Welding on metallic powders

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I'm a sculpture student and I haven't been welding long. However I'm starting to work with metallic powders on a few of my pieces my question is can these powders be welded to something like pencil rod or are they more like a fake metal?thanksbrooks
Reply:what is pencil rod, i don't understand what your asking
Reply:Pencil rod...metal dowel rods cut usually 1/4" in diameter smaller/larger than that size. Sold by the foot.I just want to know is it possible to weld metals to these powders once they set. I know you can patina them but it is possible to weld to them.brooks
Reply:i have no idea
Reply:Metal Powders???  Do you mean powder sintered materials?  Is the metal powder a coating or structurally sound?  If what you have made is electrically conductive and you know the alloys that you are working with then you might be able to weld them, BUT you may also want to consider other methods of joining.  Brazing or soldering might be more effective.Post all the info you can and maybe someone will have better ideas  O_o1/4" rods to what thickness material?Alloy of both materials?How strong does the joint need to be?How pretty does the joint need to be?etc...
Reply:I used to work for a tool & die shop that used powdered metals. under a magnifing glass, they looked like little metal BB's or ball bearings. the way it was described to me is that they are formed is similar to making a water mist via a spray bottle. the metal gets to a molten state and it is vaporized (usually with compressed air) and is shot in a controlled state to a safe location. i'm not sure exactly how tru that is since the guy that explained it to me was always joking around. i never coudl tell if he was telling me the truth or jsut a line. it makes sense to me though. anyway, i woudl venture to guess that the metal should be weldable, given the conditions are right (temp, metals involved, etc). as for parcticality and safety, i have no idea i woudl think that the powder woudl hit the arc, become molten and tend to have a very unique, uncontrolled, and undesireable flight pattern. i'm not sure becuase we never tried it, but i think it'd be pretty interesting to see. my advice: try it. worst case scenario, you loose a limb off your body. third degree burns never hurt anybody.  ... no, but in all actuality and seriousness, i think it'd be pretty cool to try and see done. i don't see any problems with it as long as the propper safety precautions are followed. no flamable or heat-sensitive items within about 20 feet, EVERYTHING on your body covered, etc. like i said,these little things may very well find a plan of their own and have death, destruction and mayhem on their minds. good luck either way and let us know how it turns out. i'm very interested.later,Andy
Reply:Not sure if these can be effectively welded or not.  The sintering process is nothing more than powdered metals that are pre-mixed with a little lubricant and then pressed into a mold at the pressure ratings of the final piece.  After pressing they are quite fragile and they are heated up to a temperature just below the primary metals melting point (thus sintering) then the other compounds in the mix bond between the primary metals forming the finished structure.  They polish the pieces when they are done and voila you have sintered metal parts.  I would be afraid that the compounds that bond the powdered metals together would break before you hit the melting point of the metal you are welding.  Never tried to weld on anything sintered but if you have success post some pictures and let us know.MichaelMillermatic 25115" Rockwell Drill Press10" Logan Lathe5hp - 2-stage 80 Gallon CompressorHome Made Sand / Soda Blaster