Anyone use stellite anymore?

[Wirecutter]

I've got some of this stuff, and I've been using it for lathe cutting tools. Problem is, the stellite I have is over 70 years old, and I have no idea where it was purchased. I like its cutting properties, though.

Anyone use stellite 100? Anyone know where to find it? Is there a (better?) replacement material with similar properties?

Thanks in advance, folks.

[Nick Carter]

I use Tantung, which you can get from MSC. It saved me when I had to turn some cast iron on my terrible Jet 920.
I like stellites, etc as you can grind them on a regular bench grinder and they aren't as brittle as carbide.

[Scishopguy]

Stellite

Tantung is really great. I have used Tantung G tool bits for years. They are even more wear resistant than Crucible Rex 95, and they are excellent too. The only thing that you have to watch out for with Tantung is not getting it hot and not quenching it in water. If you put your thumb behind it when you are grinding it and stop for a minute when it gets hot enough to be uncomfortable, you will be all right. I used to lay the bit on the bandsaw table to let it cool down before grinding again. If you quench these in water they will fracture and break easily. I found that they perform about as good as the softer carbides do.

Jim (KB4IVH)

[John Stevenson]

Yes I still use stellite a lot for special tools. I used to lay this on with Oxy-acetylene but now use TiG as you have more control over the metal and there are less impurities in the mix.

Very handy for internal screw cutting tools and boring tools as you can build a large lump up without having to grind loads off the side of the tool for clearance.

Not very good for shaper and slotting tools as it doesn't like shock loads.

I have some old boring tools here that have had about 4 or 5 rewelded ends put on with stellite, as it wears down I just build a new lump on and start again.

[Wirecutter]

Anyone know where to find the stuff?

Thanks, Scishopguy, Nick, and Sir John.

I have some stellite in square bar, about 3/8" on a side. It's solid stellite, near as I can tell. I've seen sites on the web that sell the stuff, and it's dastardly expensive. It's used in some pretty exotic settings, too.

Apparently, many years ago, it was more often used for lathe cutters. I happened upon some, and I love using it. My South Bend "how to run a lathe" book mentions it as being suitable for cutting hard and at high speed, and that it's nice because you can get it nearly red hot and it still stays sharp. I particularly like using it on stainless steel, since it's so forgiving.

So has anyone purchased any lately? I think I may have a line on some, but it's going to run upwards of US$8-9 per inch. If I have to get a minimum of 20 or so inches, would anyone be interested in "going in on" a purchase? Or perhaps does anyone know where to get, say, 3 or 4 inches at a time?

Again, thanks all for the help.

-M

[TECHSHOP]

A Few ??

Questions if I may, possibly OT:

Is this stellite, the same stuff that is used to line some machine gun barrels?

I may have used this as a cutter, is there any way to easily identify the material from "mystery metal"?

What "time" period was it "the state of the art"?

[John Stevenson]

No sorry, not bought any at all.
I got about 60 to 70 sticks of 5/16" diameter grade 6 off the local scrap man about 15 years ago.
still working off this.

[bob_s]

Isn't that the same stuff thats used for automotive valve seats and nozzles for sand blasting equipment?

[Rich Carlstedt]

Stellite, a little known and forgotten asset to any shop

I have about 6- 3/16 rods
Use it a lot. mostly for tool bits in boring bars.
Mine was made for welding a hard surface on construction equipment, like blades and teeth on Cats..
It's mostly Chrome, thats why it has excellent Hot hardness.
Last I heard, it was sold in welding supply houses..wow 20 bucks an inch?
Rich

[greywynd]

It's mostly Chrome, thats why it has excellent Hot hardness.
Rich

Actually, it's mostly nickel and cobalt. Don't know about other suppliers/manufacturers, but we deal with these guys http://www.stellite.com/ at work. Never tried to use it for cutting tools, maybe because we are machining it instead.

I know for a while we had a scrap box for it, don't know if there still is or not. Most of the parts that we make from it are pistons for our injection units, anywhere from .5" diameter to 2" diameter, not really shapes that can be reworked easily, and too big to try using for welding. I know of a couple shelves where we have the parts sitting there's likely a couple hundred pounds on each shelf, plus there's likely that again in our stores. In a different department now, but 3-4 years ago there would be an order of 100-200 pistons go through the shop every 2-3 months.

Mark

[darryl]

I have a center punch that I made from an old exhaust valve that's stellite. Best center punch I have. The tip stays sharp a good long time even punching through scale on hot rolled.

[Wirecutter]

Yeah, that's the stuff

Stellite. Yeah, that's the stuff that was used to line the first bit of M60 machine gun barrels. It's also used in cutting tools, coatings, and a host of other things. Stellite B60 is nice for temps up to 2000 degrees, but it's not as hard as stellite 100, which is recommended for cutters.

Stellite is a proprietary alloy, made by Deloro. I hear it's also used in valve seats. Best I can tell, it's a fancy type of stainless, hard as hell, and good for pretty high temps. It may contain some amount of tungsten, too, but nickel, chromium, and cobalt as well.

Might as well call it "unobtainium". Ahhh, I'll find some. Just wait...

[Allan Dimmock]

Years ago I went for an interview at Deloro Stellite here in Swindon, UK. At that time, and perhaps now, a major part of their business were prosthetic joints for hip replacements. There must be a lot of little old ladies out there with substantial scrap value.

[rockrat]

There must be a lot of little old ladies out there with substantial scrap value.

ROTFL
Man, I'm laughing so hard that my coffee made a trip out my nose.

I can just see it now. "Grandmaw, please will me your hip when you die."

rock

[Timleech]

Funnily enough, I was talking about this with my father last night. He reckons his hip, 20+ years old, is made from titanium. Can you coat titanium with Stellite? Maybe by spraying?

Tim