[SEL] Hot tube material

[Curt]

Steve,
Inconel 718 might be the alloy you are thinking of. It is a nickel alloy 
well suited for hot work. I use it for some of the hot rolling mills in 
our foundry. Unless you are up for a sadistic machining experience you 
might just try to buy one already made. It is absolutely miserable stuff 
to machine as it work hardens as you turn it/drill it. It is also 8x as 
expensive as H13. You'll probably be able to buy several finished hot 
tubes for what you could buy the tooling for.
We also use H13 which is a very good hot work tool steel. While not easy 
to machine either, it is far easier than Inconel.
Perhaps the OFES guys can say if they have luck using H13 for hot tubes.....
Curt Holland
Gastonia, NC


Steve Gray wrote:

>   OK, guys. I know this has been covered before and I've perused some 
> of the available list archives to no avail, so I'll ask a repeat 
> question. What's the general opinion about the type of material used 
> for hot tubes? I'm in the process of sanitizing the Fairbanks "Y" oil 
> engine I just bought and will be replacing the starting hot tube. 
> Easily made, but would like to come up with the proper material. My 
> feeble brain cell SEEMS to remember something about nickel being used.
> Thanks in advance.
>
> - Steve
>