"Bruce Simpson" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 15 Oct 2003 05:56:44 GMT, Ernie Leimkuhler
wrote:

Could it be a cobalt alloy?

Not impossible I guess -- it came from a large industrial plant but I
don't know what it was being used for before I got my hands on it.

I've given up actually using it for anything (other than destroying
perfectly good tooling ;-) , but the challenge of identifying it
remains.

I had a like experience several years ago when an old friend needed a part
made from "stainless". He was employed at the huge open pit copper mine in
Utah, from which he brought me a piece of stock he claimed was stainless.
My experience in cutting that material parallels yours. I've cut most all
of the metals, Hastalloy, A 286, you name it, including titanium, but I've
never experienced anything like this stuff. I have no idea what it is or
was, but I think I still have the rem somewhere in my storage. I hope to
never see it on the machine again!

Harold