Non Magnetic Steel??

admin

Ok - Here is one for you. I have a workbench that an old welder made years ago. I just found out it is non magnetic. It is not stainless steel as it has some rust on it. But it is very hard as I went through several drill bits boring some holes in it for my vice. I can weld to it just fine without making any changes to my mm170.What kind of steel is this??
Reply:Please keep in mind it is called stainless STEEL. That said it will stain....less than mild steel. Stainles steel will still oxidize given the right environment. Salt , acids, humidity...get my drift? Your experience with it being hard to drill would suggest that it is stainless of one grade or another.
Reply:Yes, you have some grades of stainless, such as WC6 or WC9 that will rust just like carbon steel. And even CF8M will rust if it is shot blasted with carbon shot.
Reply:I would guess that it is some for of abrasive resistant plate. I worked in a foundry back in 1974, we had massive "Wheelabrator" cabinets, (like sandblasting, but with steel shot, flung from high speed wheels) we used a wear plate, I think it was called Manganol. It cut clean with a torch, was a bear to grind,it welded up fine, didn't bend well, even hot.Just my  opinion, not from a book, just from the road.Howes Welding Inc.www.howesweldinginc.com
Reply:Steels with high manganese contents are non-magnetic and do cut well with a torch, an example being Manganol.  The stainless steels might be non-magentic but won't cut with a torch.