The Stuff from hell :-)

Sounds like a job for EDM

Gunner

"I mean, when's the last time you heard of a college where the Young Republicans staged a "Sit In" to close down the Humanities building? On the flip side, how many sit in's were staged to close the ROTC building back in the '60's? Liberals stage protests, do civil disobedience, etc. Conservatives talk politely and try to work out a solution to problems through discourse until they believe that talking won't work... they they go home and open the gun cabinets. Pray things never get to the point where the conservatives decide that "civil disobedience" is the next step, because that's a very short route to "voting from the rooftops" Jeffrey Swartz, Misc.Survivalism

I've been told that HSS works well in Inconel, as opposed to carbide (though that could be incorrect).

You should ask for recomendations on alt.machines.cnc. There are a bunch of competent machinists there who should know how to deal with super alloys. Have you talked to your carbide salesman?

Regards,

Robin

Unfortunatly thats not an option :-( Burn time on nickel alloys would be pretty long, even if using thin tubing for an electrode. Plus the recast layer would be pretty hard as well, probably really screw up the inserts on the finish bore :-) Slow and steady on a good solid machine does the trick, and hss tools seem to work well, just have to keep an eye on them and resharpen as needed.

we made breaker plates from an inconel alloy, a honeycomb of 3/16" holes thru 1/2" thick

hss worked better than cobalt

the drills had to run rediculously slow, the mill head in back gear, maybe

had to re-point the drill every other hole

Yup. I tried a carbide tipped drill for the tap drill, worked for about