Inconel Muffle...

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I just finished building an inconel 602 muffle. The body of it is 1/4" thick. All the pieces were hand ground to 22.5 degrees (to form a 45 degree bevel).Typically, I buy all the material for my jobs. On this one, I insisted that the customer choose, and purchase the material, as well purchase as the filler rod. I didn't want to outlay that kind of dough.This muffle is part of a new line of equipment that I'm building for a company that manufacture (processes) strip materials. The muffle is part of the process that anneals the material.I don't have the capability of bending that particular material, so I had another shop bend it, then I finished it up. The initial fitting and tacking up of this muffle was done at my friends shop. After that, I took it to my shop to weld up.We had the original muffle to copy. That original muffle was what determined the sizes of the pieces of inconel to buy. So, we had the pieces formed at another shop, as previously stated. BUT....we got a phone call from the customer, stating that they wanted us to modify the muffle to accomodate wider strip stock. WHAT??!!So, I came up with a plan to take the side pieces, and have them bent at 45 degree angles, which created more width.Anyway, here's the job....Here's the original...After we got all the modified parts together, we started tacking her up...The welding rod...$1400.00...Now, it's at my shop, to be TIG welded...Last edited by steelsurgeon; 05-16-2015 at 02:38 AM.
Reply:Some support ribs were added to the topside...An inert gas tube (Nitorgen) was added...Last edited by steelsurgeon; 05-16-2015 at 02:25 AM.
Reply:Here it is, loaded and ready to be delivered around the corner, back to my friend's shop...The bottom line....The muffle is 153"L x 12"H x 18"W. The total cost of the inconel that you see here was $17,000.00. We didn't buy an extra inch of it. It was ordered from the manufacturer in Germany.The TIG rod was ordered from the same manufacturer as the inconel. I ordered 10lbs. 0f .062, and 10lbs. of .093. The cost oif the wire was $70.00 /lb. = $1400.00Now you know why I let the customer buy the material and wire...The 1/4" bevel = 680". It took 5 passes to fill the bevel. The total time to fit, tack, and weld this job was 96 hrs.This muffle will endure 2000 degrees almost continuously!!!RichLast edited by steelsurgeon; 05-16-2015 at 02:36 AM.
Reply:Unusual jobs like this are great to see.  ThanksMiller Syncrowave 350Millermatic 252/ 30A spoolgunMiller Bobcat 225g w/ 3545 spoolgunLincoln PowerArc4000Lincoln 175 Mig  Lincoln 135 Mig Everlast 250EX TigCentury ac/dc 230 amp stickVictor O/AHypertherm 1000 plasma
Reply:Very nice Rich, impressive project!  Don't let it fall out of the truck$$$$$!
Reply:Thats one awesome project,What is your procedure for welding it out? clean clean clean??Lincoln Electric Square Wave Tig 275JD2 Bender & Notcher Old 3 phase compressor
Reply:Thanks for the replies, guys... Originally Posted by LECOThats one awesome project,What is your procedure for welding it out? clean clean clean??
Reply:Check this out...The technique sheet recommended an argon mix, with 2-3% nitrogen added. I've welded a ton of inconel before, using either 100% argon, or 95/5 argon/hydrogen mix. Those gases are readily available.But, because of the cost of the base material, and filler material, I wanted to use what gas the manufacturer recommended.The gas that I needed, had to be ordered. Airgas told me that it would take about 3 weeks for it to arrive. I was bummed, but I went ahead and ordered it.Later, I'm thinking that what if 1 tank is not enough...should I order 2? I'd hate to run out, and have to wait 3 weeks for another one, so the next day, I ordered a second tank. The counter guy told me that they could be mixed at the same time, because the orders were only 1 day apart.After the 3 weeks goes by, NO tank. After the 4th week, I call Airgas. They fumble around, trying to find my order ( I'd ordered from 2 different guys, so they're all confused...). I also told them, when I ordered it, that I'd pick the bottles up and not to deliver them.A few days later, here comes the Airgas tractor trailer truck, backing up my driveway   I was jerked in one respect because I told them NOT to deliver, but on the other hand, I could now get started welding.There was only 1 tank on the truck....So, I called the store, to confirm that another one was in the works. They said "yes".I got a ton of welding done with the first tank, but I needed more and the second one didn't arrive, yet. Back on the phone with Airgas! They tell me that it'll be available for pickup in a couple of days at a different location ( their tank distribution center...nothing but tanks, there).So, I go pick up the 2nd tank, as well as drop off the 1st empty tank. I'm telling the guy there this whole horror story. (you realize that by now, about 2 months have gone by, from when I placed the order).He asks me, "could you have used 2.5% nitrogen?"I said, "yes".He said, " ..because we stock that...we have some right over there!" "WHAT!!!  I said, "don't even tell me that!!"   So, aside from being charged for a custom mix and waiting forever to get this stuff, I could have gotten an off-the-shelf gas right away!Thanks for reading all this, and letting me vent (again)....BTW...of course I let the guys know about this at the store where I placed the original order. "Oh, we had no idea....".Good help is hard to find...Rich
Reply:wow,i feel your pain,its not like its there job to tell you there is an alternative that is available right away!!Some are more concerned at what time the lunch truck isarriving that day,then a paying customer's special order.Thanks for the insight into large inconel weldingLincoln Electric Square Wave Tig 275JD2 Bender & Notcher Old 3 phase compressor
Reply:Very interesting. I've never worked with inconel. I can certainly understand not wanting to have to foot the bill as far as material and wire in concerned at that price, but you could have made good money on even a modest mark up. .No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Really nice work. Did you use a V-block to put the curve in the material? Nice work.                         Sincerely,                            William McCormickIf I wasn't so.....crazy, I wouldn't try to act normal, and you would be afraid.
Reply:First off nice, clean work. Second help the 'ignorant about muffle' people out. What is a muffle and industry is it used in?Ranger 250 thick stuffHobart Handler 140 not thick stuffthe pane and oxy setup
Reply:Airgas pretty much sucks. My dealings with them haven't convinced me otherwise.That is one hell of an interesting project. Very cool Expert Garage Hack....https://www.facebook.com/steven.webber.948
Reply:The nitrogen seems to eat up the oxygen and create a more active puddle.                       Sincerely,                            William McCormickIf I wasn't so.....crazy, I wouldn't try to act normal, and you would be afraid.
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWVery interesting. I've never worked with inconel. I can certainly understand not wanting to have to foot the bill as far as material and wire in concerned at that price, but you could have made good money on even a modest mark up.
Reply:Originally Posted by KineticWeldingServicFirst off nice, clean work. Second help the 'ignorant about muffle' people out. What is a muffle and industry is it used in?
Reply:Nice work!SqWave 200Millermatic 190Airco 200 ACHypertherm PM45Boice-Crane Band SawVictor O/A
Reply:Absolutely awesome😎  looks like your welds look pretty nice as well.   Never welded welded inconel.  What do you plan on doing with the old muffle? If it's going to the scrap yard, I wonder if some of us here can buy pieces off you to practice on.     This may not even be something worth doing on ur part with this material being so expensive and such not many here would even want to buy scrap pieces (along with ur hassle of cutting it up).  Not even sure myself what scrap price in on goes for .
Reply:Originally Posted by outdoortAbsolutely awesome��  looks like your welds look pretty nice as well.   Never welded welded inconel.  What do you plan on doing with the old muffle? If it's going to the scrap yard, I wonder if some of us here can buy pieces off you to practice on.     This may not even be something worth doing on ur part with this material being so expensive and such not many here would even want to buy scrap pieces (along with ur hassle of cutting it up).  Not even sure myself what scrap price in on goes for .
Reply:Originally Posted by 7A749Airgas pretty much sucks. My dealings with them haven't convinced me otherwise.That is one hell of an interesting project. Very cool
Reply:Very cool project. When I worked for a company that built connections for the offshore oil industry, we would plow through pounds of Inconel mig wire. We would receive large parts with ring grooves machined into them and we would fill the groove with Inconel. The machine shop then removed most of the Inconel (about 90%) machining the groove to the correct size. That expensive filler metal scrap was just tossed into the roll off dumpsters.We would go through about 10 lbs of wire on a normal ring. At least 8-9 lbs was machined out and tossed. The company was paying right at 100$ a pound for wire. Price didn't really matter to the customers (B.P., Exxon, Mobile, Etc.).Markhttp://www.facebook.com/Knappmobilewelding
Reply:Hey ha def interested. Il pm u later today and PayPal over $. In the middle of a road trip driving home.  That was at u steel surgeon ( meant to quote)   Thanks- Tyler.
Reply:Originally Posted by KnappweldVery cool project. When I worked for a company that built connections for the offshore oil industry, we would plow through pounds of Inconel mig wire. We would receive large parts with ring grooves machined into them and we would fill the groove with Inconel. The machine shop then removed most of the Inconel (about 90%) machining the groove to the correct size. That expensive filler metal scrap was just tossed into the roll off dumpsters.We would go through about 10 lbs of wire on a normal ring. At least 8-9 lbs was machined out and tossed. The company was paying right at 100$ a pound for wire. Price didn't really matter to the customers (B.P., Exxon, Mobile, Etc.).Mark