to swap the cutters out".

I'm really curious to see what luck you have with it though. Keep us posted.

-d
 
:eek::eek:Holy Smokes:eek::eek: 50lbs of Inconel. That is some friend. Just looked up the melting temps and it looks pretty compatible for a D billet. It certainly would not hurt to evacuate the canister with Argon. The only thing is what would the harden-ability be. I think it would be a lot like nickel.

Good luck with it. Would love to see the finished product.
 
Well it wouldn't be the first time I screwed up a billet of Damascus!!
I think I'll build up a can with it and some carbon steel. Then try and get it to weld at my Summit in 2 weeks.
I'll bet there will be people there who have never seen argon pumped into a 4"x4"x6" piece of 2250 degree tubing before.. :) :) :)
 
inconel is the worst thing i've ever had to machine. it melts carbide and does wonders for hss. if you have to drill it use a good cutting fluid and as soon as your drill stops cutting change it or sharpen it. i used to have to drill a 1.5" hole 6 inches deep and turn, bore and part off. sometimes the drill would go an inch, sometimes 1/8" very tough stuff.
 
You are in for an adventure, the chromium will oxidize and interfere with welding, it will want to tear away from the steel, the forging characteristics will make stainless seem like playdough (it is designed to retain shape and strength up to about 1800 plus fahrenheit )

I don't work with 600 at work but I work at a plant where we make superalloy. Good luck.

-page
 
I good friend gave me a big roll of .005" nickel years ago. After 2 failed billets, I welded up the sides/ends for a closed weld, worked great and made knives from it. I knew it wasn't nickel because nickel welds easy in an open weld. I decided to do some tests and come to find out, it was stainless heat treating foil. Guess the joke was on me, but I made it work :) My time is much more valuable now, so I avoid that kind of stuff.

The point of the above, stainless in damascus is a real pain, inconel will likely be Much Worse!
 
Plus one of the things about inconel is that it is extremely red hard. Even if you do get it welded into a billit it isn't going to want to forge very well. We made hangers for piping for use in funaces with it.
 
Sounds like this may turn into a lesson in how not to do things!!

This is why I appreciate all of your input so much...

Thanks everyone!!
 
ib2v4u said:
Plus one of the things about inconel is that it is extremely red hard. Even if you do get it welded into a billit it isn't going to want to forge very well. We made hangers for piping for use in funaces with it.
Click to expand...

Jim, Is that piece you gave me at the Portland show inconnel? I never tried to use it but did cut it in half. It cut slow but OK. Its pretty like pure nickel. I still plan to make guards out of it.
 
Bruce, yes, that piece was Inconel. You can saw it and machine it if your careful. It is shiny inside isn't it.

Also it specs as 0.50 copper which wouldn't help forge weld.
 
We use Inconnel 600 tubing, and rods in all of our baskets in our heat treat department at work. Very gummy material to machine, and you need the proper rods to weld it correctly.
 
I have a friend that sells that stuff. He sells it to the guys that work on the trash burners. Says it's the only thing that will hold up to the heat and cohesiveness of the gasses produced.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top