Inconel 62 is the common trade designation for a nickel-chromium-iron welding filler metal rather than a rolled or forged bar-stock alloy. Its chemistry corresponds to the AWS A5.14 ERNiCrMo-3 classification, a nickel-based consumable supplied as bare wire and rod for gas tungsten arc, gas metal arc, and submerged arc welding of nickel alloys, austenitic stainless steels, and dissimilar-metal joints between nickel superalloys and carbon or low-alloy steels.

As a filler metal, Inconel 62 is formulated to deposit weld metal that resists oxidation, pitting, and stress-corrosion cracking in elevated-temperature and corrosive service, including chemical processing, marine, and power-generation equipment. Because it is engineered for weld-pool fluidity, crack resistance, and matching base-metal corrosion performance rather than for bulk machinability, most of the material a shop encounters is either drawn wire spooled for automated welding or deposited weld overlay that later needs finish machining, grinding, or edge-break work rather than conventional turning of solid bar. FM Carbide still stocks carbide grades suited to trimming, facing, and cleaning up Inconel 62 weld deposits and clad surfaces, since the deposited metal shares the same nickel-superalloy machining behavior as wrought bar of similar chemistry.

Machining nickel-chromium weld deposits and any stock sharing Inconel 62's chemistry presents the same core challenges found across the nickel-superalloy family. The alloy's low thermal conductivity keeps heat concentrated at the cutting edge instead of carrying it away into the chip, so tool tips run hot even at modest cutting speeds, which accelerates crater wear and edge deformation if speeds are pushed too aggressively.

These alloys also work-harden rapidly wherever a cutting edge rubs, dwells, or takes a light interrupted pass. A skin of hardened material can form ahead of the tool, and if the insert re-enters that hardened layer on the next pass, edge chipping and premature failure follow. Maintaining a steady, adequate chip load and avoiding dwell time in the cut helps keep the workpiece from hardening under the tool.

Because nickel-chromium alloys retain much of their strength and hardness at elevated temperature, they do not soften the way carbon steels do once the cutting zone heats up, so tools cannot rely on thermal softening to ease the cut. This retained hot strength drives high cutting forces and rapid flank wear, and the alloy's chemical affinity for cutting tool materials makes built-up edge and galling a persistent risk, particularly at low speeds or with insufficient lubrication. Sharp, positive-rake geometries, rigid setups, grades formulated for heat-resistant alloys, and generous coolant are typically needed to control these effects and hold a consistent finish.