Inconel questions pt2.

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hi peeps, i need to ask this question once again. is there anyone here that welds or wleded on Inconel?to give a little background on me. i went back to school to recieve my trade certs on welding, etc. i worked at a company as a floor superviser for 5 years but between the 3rd to 4th year of me working for this company, they started making very bad decision. i then decided to find another job, but since i wasn't hired as a welder(which i became to love) i realize how much i was not educated. i was able to tig freehand .040" stainless steel and run a orbital welder it was still not enough for me to find a good job, so i went back to school. i finish in May, 05 2011 top welder in my school and i had no self confidence in my weld even tho i was told i was a really good welder. so after several months of testing and trying to find a job, i land the dream job that people wish for. i will be working for a subcontractor company of a massively huge company in the world as a welder but let me not get ahead of myself cause while i work now for the subcontract i still have to take the test for their major customer. this is where i need the help.ok in order for me to be hired as a welder i have to take 3 test in Aug/Sept and/if i pass then i have another seventeen certs/test i need to take but i only have five days to do what i can then wait 6months before i can do any other. they only hire twice a year.ok here are my  first three test i need to do before i'm even consider or even take any other cert.1. 2" heavy wall carbon pipe(sch120) - Tig root ER70S, tig hot pass ER70S(2 passes) and 7018 out.2. 2" heavy wall carbon pipe(sch120) - Tig all out ER70S3. 2" heavy wall carbon pipe(sch120) - Tig root ER70S, tig hot pass ER70S(2 passes) and Inconel 606 out.(i'm not totally sure about this it might just be only Inconel all)now the outcome of the test 1 and 2 must bend without breaking. no problem. here's the my first problem when bending the 3rd test it must break clean. WTF. any pointers? i've ben told it runs like stainless steel just a bit dirty. well here's my first try on it. the top bead is mine this was a piece of Inconel laying around.the reason i was told it needs to break clean cause i will be repairing/building turbines lioke GE turbines. i live by GE in SC but GE is notorious for layoffs. i have a bunch of firends that work there but i refuse to work there. on a final note one of the main reason i want to work for this company is i will be the only person that speaks spanish and reads spanish in the company. i also know how to weld(of course), pipefit, machine, read blueprints, plus i understand Italian, French and started learning German but never really caught on quick enough. i was asked when i pass the test if i am willing to go to Puerto Rico, Agentina, Mexico ASAP. i think i have to go to Germany for a month for some schooling on their turbine.i do want to say i know the two next test after the first three i will have to do.4. 6" heavy wall carbon(sch80?) - tig root ER70S, tig hot pass ER70S(2 passes) and fluxcore out. not sure what postions maybe 6G.5. 2F Inconel - 606 Inconel all out6.-20. certs are all Inconel in confind spaces any help will helpthanks youremoLast edited by remoer; 07-16-2011 at 11:05 PM.it's trust and character I need around me. You know, who you choose to be around you lets you know who you are. One car in exchange for knowing what a man's made of? That's a price I can live with. - Hans
Reply:I hope you are being paid for all this testing. I have not run inconel but am told to run it colder than stainless by 10 to 15 amps.UA Local 598
Reply:yes i will be getting paid for the testing, hotel and food for as long as i keep passing certs. yes i was told it would be colder.it's trust and character I need around me. You know, who you choose to be around you lets you know who you are. One car in exchange for knowing what a man's made of? That's a price I can live with. - Hans
Reply:so i'm guessing for the high numbers of view and one post there's really not alot of inconel welders on here?it's trust and character I need around me. You know, who you choose to be around you lets you know who you are. One car in exchange for knowing what a man's made of? That's a price I can live with. - Hans
Reply:I'm certified on inconel, and I've never heard of a test needing to break to pass. Maybe I read your post wrong.
Reply:I have welded quite a bit of inconel on big regeration kiln tubes, it was all SMAW not TIG, so My experiences prolly won't help you.  I do know that the welding that I done pretty much had to be in the flat position, any slight up or down was really tricky, you almost had to push it even if it was just a couple degrees down.  That is the ONLY inconel that I ever welded and I agree that a "weld that must break clean" sounds pretty bizarre to me?6 Miller Big Blue 600 Air Paks2 Miller 400D6 Lincoln LN-25's4 Miller Xtreme 12VS2 Miller Dimension 812 4 Climax BW-3000Z bore welders Hypertherm 65 and 85Bug-O Track BugPair of Welpers
Reply:Originally Posted by welds4dI'm certified on inconel, and I've never heard of a test needing to break to pass. Maybe I read your post wrong.
Reply:I weld inconel every day. Why would you even weld steel with inconel wire?Miller Dynasty 700Miller Dynasty 200Miller 350pMiller 252Hobart Handler 187Lincoln Weld pack 180Victor O/AHypertherm 1250Hobart Airforce 500IPractical cnc
Reply:Originally Posted by fire1hawkI weld inconel every day. Why would you even weld steel with inconel wire?
Reply:Originally Posted by remoerthe same reason i don't know why, The Savannah River Site (SRS) in Augusta, GA i had to weld:butted 3/4" carbon plate, 20* bevel(each side for a 40* total), 3/32" root gap and tig it with 316L filler wire. no backing gas and i could not let it sugar on the root while laying in the root.i had to weld it in succession 2G, 3G and 4G.i kept asking are you sure 316L wire on carbon? the CWI testing me was puzzle too, he email SRS and was sent the PQR and WPS and i read it.  i explain to him in school they said you couldn't do this, but i was told for a test it's different.
Reply:Originally Posted by Baila La PinzaOver here it's not unheard of to test out on carbon steel with stainless filler (although normally with 309L filler), I guess they do it to save money on materials. Sounds like this might be the case with your inconnel test too?i said the samehing why not use 309L instead of 316L. they said it had to do with the way it fuses at the edges.With regards to the breaking part of the test (very strange), being as inconnel has a higher tensile strength than carbon steel, could they mean that it needs to be a clean break along the edge of the weld, which I guess would be an indication of the quality of the weld deposit? i'm guessing so too.Also, would have thought that any company that deals with inconnel on a regular basis would have the funds/facilities to just xray the test coupons?correct but like you said it's about the break since these pieces will be on turbine
Reply:Regarding the clean break in the bend test, are you sure it's not a nick-break test, which has to be a clean break to ensure complete fusion
Reply:I have only a "little" expereince and knowledge on welding Inconel but do have a very close freind who is the weld tech for Southern Company at a Nuclear power plant(Plant Vogtle) since your pretty much local you probably heard of it.I might be able to give him a call and get his permission to give you his number and get his advice,he does all the testing for every weldor that has ever come through the plant,including the GE,Westinghouse and top notch outfits like WSI(Welding Services Inc)..which to me sound like you maybe hiring into with..WSI.And yes i have seen the "break" test before too on Inconel,but i didn't have to take it,i just needed the Xray so i can have the plant certs just incase no one was capable of it on the job when an emergency comes up.And again..yes..you see some pretty "out of the norm" weld tests done at Nuclear and government jobs(i've also worked at SRS quite a few times,Im an International Ironworker out of Savannah local 709) like 316L on A36 steel..they have good reasonings behind them but please don't ask ME because i am no metalurgy PHD holder.....lolThe reason i have gotten from someone about the "break" tests on inconel for the turbine buckets(Blades) and main shaft is they'd rather have the high tensil strength and no bending rather than a softer weld and it break and/or before the parent metal,and was said Inconel has to be welded not too hot.or tool low of an amperage to acheive this...has to be just rightPM me you'r name and i'll ask this guy i was talking about if you can call him or vise versa..this guy started out just like you are in the early 70's and accelled to a weld tech in early 80's for the Nuke industry..so if anyone has a good answer and advice..this guy will and he's an upfront type of person..very freindly and "hardcore" and always wanting to help people out in needLincoln Ranger 8 225Lincoln 180 ProMigMiller Maxstar 200DXInternational Ironworkers Local 70930+ years and counting
Reply:Inconel is similar to stainless yet very different. I'm no metalurgist but there are plenty of weld procedures around that when welding disimilar alloys, such as 2.25% chrome to 308 stainless. In that example I have used Inconel 82, I think 625 might be similar. 617 Inconel is typically used on inconel to Inconel welds. I have been tested before using Inconel 82 with carbon pipe. That was probably an X-ray test and I'm not sure how it would have done in a destructive type test.Inconel has a very trashy puddle, I mean it's difficult to see the edge of your puddle, and it can take a bunch of heat. Most of the applications I welded it for were in oil refineries or petro-chemical plants where Inconel is used in furnace/ high heat applications.When putting the root in you need a great purge! Use 3/32 wire and about 75 to 110 amps with a 1/8 gap. Of course this depends upon your level of experience, if you've welding much stainless you can probably handle the 110 amps, otherwise start colder. Inconel has a tendancy, with it's fast freezing puddle, to build up cold-wire chunks and leave unbroken edges if your not careful! I prefer to drip the wire into the puddles edges and keyhole it a little, that way you ensure that you consume all the edges and you keep the chunks of cold-wire away! Good luck and feel free to ask any other question you might have.